diff --git a/src/daemon/main.c b/src/daemon/main.c
index ef2a5fd17..8d465299c 100644
--- a/src/daemon/main.c
+++ b/src/daemon/main.c
@@ -171,7 +171,11 @@ static int parse_modules(struct data *d, const char *str)
 					args = malloc(alen + 1);
 					spa_json_parse_string(aval, alen, args);
 				} else if (strcmp(arg, "flags") == 0) {
-					flags = strndup(aval, alen);
+					if (spa_json_is_container(aval, alen))
+						alen = spa_json_container_len(&it[2], aval, alen);
+
+					flags = malloc(alen + 1);
+					spa_json_parse_string(aval, alen, flags);
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/daemon/pipewire.conf.in b/src/daemon/pipewire.conf.in
index aefa6ee87..c213e19e7 100644
--- a/src/daemon/pipewire.conf.in
+++ b/src/daemon/pipewire.conf.in
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ spa-libs = {
 
 modules = {
     ##  <module-name> = { [args = { <key>=<value> ... }]
-    #                     [flags = "[ifexists]|[nofail]"}
+    #                     [flags = [ [ifexists] [nofail] ]}
     #
     # Loads a module with the given parameters.
     # If ifexists is given, the module is ignoed when it is not found.
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ modules = {
             #rt.time.soft = 200000
             #rt.time.hard = 200000
 	}
-        flags = "ifexists|nofail"
+        flags = [ ifexists nofail ]
     }
 
     # The native communication protocol
@@ -129,13 +129,13 @@ modules = {
 
 objects = {
     ## <factory-name> = { [args = { <key>=<value> ... } ]
-    #                     [flags = "nofail"] }
+    #                     [flags = [ [nofail] ] }
     #
     # Creates an object from a PipeWire factory with the given parameters.
     # If nofail is given, errors are ignored (and no object is created)
     #
     #spa-node-factory = { args = "factory.name=videotestsrc node.name=videotestsrc Spa:Pod:Object:Param:Props:patternType=1" }
-    #spa-device-factory  = { args = "factory.name=api.jack.device foo=bar" flags = nofail }
+    #spa-device-factory  = { args = "factory.name=api.jack.device foo=bar" flags = [ nofail ] }
     #spa-device-factory = { args = "factory.name=api.alsa.enum.udev" }
     #spa-device-factory = { args = "factory.name=api.alsa.seq.bridge node.name=Internal-MIDI-Bridge" }
     #adapter = { args = "factory.name=audiotestsrc node.name=my-test" }