diff --git a/lib/src/client.dart b/lib/src/client.dart
index 54cd1f05..227edaae 100644
--- a/lib/src/client.dart
+++ b/lib/src/client.dart
@@ -2474,10 +2474,10 @@ class Client extends MatrixApi {
       onPresenceChanged.add(cachedPresence);
       await database?.storePresence(newPresence.senderId, cachedPresence);
     }
-    for (final newAccountData in sync.accountData ?? []) {
+    for (final newAccountData in sync.accountData ?? <BasicEvent>[]) {
       await database?.storeAccountData(
         newAccountData.type,
-        jsonEncode(newAccountData.content),
+        newAccountData.content,
       );
       accountData[newAccountData.type] = newAccountData;
       // ignore: deprecated_member_use_from_same_package
diff --git a/lib/src/database/database_api.dart b/lib/src/database/database_api.dart
index 3b80888c..dc37a437 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/database_api.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/database_api.dart
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ abstract class DatabaseApi {
     String syncFilterId,
   );
 
-  Future storeAccountData(String type, String content);
+  Future storeAccountData(String type, Map<String, Object?> content);
 
   Future<Map<String, DeviceKeysList>> getUserDeviceKeys(Client client);
 
diff --git a/lib/src/database/hive_collections_database.dart b/lib/src/database/hive_collections_database.dart
index e30138bc..8d0a6d1b 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/hive_collections_database.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/hive_collections_database.dart
@@ -1073,8 +1073,11 @@ class HiveCollectionsDatabase extends DatabaseApi {
   }
 
   @override
-  Future<void> storeAccountData(String type, String content) async {
-    await _accountDataBox.put(type, copyMap(jsonDecode(content)));
+  Future<void> storeAccountData(
+    String type,
+    Map<String, Object?> content,
+  ) async {
+    await _accountDataBox.put(type, copyMap(content));
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/database/hive_database.dart b/lib/src/database/hive_database.dart
index e5495a1b..78f46d9c 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/hive_database.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/hive_database.dart
@@ -1032,10 +1032,13 @@ class FamedlySdkHiveDatabase extends DatabaseApi with ZoneTransactionMixin {
   }
 
   @override
-  Future<void> storeAccountData(String type, String content) async {
+  Future<void> storeAccountData(
+    String type,
+    Map<String, Object?> content,
+  ) async {
     await _accountDataBox.put(
       type.toHiveKey,
-      convertToJson(jsonDecode(content)),
+      convertToJson(content),
     );
     return;
   }
diff --git a/lib/src/database/matrix_sdk_database.dart b/lib/src/database/matrix_sdk_database.dart
index a9bfbfc3..7db3bfe5 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/matrix_sdk_database.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/matrix_sdk_database.dart
@@ -1036,8 +1036,11 @@ class MatrixSdkDatabase extends DatabaseApi with DatabaseFileStorage {
   }
 
   @override
-  Future<void> storeAccountData(String type, String content) async {
-    await _accountDataBox.put(type, jsonDecode(content));
+  Future<void> storeAccountData(
+    String type,
+    Map<String, Object?> content,
+  ) async {
+    await _accountDataBox.put(type, content);
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/database_api_test.dart b/test/database_api_test.dart
index 9393833b..4be5e81d 100644
--- a/test/database_api_test.dart
+++ b/test/database_api_test.dart
@@ -192,11 +192,11 @@ void main() {
         await database.getAccountData();
       });
       test('storeAccountData', () async {
-        await database.storeAccountData('m.test', '{"foo":"bar"}');
+        await database.storeAccountData('m.test', {'foo': 'bar'});
         final events = await database.getAccountData();
         expect(events.values.single.type, 'm.test');
 
-        await database.storeAccountData('m.abc+de', '{"foo":"bar"}');
+        await database.storeAccountData('m.abc+de', {'foo': 'bar'});
         final events2 = await database.getAccountData();
         expect(
           events2.values.any((element) => element.type == 'm.abc+de'),
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ void main() {
 
         await database.storeAccountData(
           'm.huge_data_test',
-          jsonEncode(hugeDataObject),
+          hugeDataObject,
         );
 
         final events = await database.getAccountData();
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ void main() {
         final database = await getMatrixSdkDatabase(null);
         await database.storeAccountData(
           'm.test.data',
-          jsonEncode({'foo': 'bar'}),
+          {'foo': 'bar'},
         );
         await database.delete();