diff --git a/src/main/java/com/norconex/commons/lang/bean/jackson/JsonXmlMapDeserializer.java b/src/main/java/com/norconex/commons/lang/bean/jackson/JsonXmlMapDeserializer.java
index 933f53b4..cbfab40b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/norconex/commons/lang/bean/jackson/JsonXmlMapDeserializer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/norconex/commons/lang/bean/jackson/JsonXmlMapDeserializer.java
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ private Class<?> fieldType(Class<?> annotType, JavaType containedType) {
         if (containedType != null) {
             return containedType.getRawClass();
         }
-        return null;
+        return Object.class;
     }
 
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/norconex/commons/lang/bean/jackson/JsonXmlMapModule.java b/src/main/java/com/norconex/commons/lang/bean/jackson/JsonXmlMapModule.java
index ed6a766a..e456ca41 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/norconex/commons/lang/bean/jackson/JsonXmlMapModule.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/norconex/commons/lang/bean/jackson/JsonXmlMapModule.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package com.norconex.commons.lang.bean.jackson;
 
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Properties;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.module.SimpleModule;
 import com.norconex.commons.lang.bean.BeanMapper;
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ public class JsonXmlMapModule extends SimpleModule {
     public JsonXmlMapModule() {
         this.addSerializer((Class<Map<?, ?>>) (Class<?>) Map.class,
                 new JsonXmlMapSerializer<>());
+        this.addDeserializer((Class<Map<?, ?>>) (Class<?>) Properties.class,
+                new JsonXmlMapDeserializer<>());
         this.addDeserializer(Map.class, new JsonXmlMapDeserializer<>());
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file