diff --git a/db_central_columns.php b/db_central_columns.php
index 1aad6d6a30..696319df2f 100644
--- a/db_central_columns.php
+++ b/db_central_columns.php
@@ -117,17 +117,26 @@ $result = PMA_getColumnsList($db, $pos, $max_rows);
 $odd_row = false;
 $row_num=0;
 foreach ($result as $row) {
-    if (is_object(json_decode($row['col_extra']))) {
-        //Decode the json data of col_extra to col_extra and col_attribute
-        $row['col_extra'] = json_decode($row['col_extra'], true);
+    $vals = explode(',', $row['col_extra']);
+
+    if (in_array('BINARY', $vals)) {
+        $row['col_attribute'] = 'BINARY';
+    } elseif (in_array('UNSIGNED', $vals)) {
+        $row['col_attribute'] = 'UNSIGNED';
+    } elseif (in_array('UNSIGNED ZEROFILL', $vals)) {
+        $row['col_attribute'] = 'UNSIGNED ZEROFILL';
+    } elseif (in_array('on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP', $vals)) {
+        $row['col_attribute'] = 'on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP';
     } else {
-        //it is not json string [FOR the case to handle previous inserted value]
-        //like extra column having only increment value,then to deal with it
-        $row['col_extra'] = array(
-            "col_extra" => $row['col_extra'],
-            "col_attribute" => ""
-        );
+        $row['col_attribute'] = '';
     }
+
+    if (in_array('auto_increment', $vals)) {
+        $row['col_extra'] = 'auto_increment';
+    } else {
+        $row['col_extra'] = '';
+    }
+
     $tableHtmlRow = PMA_getHTMLforCentralColumnsTableRow(
         $row, $odd_row, $row_num, $db
     );
diff --git a/js/functions.js b/js/functions.js
index 0e01c7f919..91c9bd734d 100644
--- a/js/functions.js
+++ b/js/functions.js
@@ -2938,11 +2938,11 @@ function autoPopulate(input_id, offset)
         $('#'+input_id+'4').next().next().hide();
     }
     $('#'+input_id+'5').val(central_column_list[db+'_'+table][offset].col_collation);
-    $('#'+input_id+'6').val(central_column_list[db+'_'+table][offset].extra.col_attribute);
-    if(central_column_list[db+'_'+table][offset].extra.col_extra === 'on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP') {
-        $('#'+input_id+'6').val(central_column_list[db+'_'+table][offset].extra.col_extra);
+    $('#'+input_id+'6').val(central_column_list[db+'_'+table][offset].col_attribute);
+    if(central_column_list[db+'_'+table][offset].col_extra === 'on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP') {
+        $('#'+input_id+'6').val(central_column_list[db+'_'+table][offset].col_extra);
     }
-    if(central_column_list[db+'_'+table][offset].extra.col_extra.toUpperCase() === 'AUTO_INCREMENT') {
+    if(central_column_list[db+'_'+table][offset].col_extra.toUpperCase() === 'AUTO_INCREMENT') {
         $('#'+input_id+'9').prop("checked",true).change();
     } else {
         $('#'+input_id+'9').prop("checked",false);
@@ -3155,26 +3155,18 @@ AJAX.registerOnload('functions.js', function () {
         var list_size = central_column_list[db + '_' + table].length;
         var min = (list_size <= maxRows) ? list_size : maxRows;
         for (i = 0; i < min; i++) {
-            try {
-                central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra = $.parseJSON(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra);
-            } catch (error) {
-                //it is not json encoded so make it [FOR the case to handle previous inserted values]
-                //like extra column having only increment value,then to deal with it
-                central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra = '{"col_extra":"'+central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra+'","col_attribute":""}';
-                central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra = $.parseJSON(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra);
-            }
 
             fields += '<tr><td><div><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold">' +
                 escapeHtml(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_name) +
                 '</span><br><span style="color:gray">' + central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_type;
 
-            if (central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra.col_attribute !== '') {
-                fields += '(' + escapeHtml(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra.col_attribute) + ') ';
+            if (central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_attribute !== '') {
+                fields += '(' + escapeHtml(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_attribute) + ') ';
             }
             if (central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_length !== '') {
                 fields += '(' + escapeHtml(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_length) +') ';
             }
-            fields += escapeHtml(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra.col_extra) + '</span>' +
+            fields += escapeHtml(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra) + '</span>' +
                 '</div></td>';
             if (pick) {
                 fields += '<td><input class="pick" style="width:100%" type="submit" value="' +
@@ -3226,25 +3218,19 @@ AJAX.registerOnload('functions.js', function () {
                     fields = '';
                     min = (list_size <= maxRows + result_pointer) ? list_size : maxRows + result_pointer;
                     for (i = result_pointer; i < min; i++) {
-                        try {
-                            central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra = $.parseJSON(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra);
-                        } catch (error) {
-                            central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra = '{"col_extra":"'+central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra+'","col_attribute":""}';
-                            central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra = $.parseJSON(central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra);
-                        }
 
                         fields += '<tr><td><div><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold">' +
                             central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_name +
                             '</span><br><span style="color:gray">' +
                             central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_type;
 
