diff --git a/lib/private/Comments/Comment.php b/lib/private/Comments/Comment.php
index 4b1f499d0deea..183821e37b1ee 100644
--- a/lib/private/Comments/Comment.php
+++ b/lib/private/Comments/Comment.php
@@ -404,15 +404,28 @@ public function setReferenceId(?string $referenceId): IComment {
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function getMetaData(): ?string {
-		return $this->data['metaData'];
+	public function getMetaData(): ?array {
+		if ($this->data['metaData'] === null) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		try {
+			$metaData = json_decode($this->data['metaData'], true, flags: JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+		} catch (\JsonException $e) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		return is_array($metaData) ? $metaData : null;
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function setMetaData(?string $metaData):  IComment {
-		$this->data['metaData'] = $metaData;
+	public function setMetaData(?array $metaData):  IComment {
+		if ($metaData === null) {
+			$this->data['metaData'] = null;
+		} else {
+			$this->data['metaData'] = json_encode($metaData, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+		}
 		return $this;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/public/Comments/IComment.php b/lib/public/Comments/IComment.php
index de60894dc9481..0a0f1b1b251d8 100644
--- a/lib/public/Comments/IComment.php
+++ b/lib/public/Comments/IComment.php
@@ -280,22 +280,23 @@ public function getReferenceId(): ?string;
 	public function setReferenceId(?string $referenceId): IComment;
 
 	/**
-	 * returns the meta data of the comment
+	 * Returns the metadata of the comment
 	 *
-	 * @return string|null
+	 * @return array|null
 	 * @since 29.0.0
 	 */
-	public function getMetaData(): ?string;
+	public function getMetaData(): ?array;
 
 	/**
-	 * Sets (overwrites) the meta data of the comment
-	 * It is recommended to store the data as a json encoded array
+	 * Sets (overwrites) the metadata of the comment
+	 * Data as a json encoded array
 	 *
-	 * @param string|null $metaData
+	 * @param array|null $metaData
 	 * @return IComment
+	 * @throws \JsonException When the metadata can not be converted to a json encoded string
 	 * @since 29.0.0
 	 */
-	public function setMetaData(?string $metaData): IComment;
+	public function setMetaData(?array $metaData): IComment;
 
 	/**
 	 * Returns the reactions array if exists