diff --git a/lib/fog/rackspace/models/storage/directory.rb b/lib/fog/rackspace/models/storage/directory.rb
index 630968df2..57dcd5085 100644
--- a/lib/fog/rackspace/models/storage/directory.rb
+++ b/lib/fog/rackspace/models/storage/directory.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ module Fog
         end
         
         def metadata
-          @metadata ||= Fog::Storage::Rackspace::Metadata.new
+          unless @metadata
+             response = service.head_container(key)
+             @metadata = Fog::Storage::Rackspace::Metadata.from_headers(response.headers)
+          end
+          @metadata
         end
 
         def destroy
@@ -72,7 +76,8 @@ module Fog
 
         def save
           requires :key
-          service.put_container(key, metadata.to_headers)
+          headers = @metadata.nil? ? {} : metadata.to_headers
+          service.put_container(key, headers)
 
           if service.cdn && public?
             # if public and CDN connection then update cdn to public
diff --git a/lib/fog/rackspace/models/storage/metadata.rb b/lib/fog/rackspace/models/storage/metadata.rb
index 1668e2405..9a8dc7ef1 100644
--- a/lib/fog/rackspace/models/storage/metadata.rb
+++ b/lib/fog/rackspace/models/storage/metadata.rb
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ module Fog
           headers.each_pair do |k, v|
             key = Metadata.to_key(k)
             next unless key
-            metadata.data[key] = v
+            metadata.data[key] = Fog::JSON.decode(v)
           end
           metadata
         end   
diff --git a/tests/rackspace/models/storage/directories_tests.rb b/tests/rackspace/models/storage/directories_tests.rb
index 7a4b30aab..acb5ee773 100644
--- a/tests/rackspace/models/storage/directories_tests.rb
+++ b/tests/rackspace/models/storage/directories_tests.rb
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ Shindo.tests('Fog::Rackspace::Storage | directories', ['rackspace']) do
     tests('#get').succeeds do
       instance = @service.directories.get @name
       returns(false) { instance.nil? }
-      returns('true') { instance.metadata[:fog_test] }
+      returns(true) { instance.metadata[:fog_test] }
       returns(@name) { instance.key }
       returns(1) { instance.count }
       returns( Fog::Storage.get_body_size(lorem_file)) {instance.bytes }
       returns(@filename) { instance.files.first.key }
-    end 
-
+    end
+    
   ensure
     @file.destroy if @file
     @dir.destroy if @dir
diff --git a/tests/rackspace/models/storage/directory_tests.rb b/tests/rackspace/models/storage/directory_tests.rb
index 50ccbc585..851795bd8 100644
--- a/tests/rackspace/models/storage/directory_tests.rb
+++ b/tests/rackspace/models/storage/directory_tests.rb
@@ -41,7 +41,14 @@ Shindo.tests('Fog::Rackspace::Storage | directory', ['rackspace']) do
          @instance.metadata.delete(:draft)
          @instance.save
          container_meta_attributes
-       end     
+       end
+       
+       tests('should retrieve metadata when necessary') do
+         @service.put_container(@instance.key, {"X-Container-Meta-List-Test"=>"true"} )
+         dir = @service.directories.find {|d| d.key == @instance.key }
+         returns(nil) { dir.instance_variable_get("@metadata") }
+         returns(true) { dir.metadata[:list_test] }
+       end
        
      end
    end