diff --git a/bukkit/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LPBukkitPlugin.java b/bukkit/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LPBukkitPlugin.java
index 19debc343..a149d9baa 100644
--- a/bukkit/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LPBukkitPlugin.java
+++ b/bukkit/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LPBukkitPlugin.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package me.lucko.luckperms;
 
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
 import lombok.Getter;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.data.Datastore;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.data.DatastoreConfiguration;
@@ -28,9 +29,11 @@ public class LPBukkitPlugin extends JavaPlugin implements LuckPermsPlugin {
     private UserManager userManager;
     private GroupManager groupManager;
     private Datastore datastore;
+    private Gson gson;
 
     @Override
     public void onEnable() {
+        gson = new Gson();
         configuration = new BukkitConfig(this);
 
         // register events
@@ -93,6 +96,11 @@ public class LPBukkitPlugin extends JavaPlugin implements LuckPermsPlugin {
         Bukkit.getScheduler().runTask(this, r);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public Gson getGson() {
+        return gson;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String getVersion() {
         return VERSION;
diff --git a/bungee/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LPBungeePlugin.java b/bungee/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LPBungeePlugin.java
index 722601714..94f1b4302 100644
--- a/bungee/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LPBungeePlugin.java
+++ b/bungee/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LPBungeePlugin.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package me.lucko.luckperms;
 
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
 import lombok.Getter;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.commands.CommandManager;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.data.Datastore;
@@ -24,9 +25,11 @@ public class LPBungeePlugin extends Plugin implements LuckPermsPlugin {
     private UserManager userManager;
     private GroupManager groupManager;
     private Datastore datastore;
+    private Gson gson;
 
     @Override
     public void onEnable() {
+        gson = new Gson();
         configuration = new BungeeConfig(this);
 
         // register events
@@ -87,4 +90,9 @@ public class LPBungeePlugin extends Plugin implements LuckPermsPlugin {
     public void doSync(Runnable r) {
         r.run();
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public Gson getGson() {
+        return gson;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LuckPermsPlugin.java b/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LuckPermsPlugin.java
index 87c96003e..ba9464e18 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LuckPermsPlugin.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/LuckPermsPlugin.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package me.lucko.luckperms;
 
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.data.Datastore;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.groups.GroupManager;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.users.UserManager;
@@ -74,4 +75,6 @@ public interface LuckPermsPlugin {
      * @param r the task to run
      */
     void doSync(Runnable r);
+
+    Gson getGson();
 }
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/data/HikariDatastore.java b/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/data/HikariDatastore.java
index 61658253a..98266f9a6 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/data/HikariDatastore.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/data/HikariDatastore.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package me.lucko.luckperms.data;
 
 import com.zaxxer.hikari.HikariDataSource;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.LuckPermsPlugin;
+import me.lucko.luckperms.exceptions.ObjectAlreadyHasException;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.groups.Group;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.groups.GroupManager;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.users.User;
@@ -11,7 +12,6 @@ import java.sql.PreparedStatement;
 import java.sql.ResultSet;
 import java.sql.SQLException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
@@ -121,9 +121,7 @@ public class HikariDatastore extends Datastore {
             ResultSet resultSet = preparedStatement.executeQuery();
 
             if (resultSet.next()) {
-                if (!resultSet.getString("perms").equals("#")) {
-                    user.loadNodes((Arrays.asList(resultSet.getString("perms").split(":"))));
-                }
+                user.loadNodes(resultSet.getString("perms"));
                 user.setName(resultSet.getString("name"));
 
                 preparedStatement.close();
@@ -143,11 +141,14 @@ public class HikariDatastore extends Datastore {
     @Override
     public boolean loadOrCreateUser(UUID uuid, String username) {
         User user = plugin.getUserManager().makeUser(uuid, username);
+        try {
+            user.setPermission(plugin.getConfiguration().getDefaultGroupNode(), true);
+        } catch (ObjectAlreadyHasException ignored) {}
         boolean success = runQuery(connection -> {
             PreparedStatement preparedStatement = connection.prepareStatement(USER_INSERT);
-            preparedStatement.setString(1, uuid.toString());
-            preparedStatement.setString(2, username);
-            preparedStatement.setString(3, plugin.getConfiguration().getDefaultGroupNode());
+            preparedStatement.setString(1, user.getUuid().toString());
+            preparedStatement.setString(2, user.getName());
+            preparedStatement.setString(3, user.serializeNodes());
             preparedStatement.setString(4, username);
             preparedStatement.execute();
             preparedStatement.close();
@@ -158,9 +159,7 @@ public class HikariDatastore extends Datastore {
             ResultSet resultSet = preparedStatement.executeQuery();
 
