diff --git a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-deserialize.c b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-deserialize.c
index d197c54415..88c4c2cafe 100644
--- a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-deserialize.c
+++ b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-deserialize.c
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ static GTokenType  gimp_config_deserialize_file_value     (GValue     *value,
 static GTokenType  gimp_config_deserialize_parasite_value (GValue     *value,
                                                            GParamSpec *prop_spec,
                                                            GScanner   *scanner);
+static GTokenType  gimp_config_deserialize_bytes          (GValue     *value,
+                                                           GParamSpec *prop_spec,
+                                                           GScanner   *scanner);
 static GTokenType  gimp_config_deserialize_any            (GValue     *value,
                                                            GParamSpec *prop_spec,
                                                            GScanner   *scanner);
@@ -389,6 +392,10 @@ gimp_config_deserialize_value (GValue     *value,
     {
       return gimp_config_deserialize_parasite_value (value, prop_spec, scanner);
     }
+  else if (prop_spec->value_type == G_TYPE_BYTES)
+    {
+      return gimp_config_deserialize_bytes (value, prop_spec, scanner);
+    }
 
   /*  This fallback will only work for value_types that
    *  can be transformed from a string value.
@@ -1030,6 +1037,28 @@ gimp_config_deserialize_parasite_value (GValue     *value,
   return G_TOKEN_RIGHT_PAREN;
 }
 
+static GTokenType
+gimp_config_deserialize_bytes (GValue     *value,
+                               GParamSpec *prop_spec,
+                               GScanner   *scanner)
+{
+  GBytes *bytes;
+  guint8 *data;
+  gint    data_length;
+
+  if (! gimp_scanner_parse_int (scanner, &data_length))
+    return G_TOKEN_INT;
+
+  if (! gimp_scanner_parse_data (scanner, data_length, &data))
+    return G_TOKEN_STRING;
+
+  bytes = g_bytes_new (data, data_length);
+
+  g_value_take_boxed (value, bytes);
+
+  return G_TOKEN_RIGHT_PAREN;
+}
+
 static GTokenType
 gimp_config_deserialize_any (GValue     *value,
                              GParamSpec *prop_spec,
diff --git a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-serialize.c b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-serialize.c
index e5d21d6c70..5f22b3511f 100644
--- a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-serialize.c
+++ b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-serialize.c
@@ -270,6 +270,30 @@ gimp_config_serialize_property (GimpConfig       *config,
               success = TRUE;
             }
 
+          if (success)
+            gimp_config_writer_close (writer);
+          else
+            gimp_config_writer_revert (writer);
+        }
+      else if (G_VALUE_TYPE (&value) == G_TYPE_BYTES)
+        {
+          GBytes *bytes = g_value_get_boxed (&value);
+
+          gimp_config_writer_open (writer, param_spec->name);
+
+          if (bytes)
+            {
+              gconstpointer data;
+              gsize         data_length;
+
+              data = g_bytes_get_data (bytes, &data_length);
+
+              gimp_config_writer_printf (writer, "%lu", data_length);
+              gimp_config_writer_data (writer, data_length, data);
+
+              success = TRUE;
+            }
+
           if (success)
             gimp_config_writer_close (writer);
           else