diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/index.js b/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/index.js
index 2d5b910847..76a4c5d2ca 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/index.js
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/index.js
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ const HTML_SWAPS = {
   ">": ">",
 }
 
+function isObject(value) {
+  if (value == null || typeof value !== "object") {
+    return false
+  }
+  return (
+    value.toString() === "[object Object]" ||
+    (value.length > 0 && typeof value[0] === "object")
+  )
+}
+
 const HELPERS = [
   // external helpers
   new Helper(HelperFunctionNames.OBJECT, value => {
@@ -22,11 +32,7 @@ const HELPERS = [
   new Helper(HelperFunctionNames.JS, processJS, false),
   // this help is applied to all statements
   new Helper(HelperFunctionNames.ALL, (value, { __opts }) => {
-    if (
-      value != null &&
-      typeof value === "object" &&
-      (value.toString() === "[object Object]" || Array.isArray(value))
-    ) {
+    if (isObject(value)) {
       return new SafeString(JSON.stringify(value))
     }
     // null/undefined values produce bad results
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/processors/preprocessor.js b/packages/string-templates/src/processors/preprocessor.js
index 4b296d0fc7..185a3ab38a 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/processors/preprocessor.js
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/processors/preprocessor.js
@@ -64,9 +64,10 @@ module.exports.processors = [
         return statement
       }
     }
+    const testHelper = possibleHelper.trim().toLowerCase()
     if (
       !noHelpers &&
-      HelperNames().some(option => option.includes(possibleHelper))
+      HelperNames().some(option => testHelper === option.toLowerCase())
     ) {
       insideStatement = `(${insideStatement})`
     }
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/test/basic.spec.js b/packages/string-templates/test/basic.spec.js
index 6c85aa5fa1..8dd1aeb394 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/test/basic.spec.js
+++ b/packages/string-templates/test/basic.spec.js
@@ -106,6 +106,16 @@ describe("Test that the object processing works correctly", () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe("check returning objects", () => {
+  it("should handle an array of objects", async () => {
+    const json = [{a: 1},{a: 2}]
+    const output = await processString("{{ testing }}", {
+      testing: json
+    })
+    expect(output).toEqual(JSON.stringify(json))
+  })
+})
+
 describe("check the utility functions", () => {
   it("should return false for an invalid template string", () => {
     const valid = isValid("{{ table1.thing prop }}")
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/test/escapes.spec.js b/packages/string-templates/test/escapes.spec.js
index b845fddec9..a14e78d2f2 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/test/escapes.spec.js
+++ b/packages/string-templates/test/escapes.spec.js
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ describe("Handling context properties with spaces in their name", () => {
     })
     expect(output).toBe("testcase 1")
   })
+
+  it("should allow the use of a", async () => {
+    const output = await processString("{{ a }}", { a: 1 })
+    expect(output).toEqual("1")
+  })
 })
 
 describe("attempt some complex problems", () => {