diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j-aspects/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/neo4j/aspects/support/Neo4jGraphPersistenceTests-context.xml b/spring-data-neo4j-aspects/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/neo4j/aspects/support/Neo4jGraphPersistenceTests-context.xml
index 9d3e58113..df28c8ac4 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j-aspects/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/neo4j/aspects/support/Neo4jGraphPersistenceTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j-aspects/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/neo4j/aspects/support/Neo4jGraphPersistenceTests-context.xml
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
     <bean id="entityStateHandler" class="org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.mapping.EntityStateHandler">
         <constructor-arg ref="mappingContext"/>
         <constructor-arg ref="graphDatabase"/>
+        <constructor-arg ref="conversionService"/>
     </bean>
     <bean id="graphDatabase" class="org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.DelegatingGraphDatabase">
         <constructor-arg ref="graphDatabaseService"/>
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j-cross-store/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/neo4j/partial/Neo4jGraphRecommendationTests-context.xml b/spring-data-neo4j-cross-store/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/neo4j/partial/Neo4jGraphRecommendationTests-context.xml
index 65a9e7d6c..1a9de956d 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j-cross-store/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/neo4j/partial/Neo4jGraphRecommendationTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j-cross-store/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/neo4j/partial/Neo4jGraphRecommendationTests-context.xml
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@
     <bean id="entityStateHandler" class="org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.mapping.EntityStateHandler">
         <constructor-arg ref="mappingContext"/>
         <constructor-arg ref="graphDatabase"/>
+        <constructor-arg ref="conversionService"/>
     </bean>
+    <bean id="conversionService" class="org.springframework.data.neo4j.fieldaccess.Neo4jConversionServiceFactoryBean"/>
     <bean id="relationshipEntityInstantiator" class="org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.relationship.RelationshipEntityInstantiator">
         <constructor-arg ref="entityStateHandler"/>
     </bean>
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/fieldaccess/GenericNodePropertyFieldAccessorFactory.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/fieldaccess/GenericNodePropertyFieldAccessorFactory.java
index 8a2f6c2c6..aea76b049 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/fieldaccess/GenericNodePropertyFieldAccessorFactory.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/fieldaccess/GenericNodePropertyFieldAccessorFactory.java
@@ -60,18 +60,15 @@ public class GenericNodePropertyFieldAccessorFactory implements FieldAccessorFac
 
         @Override
         public Object setValue(final Object entity, final Object newVal, MappingPolicy mappingPolicy) {
-            Object value = propertyConverter.isObjectOrSupportedType(newVal) ? newVal : propertyConverter.serializePropertyValue(newVal);
+            Object value = propertyConverter.serializeIfNotBuiltIn(newVal);
             super.setValue(entity, value, mappingPolicy);
             return newVal;
         }
 
         @Override
         public Object doGetValue(final Object entity) {
-            Object ret = super.doGetValue(entity);
-            if (propertyConverter.isObjectOrSupportedType(ret)) {
-                return ret;
-            }
-            return propertyConverter.deserializePropertyValue(ret);
+            Object value = super.doGetValue(entity);
+            return propertyConverter.deserializeIfNotBuiltIn(value);
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/fieldaccess/PropertyConverter.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/fieldaccess/PropertyConverter.java
index 578b6143d..e6e19c349 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/fieldaccess/PropertyConverter.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/fieldaccess/PropertyConverter.java
@@ -32,22 +32,25 @@ public class PropertyConverter {
     private final ConversionService conversionService;
     private final Neo4jPersistentProperty property;
     private final TypeInformation<?> typeInformation;
-    private final Class<?> targetType;
+    private final Class<?> propertyType;
+    private final boolean userDefinedPropertyType;
 
     public PropertyConverter(ConversionService conversionService, Neo4jPersistentProperty property) {
         this.conversionService = conversionService;
         this.property = property;
         this.typeInformation = property.getTypeInformation();
-        targetType = property.getPropertyType();
+        Class<?> configuredPropertyType = property.getPropertyType();
+        userDefinedPropertyType = configuredPropertyType != null;
+        propertyType = userDefinedPropertyType ? configuredPropertyType : Neo4jPersistentProperty.DEFAULT_NEO4J_PROPERTY_TYPE;
     }
 
     public Object serializePropertyValue(final Object newVal) {
         if (newVal == null) return null;
         final TypeInformation<?> typeInformation = property.getTypeInformation();
         if (typeInformation.isCollectionLike()) {
-            return serializeCollection(newVal, conversionService, typeInformation, targetType);
+            return serializeCollection(newVal, conversionService, typeInformation, propertyType);
         }
-        return conversionService.convert(newVal, targetType);
+        return conversionService.convert(newVal, propertyType);
     }
 
     public Object deserializePropertyValue(final Object newVal) {
@@ -95,15 +98,16 @@ public class PropertyConverter {
         }
     }
 
