diff --git a/launcher/BaseInstance.cpp b/launcher/BaseInstance.cpp
index 2187bc09a..8a6060948 100644
--- a/launcher/BaseInstance.cpp
+++ b/launcher/BaseInstance.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ BaseInstance::BaseInstance(SettingsObjectPtr globalSettings, SettingsObjectPtr s
     m_settings->registerSetting("lastTimePlayed", 0);
 
     m_settings->registerSetting("linkedInstances", "[]");
-    m_settings->registerSetting("shortcuts", QVariant::fromValue(QList<ShortcutData>{}));
+    m_settings->registerSetting("shortcuts", QVariant::fromValue(QByteArray{}));
 
     // Game time override
     auto gameTimeOverride = m_settings->registerSetting("OverrideGameTime", false);
@@ -410,12 +410,26 @@ void BaseInstance::registerShortcut(const ShortcutData& data)
 void BaseInstance::setShortcuts(const QList<ShortcutData>& shortcuts)
 {
     // FIXME: if no change, do not set. setting involves saving a file.
-    m_settings->set("shortcuts", QVariant::fromValue(shortcuts));
+    QJsonArray array;
+    for (const auto& elem : shortcuts) {
+        array.append(QJsonObject{ { "name", elem.name }, { "filePath", elem.filePath }, { "target", static_cast<int>(elem.target) } });
+    }
+
+    QJsonDocument document;
+    document.setArray(array);
+    m_settings->set("shortcuts", QVariant::fromValue(document.toJson(QJsonDocument::Compact)));
 }
 
 QList<ShortcutData> BaseInstance::shortcuts() const
 {
-    return m_settings->get("shortcuts").value<QList<ShortcutData>>();
+    auto data = m_settings->get("shortcuts").value<QByteArray>();
+    auto document = QJsonDocument::fromJson(data);
+    QList<ShortcutData> results;
+    for (const auto& elem : document.array()) {
+        auto dict = elem.toObject();
+        results.append({ dict["name"].toString(), dict["filePath"].toString(), static_cast<ShortcutTarget>(dict["target"].toInt()) });
+    }
+    return results;
 }
 
 QString BaseInstance::name() const
diff --git a/launcher/BaseInstance.h b/launcher/BaseInstance.h
index 52aa39067..3509c0155 100644
--- a/launcher/BaseInstance.h
+++ b/launcher/BaseInstance.h
@@ -76,17 +76,6 @@ struct ShortcutData {
     QString name;
     QString filePath;
     ShortcutTarget target = ShortcutTarget::Other;
-
-    friend QDataStream& operator<<(QDataStream& out, const ShortcutData& data)
-    {
-        out << data.name << data.filePath << data.target;
-        return out;
-    }
-    friend QDataStream& operator>>(QDataStream& in, ShortcutData& data)
-    {
-        in >> data.name >> data.filePath >> data.target;
-        return in;
-    }
 };
 
 /*!
@@ -339,6 +328,5 @@ class BaseInstance : public QObject, public std::enable_shared_from_this<BaseIns
 };
 
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(shared_qobject_ptr<BaseInstance>)
-Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(ShortcutData)
 // Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(BaseInstance::InstanceFlag)
 // Q_DECLARE_OPERATORS_FOR_FLAGS(BaseInstance::InstanceFlags)
diff --git a/launcher/InstanceList.cpp b/launcher/InstanceList.cpp
index b98f51d82..f6512b25d 100644
--- a/launcher/InstanceList.cpp
+++ b/launcher/InstanceList.cpp
@@ -670,7 +670,6 @@ InstancePtr InstanceList::loadInstance(const InstanceId& id)
     }
 
     auto instanceRoot = FS::PathCombine(m_instDir, id);
-    qRegisterMetaType<QList<ShortcutData>>("QList<ShortcutData>");
     auto instanceSettings = std::make_shared<INISettingsObject>(FS::PathCombine(instanceRoot, "instance.cfg"));
     InstancePtr inst;