diff --git a/packages/tools/src/stringTools.ts b/packages/tools/src/stringTools.ts
index 80f7d8585..47aecea40 100644
--- a/packages/tools/src/stringTools.ts
+++ b/packages/tools/src/stringTools.ts
@@ -44,3 +44,18 @@ export function stringifyCellValue(value) {
   if (_isPlainObject(value) || _isArray(value)) return JSON.stringify(value);
   return value;
 }
+
+export function safeJsonParse(json, defaultValue?, logError = false) {
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(json);
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (logError) {
+      console.error(`Error parsing JSON value "${json}"`, err);
+    }
+    return defaultValue;
+  }
+}
+
+export function isJsonLikeLongString(value) {
+  return _isString(value) && value.length > 100 && value.match(/^\s*\{.*\}\s*$|^\s*\[.*\]\s*$/);
+}
diff --git a/packages/web/src/datagrid/DataGridCell.svelte b/packages/web/src/datagrid/DataGridCell.svelte
index 34cf70879..8b08391e4 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/datagrid/DataGridCell.svelte
+++ b/packages/web/src/datagrid/DataGridCell.svelte
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
   import _ from 'lodash';
   import ShowFormButton from '../formview/ShowFormButton.svelte';
   import { getBoolSettingsValue } from '../settings/settingsTools';
-  import { arrayToHexString } from 'dbgate-tools';
+  import { arrayToHexString, isJsonLikeLongString, safeJsonParse } from 'dbgate-tools';
   import { showModal } from '../modals/modalTools';
   import DictionaryLookupModal from '../modals/DictionaryLookupModal.svelte';
   import { openJsonDocument } from '../tabs/JsonTab.svelte';
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
   $: style = computeStyle(maxWidth, col);
 
   $: isJson = _.isPlainObject(value) && !(value?.type == 'Buffer' && _.isArray(value.data)) && !value.$oid;
+  $: jsonParsedValue = isJsonLikeLongString(value) ? safeJsonParse(value) : null;
 </script>
 
 <td
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@
     <span class="value">false</span>
   {:else if _.isNumber(value)}
     <span class="value">{formatNumber(value)}</span>
-  {:else if _.isString(value)}
+  {:else if _.isString(value) && !jsonParsedValue}
     {#if dateTimeRegex.test(value)}
       <span class="value">
         {formatDateTime(value)}
@@ -134,6 +135,10 @@
     <span class="null" title={JSON.stringify(value, undefined, 2)}>(JSON)</span>
   {:else if _.isArray(value)}
     <span class="null">[{value.length} items]</span>
+  {:else if _.isPlainObject(jsonParsedValue)}
+    <span class="null" title={JSON.stringify(jsonParsedValue, undefined, 2)}>(JSON)</span>
+  {:else if _.isArray(jsonParsedValue)}
+    <span class="null">[{jsonParsedValue.length} items]</span>
   {:else}
     {value.toString()}
   {/if}
@@ -156,7 +161,11 @@
     <ShowFormButton icon="icon open-in-new" on:click={() => openJsonDocument(value, undefined, true)} />
   {/if}
 
-  {#if _.isArray(value)}
+  {#if jsonParsedValue && _.isPlainObject(jsonParsedValue)}
+    <ShowFormButton icon="icon open-in-new" on:click={() => openJsonDocument(jsonParsedValue, undefined, true)} />
+  {/if}
+
+  {#if _.isArray(jsonParsedValue || value)}
     <ShowFormButton
       icon="icon open-in-new"
       on:click={() =>
@@ -169,7 +178,7 @@
           },
           {
             editor: {
-              rows: value,
+              rows: jsonParsedValue || value,
               structure: { __isDynamicStructure: true, columns: [] },
             },
           }
diff --git a/packages/web/src/datagrid/gridutil.ts b/packages/web/src/datagrid/gridutil.ts
index 9bffcfc5b..b0d15275f 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/datagrid/gridutil.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/datagrid/gridutil.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { SeriesSizes } from './SeriesSizes';
 import { CellAddress } from './selection';
 import { GridDisplay } from 'dbgate-datalib';
 import Grider from './Grider';
+import { isJsonLikeLongString, safeJsonParse } from 'dbgate-tools';
 
 export function countColumnSizes(grider: Grider, columns, containerWidth, display: GridDisplay) {
   const columnSizes = new SeriesSizes();
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ export function countColumnSizes(grider: Grider, columns, containerWidth, displa
       let text = value;
       if (_.isArray(value)) text = `[${value.length} items]`;
       else if (value?.$oid) text = `ObjectId("${value.$oid}")`;
+      else if (isJsonLikeLongString(value) && safeJsonParse(value)) text = '(JSON)';
       const width = context.measureText(text).width + 8;
       // console.log('colName', colName, text, width);
       columnSizes.putSizeOverride(colIndex, width);
diff --git a/packages/web/src/stores.ts b/packages/web/src/stores.ts
index 7f6885ad7..67c2f560b 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/stores.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/stores.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ import { writable, derived, readable } from 'svelte/store';
 import { ExtensionsDirectory } from 'dbgate-types';
 import invalidateCommands from './commands/invalidateCommands';
 import getElectron from './utility/getElectron';
-import { GlobalCommand } from './commands/registerCommand';
 import { useConfig, useSettings } from './utility/metadataLoaders';
 import _ from 'lodash';
+import { safeJsonParse } from 'dbgate-tools';
 
 export interface TabDefinition {
   title: string;
@@ -18,18 +18,9 @@ export interface TabDefinition {
   tabOrder?: number;
 }
 
-function safeJsonParse(json, defaultValue) {
-  try {
-    return JSON.parse(json);
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.error(`Error parsing JSON value "${json}"`, err);
-    return defaultValue;
-  }
-}
-
 export function writableWithStorage<T>(defaultValue: T, storageName) {
   const init = localStorage.getItem(storageName);
-  const res = writable<T>(init ? safeJsonParse(init, defaultValue) : defaultValue);
+  const res = writable<T>(init ? safeJsonParse(init, defaultValue, true) : defaultValue);
   res.subscribe(value => {
     localStorage.setItem(storageName, JSON.stringify(value));
   });