-    boolean isObjectOrSupportedType(final Object value) {
+    private boolean isObjectOrSupportedType(final Object value) {
         return property.getType().equals(Object.class) && property.isNeo4jPropertyValue(value);
     }
 
     public Object deserializeIfNotBuiltIn(Object ret) {
-        if (isObjectOrSupportedType(ret)) {
+        if (!userDefinedPropertyType && isObjectOrSupportedType(ret)) {
             return ret;
+        } else {
+            return deserializePropertyValue(ret);
         }
-        return deserializePropertyValue(ret);
     }
 
     public Object serializeIfNotBuiltIn(Object newVal) {
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/mapping/Neo4jPersistentProperty.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/mapping/Neo4jPersistentProperty.java
index b451ebc42..7d96d8ab5 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/mapping/Neo4jPersistentProperty.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/mapping/Neo4jPersistentProperty.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import org.springframework.data.mapping.PersistentProperty;
  */
 public interface Neo4jPersistentProperty extends PersistentProperty<Neo4jPersistentProperty> {
 
+    Class<?> DEFAULT_NEO4J_PROPERTY_TYPE = String.class;
+
     /**
      * Returns whether the property represents a relationship. If this returns {@literal true}, clients can expect
      * {@link #getRelationshipInfo()} to return a non-{@literal null} value.
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/IndexBasedStartClause.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/IndexBasedStartClause.java
index c4f18607e..42d48bedb 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/IndexBasedStartClause.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/IndexBasedStartClause.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ abstract class IndexBasedStartClause extends StartClause {
         if (property.isNeo4jPropertyType() && property.isNeo4jPropertyValue(value)) return value;
 
         PropertyConverter converter = new PropertyConverter(template.getConversionService(), property);
-        return converter.serializePropertyValue(value);
+        return converter.serializeIfNotBuiltIn(value);
     }
 
     protected Map<Parameter,PartInfo> findMyParameters(Set<Parameter> parameters) {
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/WhereClause.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/WhereClause.java
index 8db3dee5d..2f92e4586 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/WhereClause.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/WhereClause.java
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ class WhereClause {
     protected Object convertValue(PartInfo partInfo, Object value) {
         if (EnumSet.of(Type.CONTAINING, Type.STARTING_WITH, Type.ENDING_WITH).contains(type))
             return QueryTemplates.formatExpression(this.partInfo, value);
-        else if (propertyConverter!=null) {
-            return propertyConverter.serializePropertyValue(value);
+        else if (propertyConverter!=null ) {
+            return propertyConverter.serializeIfNotBuiltIn(value);
         }
         return value;
     }
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/mapping/Neo4JPersistentPropertyImpl.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/mapping/Neo4JPersistentPropertyImpl.java
index dad0e016f..afe66d3a5 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/mapping/Neo4JPersistentPropertyImpl.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/mapping/Neo4JPersistentPropertyImpl.java
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ class Neo4jPersistentPropertyImpl extends AnnotationBasedPersistentProperty<Neo4
         super(field, propertyDescriptor, owner, simpleTypeHolder);
         this.hash = field == null ? propertyDescriptor.hashCode() : field.hashCode();
         this.relationshipInfo = extractRelationshipInfo(field, ctx);
-        this.propertyType = extractPropertyType();
         this.isNeo4jEntityType = isNeo4jPropertyType(getType());
+        this.propertyType = extractPropertyType();
         this.neo4jPropertyName = createNeo4jPropertyName();
         this.indexInfo = extractIndexInfo();
         this.isIdProperty = super.isIdProperty() || getAnnotation(GraphId.class) != null;
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class Neo4jPersistentPropertyImpl extends AnnotationBasedPersistentProperty<Neo4
 
     private Class<?> extractPropertyType() {
         final GraphProperty graphProperty = getAnnotation(GraphProperty.class);
-        if (graphProperty==null) return String.class;
+        if (graphProperty==null) return null;
         return graphProperty.propertyType();
     }
 
@@ -196,9 +196,14 @@ class Neo4jPersistentPropertyImpl extends AnnotationBasedPersistentProperty<Neo4
         return String.format("%s.%s", entityClass.getType().getSimpleName(), getName());
     }
 
+    public boolean mustConvert() {
+        return !isNeo4jPropertyType() || propertyType != null;
+    }
+
 
     public boolean isSerializablePropertyField(final ConversionService conversionService) {
         if (isRelationship()) return false;
+        if (!mustConvert()) return false;
         final Class<?> type = getType();
         if (getTypeInformation().isCollectionLike()) {
             return isConvertible(conversionService, getComponentType());
@@ -207,7 +212,12 @@ class Neo4jPersistentPropertyImpl extends AnnotationBasedPersistentProperty<Neo4
     }
 
     private boolean isConvertible(ConversionService conversionService, Class<?> type) {
-        return conversionService.canConvert(type, propertyType) && conversionService.canConvert(propertyType, type);
+        Class targetType = getPropertyTypeOrDefault();
+        return conversionService.canConvert(type, targetType) && conversionService.canConvert(targetType, type);
+    }
+
+    private Class<?> getPropertyTypeOrDefault() {
+        return propertyType == null ? DEFAULT_NEO4J_PROPERTY_TYPE : propertyType;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -238,7 +248,7 @@ class Neo4jPersistentPropertyImpl extends AnnotationBasedPersistentProperty<Neo4
 
     @Override
     public boolean isNeo4jPropertyValue(Object value) {
-    if (value == null || value.getClass().isArray()) {
+    if (value == null) {
         return false;
     }
     return isNeo4jPropertyType(value.getClass());