diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cc2ff39..c27622e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ pom.xml.asc
 .lein-failures
 .lein-plugins
 .lein-repl-history
+.nrepl-port
diff --git a/project.clj b/project.clj
index 1ad1d40..6e19a64 100644
--- a/project.clj
+++ b/project.clj
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-(defproject clj-jwt "0.0.7"
+(defproject clj-jwt "0.0.8"
   :description  "Clojure library for JSON Web Token(JWT)"
   :url          "https://github.com/liquidz/clj-jwt"
   :license      {:name "Eclipse Public License"
diff --git a/src/clj_jwt/core.clj b/src/clj_jwt/core.clj
index 64350f2..a0a6342 100644
--- a/src/clj_jwt/core.clj
+++ b/src/clj_jwt/core.clj
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 (ns clj-jwt.core
   (:require
-    [clj-jwt.base64    :refer [url-safe-encode-str url-safe-decode-str]]
-    [clj-jwt.sign      :refer [get-signature-fn get-verify-fn supported-algorithm?]]
-    [clj-jwt.intdate   :refer [joda-time->intdate]]
-    [clojure.data.json :as json]
-    [clojure.string    :as str]))
+    [clj-jwt.base64      :refer [url-safe-encode-str url-safe-decode-str]]
+    [clj-jwt.sign        :refer [get-signature-fn get-verify-fn supported-algorithm?]]
+    [clj-jwt.intdate     :refer [joda-time->intdate]]
+    [clj-jwt.json-key-fn :refer [write-key read-key]]
+    [clojure.data.json   :as json]
+    [clojure.string      :as str]))
 
 (def ^:private DEFAULT_SIGNATURE_ALGORITHM :HS256)
-(def ^:private full-key-name #(subs (str %) 1))
 (def ^:private map->encoded-json (comp url-safe-encode-str
-                                       #(json/write-str % :key-fn full-key-name)))
-(def ^:private encoded-json->map (comp #(json/read-str % :key-fn keyword)
+                                       #(json/write-str % :key-fn write-key)))
+(def ^:private encoded-json->map (comp #(json/read-str % :key-fn read-key)
                                        url-safe-decode-str))
 (defn- update-map [m k f] (if (contains? m k) (update-in m [k] f) m))
 
diff --git a/src/clj_jwt/json_key_fn.clj b/src/clj_jwt/json_key_fn.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..471dd7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/clj_jwt/json_key_fn.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+(ns clj-jwt.json-key-fn
+  (:require
+    [clojure.string :as str]))
+
+(defn write-key
+  [x]
+  (cond
+    (string? x) (str "\"" x "\"")
+    :else (name x)))
+
+(defn read-key
+  [x]
+  (if-let [y (re-seq #"^\"(.*)\"$" x)]
+    (-> y first second)
+    (keyword x)))
+
+
diff --git a/test/clj_jwt/core_test.clj b/test/clj_jwt/core_test.clj
index 477bb8b..55759d6 100644
--- a/test/clj_jwt/core_test.clj
+++ b/test/clj_jwt/core_test.clj
@@ -150,11 +150,11 @@
     (-> claim jwt (sign :ES512 ec-prv-key) to-str str->jwt (verify ec-pub-key)) => true)
 
   (fact "Claims containing string key should be verified"
-    (let [sclaim {"a/b" "c"}]
-      (-> sclaim jwt (sign "foo") (verify "foo"))                 => true
-      (-> sclaim jwt (sign "foo") to-str str->jwt (verify "foo")) => true
-      (-> sclaim jwt (sign "foo") (verify "bar"))                 => false)))
-
+    (let [sclaim {"a/b" "c"}
+          token  (-> sclaim jwt (sign "foo"))]
+      (verify token "foo")                                 => true
+      (-> token to-str str->jwt (verify "foo"))            => true
+      (verify token "bar")                                 => false)))
 
 (facts "str->jwt function should work."
   (let [before (jwt claim)
@@ -168,6 +168,14 @@
         before (-> claim jwt (sign "foo"))
         after  (-> before to-str str->jwt)]
     (fact "signed jwt"
+      (:header before)    => (:header after)
+      (:claims before)    => (:claims after)
+      (:signature before) => (:signature after)))
+
+  (let [claim {"a/b" "c"}
+        before (jwt claim)
+        after  (-> before to-str str->jwt)]
+    (fact "Claim containing string key"
       (:header before)    => (:header after)
       (:claims before)    => (:claims after)
       (:signature before) => (:signature after))))
diff --git a/test/clj_jwt/json_key_fn_test.clj b/test/clj_jwt/json_key_fn_test.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c5832a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/clj_jwt/json_key_fn_test.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+(ns clj-jwt.json-key-fn-test
+  (:require
+    [clj-jwt.json-key-fn :refer :all]
+    [midje.sweet         :refer :all]))
+
+(fact "write-key should work fine."
+  (write-key :foo)  => "foo"
+  (write-key "foo") => "\"foo\"")
+
+(fact "read-key should work fine."
+  (read-key "foo")     => :foo
+  (read-key "\"foo\"") => "foo")