diff --git a/addons/api/addon/models/role.js b/addons/api/addon/models/role.js
index adc7778f5..3b428b9ba 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/models/role.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/models/role.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import GeneratedRoleModel from '../generated/models/role';
-import { fragmentArray } from 'ember-data-model-fragments/attributes';
+import { fragmentArray, array } from 'ember-data-model-fragments/attributes';
 
 export default class RoleModel extends GeneratedRoleModel {
   // =attributes
@@ -18,23 +18,24 @@ export default class RoleModel extends GeneratedRoleModel {
   principals;
 
   /**
-   * Grants is read-only _most_ under normal circumstances.  But grants can
-   * be persisted via a dedicated call to `saveGrants()`.
+   * Grants is read-only.  But grants can be persisted via a dedicated
+   * call to `saveGrants(grants)`.
    */
-  @fragmentArray('fragment-string', { readOnly: true }) grants;
+  @array('string', { readOnly: true }) grant_strings;
 
   // =methods
 
   /**
    * Saves the `grants` array on the role via the `set-grants` method.
    * See serializer and adapter for more information.
+   * @param {[string]} grants
    * @return {Promise}
    */
-  saveGrants() {
+  saveGrants(grants) {
     return this.save({
       adapterOptions: {
         method: 'set-grants',
-        serializeGrants: true,
+        grants
       },
     });
   }
diff --git a/addons/api/addon/serializers/role.js b/addons/api/addon/serializers/role.js
index 5efd37c0f..2fc2f3fc6 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/serializers/role.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/serializers/role.js
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ export default class RoleSerializer extends ApplicationSerializer {
    * @return {object}
    */
   serialize(snapshot) {
-    const serializeGrants = get(snapshot, 'adapterOptions.serializeGrants');
+    const grants = get(snapshot, 'adapterOptions.grants');
     let serialized = super.serialize(...arguments);
-    if (serializeGrants) serialized = this.serializeWithGrants(snapshot);
+    if (grants) serialized = this.serializeWithGrants(snapshot, grants);
     const principalIDs = snapshot?.adapterOptions?.principalIDs;
     if (principalIDs)
       serialized = this.serializewithPrincipals(snapshot, principalIDs);
@@ -27,14 +27,13 @@ export default class RoleSerializer extends ApplicationSerializer {
   /**
    * Returns a payload containing only the grants array.
    * @param {Snapshot} snapshot
+   * @param {[string]} grants
    * @return {object}
    */
-  serializeWithGrants(snapshot) {
+  serializeWithGrants(snapshot, grants) {
     return {
       version: snapshot.attr('version'),
-      grant_strings: snapshot
-        .attr('grants')
-        .map((grant) => grant.attr('value')),
+      grant_strings: grants
     };
   }
 
@@ -51,22 +50,4 @@ export default class RoleSerializer extends ApplicationSerializer {
       principal_ids: principalIDs,
     };
   }
-
-  /**
-   * Converts string arrays to object arrays for use with `fragment-string`.
-   * E.g. `"foo"` -> `{value: "foo"}`
-   * @override
-   * @param {Model} typeClass
-   * @param {Object} hash
-   * @return {Object}
-   */
-  normalize(modelClass, resourceHash) {
-    // TODO:  can fragment string normalization be handled generically?
-    if (resourceHash.grant_strings) {
-      resourceHash.grants = resourceHash.grant_strings.map((value) => ({
-        value,
-      }));
-    }
-    return super.normalize(modelClass, resourceHash);
-  }
 }
diff --git a/addons/api/tests/unit/models/role-test.js b/addons/api/tests/unit/models/role-test.js
index a3b593e4b..bbeb95075 100644
--- a/addons/api/tests/unit/models/role-test.js
+++ b/addons/api/tests/unit/models/role-test.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ module('Unit | Model | role', function (hooks) {
     this.server.post('/v1/roles/123abc:set-grants', (schema, request) => {
       const body = JSON.parse(request.requestBody);
       assert.deepEqual(body, {
-        grant_strings: ['grant1', 'grant2'],
+        grant_strings: ['foo', 'bar'],
         version: 1,
       });
       return { id: '123abc' };
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ module('Unit | Model | role', function (hooks) {
         attributes: {
           name: 'Role',
           description: 'Description',
-          grants: [{ value: 'grant1' }, { value: 'grant2' }],
+          grant_strings: ['grant1', 'grant2'],
           version: 1,
           scope: {
             scope_id: 'o_1',
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ module('Unit | Model | role', function (hooks) {
       },
     });
     const model = store.peekRecord('role', '123abc');
-    await model.saveGrants();
+    await model.saveGrants(['foo', 'bar']);
   });
 
   test('it has an `addPrincipals` method that targets a specific POST API endpoint and serialization', async function (assert) {
diff --git a/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/role-test.js b/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/role-test.js
index 1e0624d6a..0303cd60f 100644
--- a/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/role-test.js
+++ b/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/role-test.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ module('Unit | Serializer | role', function (hooks) {
     const record = store.createRecord('role', {
       name: 'User',
       description: 'Description',
-      grants: [{ value: 'foo' }, { value: 'bar' }],
+      grant_strings: ['foo', 'bar'],
       version: 1,
     });
     const snapshot = record._createSnapshot();
@@ -24,19 +24,19 @@ module('Unit | Serializer | role', function (hooks) {
     });
   });
 