-                        if (central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra.col_attribute !== '') {
-                            fields += '(' + central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra.col_attribute + ') ';
+                        if (central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_attribute !== '') {
+                            fields += '(' + central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_attribute + ') ';
                         }
                         if (central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_length !== '') {
                             fields += '(' + central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_length + ') ';
                         }
-                        fields += central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].extra.col_extra + '</span>' +
+                        fields += central_column_list[db + '_' + table][i].col_extra + '</span>' +
                             '</div></td>';
                         if (pick) {
                             fields += '<td><input class="pick" style="width:100%" type="submit" value="' +
diff --git a/libraries/central_columns.lib.php b/libraries/central_columns.lib.php
index c1514ffcd2..eed0813816 100644
--- a/libraries/central_columns.lib.php
+++ b/libraries/central_columns.lib.php
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ function PMA_getInsertQuery($column, $def, $db, $central_list_table)
     . '\'' . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes($length) . '\',\''
     . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes($collation) . '\','
     . '\'' . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes($isNull) . '\','
-    . '\'' . json_encode(array('col_extra' => $extra, 'col_attribute' => $attribute))
+    . '\'' . implode(',', array($extra, $attribute))
     . '\',\'' . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes($default) . '\');';
     return $insQuery;
 }
@@ -413,22 +413,34 @@ function PMA_makeConsistentWithList($db, $selected_tables)
                 if ($column['col_length']) {
                     $query .= '(' . $column['col_length'] . ')';
                 }
-                if (is_object(json_decode($column['col_extra']))) {
-                    $column['col_extra'] = json_decode($column['col_extra'], true);
+
+                $vals = explode(',', $column['col_extra']);
+                if (in_array('BINARY', $vals)) {
+                    $column['col_attribute'] = 'BINARY';
+                } elseif (in_array('UNSIGNED', $vals)) {
+                    $column['col_attribute'] = 'UNSIGNED';
+                } elseif (in_array('UNSIGNED ZEROFILL', $vals)) {
+                    $column['col_attribute'] = 'UNSIGNED ZEROFILL';
+                } elseif (in_array('on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP', $vals)) {
+                    $column['col_attribute'] = 'on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP';
                 } else {
-                    $column['col_extra'] = array(
-                        "col_extra" => $column['col_extra'],
-                        "col_attribute" => ""
-                    );
+                    $column['col_attribute'] = '';
                 }
-                $query .= ' ' . $column['col_extra']['col_attribute'];
+
+                if (in_array('auto_increment', $vals)) {
+                    $column['col_extra'] = 'auto_increment';
+                } else {
+                    $column['col_extra'] = '';
+                }
+
+                $query .= ' ' . $column['col_attribute'];
                 if ($column['col_isNull']) {
                     $query .= ' NULL';
                 } else {
                     $query .= ' NOT NULL';
                 }
 
-                $query .= ' ' . $column['col_extra']['col_extra'];
+                $query .= ' ' . $column['col_extra'];
                 if ($column['col_default']) {
                     if ($column['col_default'] != 'CURRENT_TIMESTAMP') {
                         $query .= ' DEFAULT \'' . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes(
@@ -538,12 +550,7 @@ function PMA_updateOneColumn($db, $orig_col_name, $col_name, $col_type,
                 . ', col_length = \'' . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes($col_length) . '\''
                 . ', col_isNull = ' . $col_isNull
                 . ', col_collation = \'' . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes($collation) . '\''
-                . ', col_extra = \'' . json_encode(
-                    array(
-                        "col_extra" => $col_extra,
-                        "col_attribute" => $col_attribute
-                        )
-                ) . '\''
+                . ', col_extra = \'' . implode(',', array($col_extra, $col_attribute)) . '\''
                 . ', col_default = \'' . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes($col_default) . '\''
                 . ' WHERE db_name = \'' . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes($db) . '\' '
                 . 'AND col_name = \'' . PMA_Util::sqlAddSlashes($orig_col_name)
@@ -824,11 +831,11 @@ function PMA_getHTMLforCentralColumnsTableRow($row, $odd_row, $row_num, $db)
     $tableHtml .=
         '<td class="nowrap" name="col_attribute">'
         . '<span>' .
-        ($row['col_extra']['col_attribute']
-        ? htmlspecialchars($row['col_extra']['col_attribute']) : "" )
+        ($row['col_attribute']
+        ? htmlspecialchars($row['col_attribute']) : "" )
         . '</span>'
         . PMA_getHtmlForColumnAttribute(
-            $row_num, 4, 0, array(), $row['col_extra']['col_attribute'], false, null
+            $row_num, 4, 0, array(), $row['col_attribute'], false, null
         )
         . '</td>';
     $tableHtml .=
@@ -840,11 +847,10 @@ function PMA_getHTMLforCentralColumnsTableRow($row, $odd_row, $row_num, $db)
 
     $tableHtml .=
         '<td class="nowrap" name="col_extra"><span>'
-        . htmlspecialchars($row['col_extra']['col_extra']) . '</span>'
+        . htmlspecialchars($row['col_extra']) . '</span>'
         . '<select name="col_extra"><option value=""></option>'
         . '<option value="auto_increment">' . __('auto_increment') . '</option>'
-        . '<option value="on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP">'
-        . __('on update CURRENT_TIMESTAMP') . '</option></select>'
+        . '</select>'
         . '</td>';
     $meta = array();
     if (!isset($row['col_default']) || $row['col_default'] == '') {