diff --git a/manifests/api.pp b/manifests/api.pp
index c51c202a..d81d06ee 100644
--- a/manifests/api.pp
+++ b/manifests/api.pp
@@ -84,10 +84,6 @@ class octavia::api (
   include ::octavia::policy
   include ::octavia::db
 
-  if !is_service_default($provider_drivers) {
-      validate_hash($provider_drivers)
-  }
-
   if $auth_strategy == 'keystone' {
     include ::octavia::keystone::authtoken
   }
@@ -131,6 +127,12 @@ class octavia::api (
     include ::octavia::db::sync
   }
 
+  if !is_service_default($provider_drivers) {
+    $provider_drivers_real = to_json($provider_drivers)
+  } else {
+    $provider_drivers_real = $provider_drivers
+  }
+
   octavia_config {
     'api_settings/bind_host':                      value => $host;
     'api_settings/bind_port':                      value => $port;
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@ class octavia::api (
     'api_settings/api_v2_enabled':                 value => $api_v2_enabled;
     'api_settings/allow_tls_terminated_listeners': value => $allow_tls_terminated_listeners;
     'api_settings/default_provider_driver':        value => $default_provider_driver;
-    'api_settings/enabled_provider_drivers':       value => $provider_drivers;
+    'api_settings/enabled_provider_drivers':       value => $provider_drivers_real;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/spec/classes/octavia_api_spec.rb b/spec/classes/octavia_api_spec.rb
index 3badc2b3..a1311444 100644
--- a/spec/classes/octavia_api_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/octavia_api_spec.rb
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ describe 'octavia::api' do
       is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('api_settings/api_v2_enabled').with_value( params[:api_v2_enabled] )
       is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('api_settings/allow_tls_terminated_listeners').with_value( params[:allow_tls_terminated_listeners] )
       is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('api_settings/default_provider_driver').with_value( params[:default_provider_driver] )
-      is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('api_settings/enabled_provider_drivers').with_value( params[:provider_drivers] )
+      is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('api_settings/enabled_provider_drivers').with_value( '{"amphora":"Octavia Amphora Driver","ovn":"Octavia OVN driver"}' )
     end
 
     [{:enabled => true}, {:enabled => false}].each do |param_hash|