             if (resultSet.next()) {
-                if (!resultSet.getString("perms").equals("#")) {
-                    user.loadNodes(Arrays.asList(resultSet.getString("perms").split(":")));
-                }
+                user.loadNodes(resultSet.getString("perms"));
 
                 preparedStatement.close();
                 resultSet.close();
@@ -196,9 +195,9 @@ public class HikariDatastore extends Datastore {
         Group group = plugin.getGroupManager().makeGroup(name);
         boolean success = runQuery(connection -> {
             PreparedStatement preparedStatement = connection.prepareStatement(GROUP_INSERT);
-            preparedStatement.setString(1, name);
-            preparedStatement.setString(2, "#");
-            preparedStatement.setString(3, "#");
+            preparedStatement.setString(1, group.getName());
+            preparedStatement.setString(2, group.serializeNodes());
+            preparedStatement.setString(3, group.serializeNodes());
             preparedStatement.execute();
             preparedStatement.close();
 
@@ -208,9 +207,7 @@ public class HikariDatastore extends Datastore {
             ResultSet resultSet = preparedStatement.executeQuery();
 
             if (resultSet.next()) {
-                if (!resultSet.getString("perms").equals("#")) {
-                    group.loadNodes(Arrays.asList(resultSet.getString("perms").split(":")));
-                }
+                group.loadNodes(resultSet.getString("perms"));
             }
 
             preparedStatement.close();
@@ -231,9 +228,7 @@ public class HikariDatastore extends Datastore {
             ResultSet resultSet = preparedStatement.executeQuery();
 
             if (resultSet.next()) {
-                if (!resultSet.getString("perms").equals("#")) {
-                    group.loadNodes(Arrays.asList(resultSet.getString("perms").split(":")));
-                }
+                group.loadNodes(resultSet.getString("perms"));
 
                 preparedStatement.close();
                 resultSet.close();
@@ -258,9 +253,7 @@ public class HikariDatastore extends Datastore {
 
             while (resultSet.next()) {
                 Group group = plugin.getGroupManager().makeGroup(resultSet.getString("name"));
-                if (!resultSet.getString("perms").equals("#")) {
-                    group.loadNodes(Arrays.asList(resultSet.getString("perms").split(":")));
-                }
+                group.loadNodes(resultSet.getString("perms"));
                 groups.add(group);
             }
             preparedStatement.close();
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/utils/PermissionObject.java b/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/utils/PermissionObject.java
index 444825430..744f5372e 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/utils/PermissionObject.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/me/lucko/luckperms/utils/PermissionObject.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package me.lucko.luckperms.utils;
 
+import com.google.gson.reflect.TypeToken;
 import lombok.Getter;
 import lombok.Setter;
 import me.lucko.luckperms.LuckPermsPlugin;
@@ -11,7 +12,6 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 /**
  * Represents an object that can hold permissions
@@ -262,48 +262,18 @@ public abstract class PermissionObject {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Loads a list of semi-serialised nodes into the object
-     * @param data The data to be loaded
+     * Loads serialised nodes into the object
+     * @param json The json data to be loaded
      */
-    public void loadNodes(List<String> data) {
-        // String is the node in format "server/plugin.command-false" or "plugin.command-false" or "server/plugin.command"
-        // or just "plugin.command"
-
-        for (String s : data) {
-            String[] parts = s.split("-", 2);
-
-            if (parts.length == 2) {
-                nodes.put(parts[0], Boolean.valueOf(parts[1]));
-            } else {
-                nodes.put(parts[0], true);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Convert the permission nodes map to a list of strings
-     * @return a {@link List} of nodes
-     */
-    public List<String> getNodesAsString() {
-        List<String> data = new ArrayList<>();
-
-        for (String node : nodes.keySet()) {
-            if (nodes.get(node)) {
-                data.add(node);
-            } else {
-                data.add(node + "-false");
-            }
-        }
-
-        return data;
+    public void loadNodes(String json) {
+        nodes.putAll(plugin.getGson().fromJson(json, new TypeToken<Map<String, Boolean>>(){}.getType()));
     }
 
     /**
      * Serialize the nodes in the object to be saved in the datastore
-     * @return A serialized string
+     * @return A json string
      */
     public String serializeNodes() {
-        if (nodes.isEmpty()) return "#";
-        return getNodesAsString().stream().collect(Collectors.joining(":"));
+        return plugin.getGson().toJson(nodes);
     }
 }
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 65efe13a4..7501071fa 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@
             <artifactId>slf4j-simple</artifactId>
             <version>1.7.5</version>
         </dependency>
+        <!-- gson -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>com.google.code.gson</groupId>
+            <artifactId>gson</artifactId>
+            <version>2.7</version>
+        </dependency>
         <!-- Lombok -->
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.projectlombok</groupId>