-  test('it serializes only grants when `adapterOptions.serializeGrants` is true', function (assert) {
+  test('it serializes only grants when `adapterOptions.grants` is set', function (assert) {
     assert.expect(1);
     const store = this.owner.lookup('service:store');
     const serializer = store.serializerFor('role');
     const record = store.createRecord('role', {
       name: 'User',
       description: 'Description',
-      grants: [{ value: 'foo' }, { value: 'bar' }],
+      grant_strings: ['grant1', 'grant2'],
       version: 1,
     });
     const snapshot = record._createSnapshot();
     snapshot.adapterOptions = {
-      serializeGrants: true,
+      grants: ['foo', 'bar'],
     };
     const serializedRecord = serializer.serialize(snapshot);
     assert.deepEqual(serializedRecord, {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ module('Unit | Serializer | role', function (hooks) {
         type: 'role',
         attributes: {
           name: 'Role 1',
-          grants: [{ value: '*' }, { value: '*' }],
+          grant_strings: ['*', '*'],
           principals: [],
         },
         relationships: {},
diff --git a/ui/core/app/components/form/role/grants/index.hbs b/ui/core/app/components/form/role/grants/index.hbs
index 8b5e97f28..bbe47e7d6 100644
--- a/ui/core/app/components/form/role/grants/index.hbs
+++ b/ui/core/app/components/form/role/grants/index.hbs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 </Rose::Form>
 
 <Rose::Form
-  @onSubmit={{@submit}}
+  @onSubmit={{fn @submit this.grantStrings}}
   @cancel={{@cancel}}
   @disabled={{@model.isSaving}}
   @error={{@model.errors.base}}
@@ -53,14 +53,14 @@
   --}}
 
   <Rose::List::KeyValue as |list|>
-    {{#each @model.grants as |grant|}}
+    {{#each this.grants as |grant|}}
       <list.item as |item|>
         <form.input
           @contextual={{true}}
           @name="grant"
           @type="text"
           @value={{grant.value}}
-          @error={{@model.errors.grants}}
+          @error={{@model.errors.grant_strings}}
         as |input|>
           <item.key>
             <input.label>{{t "form.grant.label"}}</input.label>
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
             @style="secondary"
             @iconOnly="trash"
             title={{t "actions.remove"}}
-            {{on "click" (fn @removeGrant grant)}}
+            {{on "click" (fn @removeGrant grant.value)}}
           >
             {{t "actions.remove"}}
           </Rose::Button>
diff --git a/ui/core/app/components/form/role/grants/index.js b/ui/core/app/components/form/role/grants/index.js
index f1f0f8ce3..11e7d595f 100644
--- a/ui/core/app/components/form/role/grants/index.js
+++ b/ui/core/app/components/form/role/grants/index.js
@@ -10,6 +10,16 @@ export default class FormRoleGrantsComponent extends Component {
    */
   @tracked newGrantString = '';
 
+  @computed('args.model.grant_strings.[]')
+  get grants() {
+    return this.args.model.grant_strings.map(value => ({ value }));
+  }
+
+  @computed('grants.@each.value')
+  get grantStrings() {
+    return this.grants.map(obj => obj.value);
+  }
+
   /**
    * True if the grant string field is empty, false otherwise.  This is used
    * to disable the submit button.
diff --git a/ui/core/app/routes/scopes/scope/roles/role/grants.js b/ui/core/app/routes/scopes/scope/roles/role/grants.js
index af56f1990..b87721d99 100644
--- a/ui/core/app/routes/scopes/scope/roles/role/grants.js
+++ b/ui/core/app/routes/scopes/scope/roles/role/grants.js
@@ -37,18 +37,18 @@ export default class ScopesScopeRolesRoleGrantsRoute extends Route {
    */
   @action
   addGrant(role, grantString) {
-    role.grants.unshiftObject({ value: grantString });
+    role.grant_strings.unshiftObject(grantString);
   }
 
   /**
    * Removes a grant from the role.  Grant removal is not immediately permanent;
    * users may rollback the change via "cancel" or commit it via "save".
    * @param {RoleModel} role
-   * @param {FragmentString} grant
+   * @param {string} grantString
    */
   @action
-  removeGrant(role, grant) {
-    role.grants.removeFragment(grant);
+  removeGrant(role, grantString) {
+    role.grant_strings.removeObject(grantString);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export default class ScopesScopeRolesRoleGrantsRoute extends Route {
   @loading
   @notifyError(({ message }) => message, { catch: true })
   @notifySuccess('notifications.save-success')
-  async save(role) {
-      await role.saveGrants();
+  async save(role, grants) {
+    await role.saveGrants(grants);
   }
 }
diff --git a/ui/core/mirage/config.js b/ui/core/mirage/config.js
index 50d1b5344..d2596e43f 100644
--- a/ui/core/mirage/config.js
+++ b/ui/core/mirage/config.js
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ export default function() {
     if (method === 'set-grants') {
       updatedAttrs = {
         version: attrs.version,
-        grant_strings: attrs.grant_strings
+        grantStrings: attrs.grantStrings
       };
     }