diff --git a/job-engine/commons/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/job/engine/commons/wrappers/StepContextWrapper.java b/job-engine/commons/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/job/engine/commons/wrappers/StepContextWrapper.java
index 1f4cb54698a..21eb42028ef 100644
--- a/job-engine/commons/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/job/engine/commons/wrappers/StepContextWrapper.java
+++ b/job-engine/commons/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/job/engine/commons/wrappers/StepContextWrapper.java
@@ -18,13 +18,11 @@
 import org.eclipse.kapua.commons.util.xml.XmlUtil;
 import org.eclipse.kapua.model.id.KapuaId;
 import org.eclipse.kapua.model.id.KapuaIdFactory;
-import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
 
 import javax.batch.runtime.BatchStatus;
 import javax.batch.runtime.Metric;
 import javax.batch.runtime.context.StepContext;
 import javax.xml.bind.DatatypeConverter;
-import javax.xml.bind.JAXBException;
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
@@ -92,10 +90,15 @@ public <T, E extends Enum<E>> T getStepProperty(String stepPropertyName, Class<T
                     throw new KapuaIllegalArgumentException(stepPropertyName, stepPropertyString);
                 }
             } else {
+                // Try both formats: XML - JSON
                 try {
                     stepProperty = XmlUtil.unmarshal(stepPropertyString, type);
-                } catch (JAXBException | SAXException e) {
-                    throw new KapuaIllegalArgumentException(stepPropertyName, stepPropertyString);
+                } catch (Exception eXml) {
+                    try {
+                        stepProperty = XmlUtil.unmarshalJson(stepPropertyString, type);
+                    } catch (Exception eJson) {
+                        throw new KapuaIllegalArgumentException(stepPropertyName, stepPropertyString);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         } else {
diff --git a/service/device/management/configuration/job/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/service/device/management/configuration/job/definition/DeviceConfigurationPutJobStepDefinition.java b/service/device/management/configuration/job/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/service/device/management/configuration/job/definition/DeviceConfigurationPutJobStepDefinition.java
index 064a2ca33d7..55c05cc97c7 100644
--- a/service/device/management/configuration/job/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/service/device/management/configuration/job/definition/DeviceConfigurationPutJobStepDefinition.java
+++ b/service/device/management/configuration/job/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/service/device/management/configuration/job/definition/DeviceConfigurationPutJobStepDefinition.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public DeviceConfigurationPutJobStepDefinition() {
                 Lists.newArrayList(
                         new JobStepPropertyRecord(
                                 DeviceConfigurationPutPropertyKeys.CONFIGURATION,
-                                "XML string that defines the configuration update sent",
+                                "XML or JSON string that defines the configuration update sent to the target devices",
                                 DeviceConfiguration.class.getName(),
                                 null,
                                 "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n<configurations xmlns:ns0=\"http://www.osgi.org/xmlns/metatype/v1.2.0\">\n    <configuration>\n    <id>org.eclipse.kura.demo.heater.Heater</id>\n    <properties>\n        <property name=\"temperature.increment\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"Float\">\n            <value>0.25</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"publish.rate\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"Integer\">\n            <value>60</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"program.stopTime\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"String\">\n            <value>22:00</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"publish.retain\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"Boolean\">\n            <value>false</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"service.pid\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"String\">\n            <value>org.eclipse.kura.demo.heater.Heater</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"kura.service.pid\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"String\">\n            <value>org.eclipse.kura.demo.heater.Heater</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"program.startTime\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"String\">\n            <value>06:00</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"mode\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"String\">\n            <value>Program</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"publish.semanticTopic\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"String\">\n            <value>data/210</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"manual.setPoint\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"Float\">\n            <value>30.0</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"publish.qos\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"Integer\">\n            <value>2</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"temperature.initial\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"Float\">\n            <value>13.0</value>\n        </property>\n        <property name=\"program.setPoint\" array=\"false\" encrypted=\"false\" type=\"Float\">\n            <value>30.0</value>\n        </property>\n    </properties>\n    </configuration>\n</configurations>",
diff --git a/service/job/internal/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/service/job/step/internal/JobStepServiceImpl.java b/service/job/internal/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/service/job/step/internal/JobStepServiceImpl.java
index c94f7d61121..207951b3a17 100644
--- a/service/job/internal/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/service/job/step/internal/JobStepServiceImpl.java
+++ b/service/job/internal/src/main/java/org/eclipse/kapua/service/job/step/internal/JobStepServiceImpl.java
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ public JobStep create(JobStepCreator jobStepCreator) throws KapuaException {
         return txManager.execute(tx -> {
             // Check job step definition
             validateJobStepProperties(tx, jobStepCreator);
+
             // Check duplicate name
             if (jobStepRepository.countEntitiesWithNameInScope(
                     tx,
@@ -414,8 +415,17 @@ private void validateJobStepProperties(List<JobStepProperty> jobStepProperties,
                     }
 
                     if (jobStepProperty.getPropertyValue() != null) {
-                        ArgumentValidator.areEqual(jobStepProperty.getPropertyType(), jobStepDefinitionProperty.getPropertyType(), "stepProperties[]." + jobStepProperty.getName());
-                        ArgumentValidator.lengthRange(jobStepProperty.getPropertyValue(), jobStepDefinitionProperty.getMinLength(), jobStepDefinitionProperty.getMaxLength(), "stepProperties[]." + jobStepProperty.getName());
+                        ArgumentValidator.areEqual(
+                                jobStepProperty.getPropertyType(),
+                                jobStepDefinitionProperty.getPropertyType(),
+                                "stepProperties[]." + jobStepProperty.getName()
+                        );
+                        ArgumentValidator.lengthRange(
+                                jobStepProperty.getPropertyValue(),
+                                jobStepDefinitionProperty.getMinLength(),
+                                jobStepDefinitionProperty.getMaxLength(),
+                                "stepProperties[]." + jobStepProperty.getName()
+                        );
 
                         validateJobStepPropertyValue(jobStepProperty, jobStepDefinitionProperty);
                     }
@@ -447,7 +457,12 @@ private <C extends Comparable<C>, E extends Enum<E>> void validateJobStepPropert
                 Class<E> jobStepDefinitionPropertyClassEnum = (Class<E>) jobStepDefinitionPropertyClass;
                 Enum.valueOf(jobStepDefinitionPropertyClassEnum, jobStepProperty.getPropertyValue());
             } else {
-                XmlUtil.unmarshal(jobStepProperty.getPropertyValue(), jobStepDefinitionPropertyClass);
+                // Try both formats: XML - JSON
+                try {
+                    XmlUtil.unmarshal(jobStepProperty.getPropertyValue(), jobStepDefinitionPropertyClass);
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    XmlUtil.unmarshalJson(jobStepProperty.getPropertyValue(), jobStepDefinitionPropertyClass);
+                }
             }
 
         } catch (KapuaIllegalArgumentException kiae) {