diff --git a/test/run_jsonlab_test.m b/test/run_jsonlab_test.m
index 3906d3a..d9e5bb0 100644
--- a/test/run_jsonlab_test.m
+++ b/test/run_jsonlab_test.m
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ function run_jsonlab_test(tests)
                      '{"_MapData_":[[1.1,true],[1.2,"-_-"]]}', 'compact', 1, 'usemap', 1);
     end
     if (exist('dictionary'))
-        test_jsonlab('dictionary with string keys', @savejson, dictionary(["Andy", "^_^"], {true, '-_-'}), ...
+        test_jsonlab('dictionary with string keys', @savejson, dictionary([string('Andy'), string('^_^')], {true, '-_-'}), ...
                      '{"Andy":true,"^_^":"-_-"}', 'compact', 1, 'usemap', 1);
         test_jsonlab('dictionary with cell keys', @savejson, dictionary({'Andy', '^_^'}, {true, '-_-'}), ...
                      '{"_MapData_":[["Andy",true],["^_^","-_-"]]}', 'compact', 1, 'usemap', 1);
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ function run_jsonlab_test(tests)
                      '{U<4>AndyTU<3>^_^SU<3>-_-}', 'debug', 1, 'usemap', 1);
     end
     if (exist('dictionary'))
-        test_jsonlab('dictionary with string keys', @savebj, dictionary(["Andy", "^_^"], {true, '-_-'}), ...
+        test_jsonlab('dictionary with string keys', @savebj, dictionary([string('Andy'), string('^_^')], {true, '-_-'}), ...
                      '{U<4>AndyTU<3>^_^SU<3>-_-}', 'debug', 1, 'usemap', 1);
         test_jsonlab('dictionary with cell keys', @savebj, dictionary({'Andy', '^_^'}, {true, '-_-'}), ...
                      '{U<4>AndyTU<3>^_^SU<3>-_-}', 'debug', 1,  'usemap', 1);