diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c73cb24..52fd44b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ The most simple way to use this SDK is to pull from the Predix Snapshot artifact
   <dependency>
     <groupId>com.ge.predix.eventhub</groupId>
     <artifactId>predix-event-hub-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>2.2.4</version>
+    <version>2.2.5</version>
   </dependency>
 ...
 </dependencies>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 6ccf031..18873a7 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
     <groupId>com.ge.predix.eventhub</groupId>
     <artifactId>predix-event-hub-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>2.2.4</version> <!--- NOTE: also change version in readme and log statement in Client class -->
+    <version>2.2.5</version> <!--- NOTE: also change version in readme and log statement in Client class -->
     <properties>
         <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
         <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/EventHubUtils.java b/src/main/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/EventHubUtils.java
index 3f46ffb..060348f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/EventHubUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/EventHubUtils.java
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ private static void putIntoJson(JSONObject jsonObj, String key, Object value){
             for(Object o : (List) value){
                 array.put(o);
             }
-            jsonObj.put(key, new JSONArray(value));
+            jsonObj.put(key, new JSONArray(((List) value)));
             return;
         }
         jsonObj.put(key, value);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/client/Client.java b/src/main/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/client/Client.java
index d724394..4d3340a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/client/Client.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/client/Client.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 public class Client implements AutoCloseable {
     private static final String healthCheckUrl = "predix-event-hub.grpc.health";
     private static final Long ttlHealth = 30000L;
-    private static final String sdkVersionString = "2.2.4";
+    private static final String sdkVersionString = "2.2.5";
 
 
     private Channel channel;
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/client/EventHubUtilsTest.java b/src/test/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/client/EventHubUtilsTest.java
index dc75c82..a49fc93 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/client/EventHubUtilsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/ge/predix/eventhub/client/EventHubUtilsTest.java
@@ -23,9 +23,13 @@
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
 import com.ge.predix.eventhub.*;
 import com.ge.predix.eventhub.configuration.LoggerConfiguration;
+import com.ge.predix.eventhub.test.categories.DefectTest;
 import com.ge.predix.eventhub.test.categories.SanityTest;
 import com.ge.predix.eventhub.test.categories.SmokeTest;
 import com.google.protobuf.ByteString;
+import org.json.JSONArray;
+import org.json.JSONObject;
+import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.FixMethodOrder;
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -313,4 +317,35 @@ public void testLogLevels(){
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * test serializing messages for logging with nested object, e.g.
+     * {
+     *    "publisher_msg":{
+     *       "msg":"ignoring values from config, don't apply to this publisher type",
+     *       "ignores":[
+     *          "timeout",
+     *          10000
+     *       ]
+     *    }
+     * }
+     */
+    @Test
+    @Category(DefectTest.class)
+    public void test() {
+        final List<Object> ignores = new ArrayList<>();
+        final String timeoutKey = "timeout";
+        final long timeoutValue = 10000L;
+        ignores.add(timeoutKey);
+        ignores.add(timeoutValue);
+        JSONObject jsonObject = EventHubUtils.formatJson(
+                "publisher_msg",
+                "msg",
+                "ignoring values from config, don't apply to this publisher type",
+                "ignores",
+                ignores
+        );
+        final JSONArray ignoresJsonValue = jsonObject.getJSONObject("publisher_msg").getJSONArray("ignores");
+        Assert.assertEquals(ignores, ignoresJsonValue.toList());
+    }
+
 }