diff --git a/.DS_Store b/.DS_Store
deleted file mode 100644
index ccfb707..0000000
Binary files a/.DS_Store and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/azure-devops-extension-dev.json b/azure-devops-extension-dev.json
index 8328e73..0cf977d 100644
--- a/azure-devops-extension-dev.json
+++ b/azure-devops-extension-dev.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "id":"RestDataMappingPicklistDev",
-    "version": "0.3.7",
+    "version": "0.4.0",
     "baseUri": "https://localhost:44300",
     "public": false,
     "private":true
diff --git a/azure-devops-extension.json b/azure-devops-extension.json
index 5dcf62c..8916df6 100644
--- a/azure-devops-extension.json
+++ b/azure-devops-extension.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
     "manifestVersion": 1.0,
     "id": "RestDataMappingPicklist",
     "publisher": "dedac",
-    "version": "0.3.7",
+    "version": "0.4.0",
     "name": "Rest Data Mapping Picklist",
     "description": "Load work item values from a specified REST endpoint and map additional REST data to your work item",
     "public": true,
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 44bf564..64d8878 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "rest-data-mapping-picklist",
-  "version": "0.3.5",
+  "version": "0.4.0",
   "lockfileVersion": 2,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "rest-data-mapping-picklist",
-      "version": "0.3.5",
+      "version": "0.4.0",
       "license": "ISC",
       "dependencies": {
         "axios": "^0.24.0",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 73939f9..0e2529d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "rest-data-mapping-picklist",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.4.0",
   "description": "An Azure DevOps Work Item Control for loading values from a Rest endpoint",
   "main": "index.js",
   "repository": {
diff --git a/src/RestServiceData.ts b/src/RestServiceData.ts
index 62c98b6..1c1113a 100644
--- a/src/RestServiceData.ts
+++ b/src/RestServiceData.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ export class RestServiceData {
     }
     const keyFieldName = SDK.getConfiguration().witInputs.RestServiceKeyField;
     const arrayPath = SDK.getConfiguration().witInputs.PathToArray;
-
-    var arrayData = get(resp.data, arrayPath, resp.data);
-
+    if (resp !== undefined && resp.data !== undefined) {
+      var arrayData = get(resp.data, arrayPath, resp.data);
+    }
     if (arrayData) {
       if (arrayData.constructor !== Array) {
         console.dir(arrayData);
diff --git a/src/parameter-replacement.ts b/src/parameter-replacement.ts
index 0e6d55f..a727749 100644
--- a/src/parameter-replacement.ts
+++ b/src/parameter-replacement.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,15 @@ export async function ReplaceFieldParameters(hasFields:string) : Promise<string>
         var replaceMe = hasFields.substring(index, endIndex + 1);
         var fieldName = replaceMe.replace('$(', '').replace(')', '').trim();
         var value = await service.getFieldValue(fieldName, { returnOriginalValue: false });
-        if (typeof value === "string") {        
-            hasFields = hasFields.replace(replaceMe, value);
+        if (!!value && !!value.toString()) {
+            var escapedValue = JSON.stringify(value);
+            // remove outer quotes from the escaped value if they exist
+            // this assumes the user has added quotes of their own in the configuration
+            if (escapedValue.startsWith('"') && escapedValue.endsWith('"')) {
+                escapedValue = escapedValue.substring(1, escapedValue.length - 1);
+            }
+
+            hasFields = hasFields.replace(replaceMe, escapedValue);
         } else  {
             hasFields = hasFields.replace(replaceMe, "");
         }