diff --git a/src/Cache.php b/src/Cache.php
index 42bb0b9..dac3256 100644
--- a/src/Cache.php
+++ b/src/Cache.php
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ private function fetchCacheElement($key)
             $element = new CacheElement(
                 $this,
                 $key,
-                $cache["value"],
+                unserialize($cache["value"]),
                 $cache["lifetime"],
                 $cache["start"],
                 $cache["refresh"]
diff --git a/src/CacheElement.php b/src/CacheElement.php
index 777f07f..6d272bf 100644
--- a/src/CacheElement.php
+++ b/src/CacheElement.php
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ class CacheElement
     public function __construct(Cache $cache_instance, $key, $value, $lifetime = 60, $start = null, $refresh = false)
     {
         $this->_cache_instance = $cache_instance;
-        $this->_key = (string)$key;
-        $this->_value = (string)$value;
+        $this->_key = (string) $key;
+        $this->_value = $value;
         $this->_lifetime = $lifetime;
         $this->_start = $start ?: time();
         $this->_refresh = $refresh;
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public function __construct(Cache $cache_instance, $key, $value, $lifetime = 60,
      */
     public function update($value, $lifetime = null, $refresh = null)
     {
-        $this->_value = (string)$value;
+        $this->_value = $value;
         if (!is_null($lifetime)) {
             $this->_lifetime = $lifetime;
         }
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public function writeToFs()
     {
         if ($this->_modified) {
             file_put_contents($this->path(), json_encode([
-                "value" => $this->_value,
+                "value" => serialize($this->_value),
                 "lifetime" => $this->_lifetime,
                 "start" => $this->_start,
                 "refresh" => $this->_refresh,
diff --git a/test/FileCacheTest.php b/test/FileCacheTest.php
index af7443e..9ddfc8b 100644
--- a/test/FileCacheTest.php
+++ b/test/FileCacheTest.php
@@ -3,56 +3,72 @@
 class FileCacheTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 {
 
-    public function test()
+    /** @var Cache */
+    private $cache;
+    
+    public function setUp()
     {
-        $cache = new Cache(__DIR__ . "/test_path/");
-
-        // get if not set
-        $this->assertNull($cache->get("foo"));
-        $this->assertEquals("default", $cache->get("foo", "default"));
-
-        // test has = false
-        $this->assertFalse($cache->has("foo"));
-
-        // set & get if set
-        $cache->set("foo", "bar");
-        $this->assertEquals("bar", $cache->get("foo"));
+        $this->cache = new Cache(__DIR__ . "/test_path/");
+        parent::setUp();
+    }
+    
+    public function testGetHasEmpty()
+    {
+        $this->assertNull($this->cache->get("foo"));
+        $this->assertEquals("default", $this->cache->get("foo", "default"));
+        $this->assertFalse($this->cache->has("foo"));
+    }
 
-        // test has = true
-        $this->assertTrue($cache->has("foo"));
+    public function testGetHasExisting()
+    {
+        $this->cache->set("foo", "bar");
+        $this->assertEquals("bar", $this->cache->get("foo"));
+        $this->assertTrue($this->cache->has("foo"));
 
         //test if cache has been written
-        $cache->writeCache()->flush(true);
-        $this->assertEquals("bar", $cache->get("foo"));
+        $this->cache->writeCache()->flush(true);
+        $this->assertEquals("bar", $this->cache->get("foo"));
+    }
 
-        // test remove
-        $cache->forget("foo");
-        $this->assertNull($cache->get("foo"));
+    public function testRemove()
+    {
+        $this->cache->set("foo", "bar");
+        $this->assertEquals("bar", $this->cache->get("foo"));
+        $this->cache->forget("foo");
+        $this->assertNull($this->cache->get("foo"));
+    }
 
-        // test remember
-        $this->assertEquals("bar2", $cache->remember("foo2", function () {
+    public function testRemember()
+    {
+        $this->assertEquals("bar2", $this->cache->remember("foo2", function () {
             return "bar2";
         }));
-        $this->assertEquals("bar2", $cache->remember("foo2", function () {
+        $this->assertEquals("bar2", $this->cache->remember("foo2", function () {
             return "this will never be set";
         }));
+    }
 
+    public function testTimeout()
+    {
         // test timeout
-        $cache->set("foo3", "bar3", 1);
+        $this->cache->set("foo3", "bar3", 1);
         sleep(2);
-        $this->assertNull($cache->get("foo3"));
+        $this->assertNull($this->cache->get("foo3"));
 
         // test refresh
-        $cache->set("foo4", "bar4", 4);
+        $this->cache->set("foo4", "bar4", 4);
         sleep(2);
-        $this->assertEquals("bar4", $cache->get("foo4"));
+        $this->assertEquals("bar4", $this->cache->get("foo4"));
         sleep(2);
-        $this->assertEquals("bar4", $cache->get("foo4"));
+        $this->assertEquals("bar4", $this->cache->get("foo4"));
         sleep(5);
-        $this->assertNull($cache->get("foo4"));
+        $this->assertNull($this->cache->get("foo4"));
+    }
 
-        // test flush
-        $cache->flush();
+    public function testSerialization()
+    {
+        $this->cache->set('foo4', ['item1', 'item2']);
+        $this->assertEquals(['item1', 'item2'], $this->cache->get('foo4'));
     }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file