diff --git a/CRM/Contact/BAO/Group.php b/CRM/Contact/BAO/Group.php
index 2cad5888bb7..bfc620b835d 100644
--- a/CRM/Contact/BAO/Group.php
+++ b/CRM/Contact/BAO/Group.php
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ public static function createSmartGroup(&$params) {
       if (isset($ssParams['saved_search_id'])) {
         $ssParams['id'] = $ssParams['saved_search_id'];
       }
-
+      $params['form_values'] = $params['formValues'];
       $savedSearch = CRM_Contact_BAO_SavedSearch::create($params);
 
       $params['saved_search_id'] = $savedSearch->id;
diff --git a/CRM/Contact/BAO/SavedSearch.php b/CRM/Contact/BAO/SavedSearch.php
index 295502d770e..eafb14ccc24 100644
--- a/CRM/Contact/BAO/SavedSearch.php
+++ b/CRM/Contact/BAO/SavedSearch.php
@@ -336,20 +336,7 @@ public static function getName($id, $value = 'name') {
    */
   public static function create(&$params) {
     $savedSearch = new CRM_Contact_DAO_SavedSearch();
-    if (isset($params['formValues']) &&
-      !empty($params['formValues'])
-    ) {
-      $savedSearch->form_values = serialize($params['formValues']);
-    }
-    else {
-      $savedSearch->form_values = NULL;
-    }
-
-    $savedSearch->is_active = CRM_Utils_Array::value('is_active', $params, 1);
-    $savedSearch->mapping_id = CRM_Utils_Array::value('mapping_id', $params, 'null');
-    $savedSearch->custom_search_id = CRM_Utils_Array::value('custom_search_id', $params, 'null');
-    $savedSearch->id = CRM_Utils_Array::value('id', $params, NULL);
-
+    $savedSearch->copyValues($params, TRUE);
     $savedSearch->save();
 
     return $savedSearch;
diff --git a/api/v3/SavedSearch.php b/api/v3/SavedSearch.php
index 3146cda4eac..14a6f599837 100644
--- a/api/v3/SavedSearch.php
+++ b/api/v3/SavedSearch.php
@@ -45,27 +45,19 @@
  */
 function civicrm_api3_saved_search_create($params) {
   civicrm_api3_verify_one_mandatory($params, NULL, ['form_values', 'where_clause']);
-  // The create function of the dao expects a 'formValues' that is
-  // not serialized. The get function returns form_values, that is
-  // serialized.
-  // So for the create API, I guess it should work for serialized and
-  // unserialized form_values.
-
-  if (isset($params["form_values"])) {
-    if (is_array($params["form_values"])) {
-      $params["formValues"] = $params["form_values"];
-    }
-    else {
-      // Assume that form_values is serialized.
-      $params["formValues"] = \CRM_Utils_String::unserialize($params["form_values"]);
-    }
-  }
 
   $result = _civicrm_api3_basic_create(_civicrm_api3_get_BAO(__FUNCTION__), $params, 'SavedSearch');
   _civicrm_api3_saved_search_result_cleanup($result);
   return $result;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @param array $fields
+ */
+function _civicrm_api3_saved_search_create_spec(&$fields) {
+  $fields['form_values']['api.aliases'][] = 'formValues';
+}
+
 /**
  * Delete an existing saved search.
  *
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/CRM/Mailing/BAO/MailingTest.php b/tests/phpunit/CRM/Mailing/BAO/MailingTest.php
index b27a4f2ab27..acf200c4661 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/CRM/Mailing/BAO/MailingTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/CRM/Mailing/BAO/MailingTest.php
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ public function testgetRecipientsEmailGroupIncludeExclude() {
       }
       else {
         $groupIDs[$i] = $this->smartGroupCreate([
-          'formValues' => ['last_name' => (($i == 6) ? 'smart5' : 'smart' . $i)],
+          'form_values' => ['last_name' => (($i == 6) ? 'smart5' : 'smart' . $i)],
         ], $params);
       }
     }
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ public function testgetRecipientsSMS() {
 
     // Setup
     $smartGroupParams = [
-      'formValues' => ['contact_type' => ['IN' => ['Individual']]],
+      'form_values' => ['contact_type' => ['IN' => ['Individual']]],
     ];
     $group = $this->smartGroupCreate($smartGroupParams);
     $sms_provider = $this->callAPISuccess('SmsProvider', 'create', [
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/CiviTest/CiviUnitTestCase.php b/tests/phpunit/CiviTest/CiviUnitTestCase.php
index a799c723185..173c06e6e1e 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/CiviTest/CiviUnitTestCase.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/CiviTest/CiviUnitTestCase.php
@@ -1289,10 +1289,7 @@ protected function cleanUpAfterACLs() {
    * @return int
    */
   public function smartGroupCreate($smartGroupParams = [], $groupParams = [], $contactType = 'Household') {
-    $smartGroupParams = array_merge([
-      'formValues' => ['contact_type' => ['IN' => [$contactType]]],
-    ],
-      $smartGroupParams);
+    $smartGroupParams = array_merge(['form_values' => ['contact_type' => ['IN' => [$contactType]]]], $smartGroupParams);
     $savedSearch = CRM_Contact_BAO_SavedSearch::create($smartGroupParams);
 
     $groupParams['saved_search_id'] = $savedSearch->id;
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/api/v3/SyntaxConformanceTest.php b/tests/phpunit/api/v3/SyntaxConformanceTest.php
index 30c4e9e51b0..e4b0f35b917 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/api/v3/SyntaxConformanceTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/api/v3/SyntaxConformanceTest.php
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ public function setUp() {
       'Payment',
       'Order',
       //work fine in local
-      'SavedSearch',
       'Logging',
     ];
     $this->toBeImplemented['delete'] = [
@@ -724,15 +723,6 @@ public function getKnownUnworkablesUpdateSingle($entity, $key) {
         // View mode is part of the navigation which is not retrieved by the api.
         'cant_return' => ['view_mode'],
       ],
-      'SavedSearch' => [
-        // I think the fields below are generated based on form_values.
-        'cant_update' => [
-          'search_custom_id',
-          'where_clause',
-          'select_tables',
-          'where_tables',
-        ],
-      ],
       'StatusPreference' => [
         'break_return' => [
           'ignore_severity',