diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index e57016c89a..21a2e3dd70 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -7746,17 +7746,24 @@ def do_update_user_custom_profile_data_if_changed(
                 user_profile=user_profile, field_id=custom_profile_field["id"]
             )
 
-            if not created and field_value.value == str(custom_profile_field["value"]):
+            # field_value.value is a TextField() so we need to have field["value"]
+            # in string form to correctly make comparisons and assignments.
+            if isinstance(custom_profile_field["value"], str):
+                custom_profile_field_value_string = custom_profile_field["value"]
+            else:
+                custom_profile_field_value_string = orjson.dumps(
+                    custom_profile_field["value"]
+                ).decode()
+
+            if not created and field_value.value == custom_profile_field_value_string:
                 # If the field value isn't actually being changed to a different one,
                 # we have nothing to do here for this field.
-                # Note: field_value.value is a TextField() so we need to cast field['value']
-                # to a string for the comparison in this if.
                 continue
 
-            field_value.value = str(custom_profile_field["value"])
+            field_value.value = custom_profile_field_value_string
             if field_value.field.is_renderable():
                 field_value.rendered_value = render_stream_description(
-                    str(custom_profile_field["value"])
+                    custom_profile_field_value_string
                 )
                 field_value.save(update_fields=["value", "rendered_value"])
             else:
diff --git a/zerver/models.py b/zerver/models.py
index ebd2932fb1..8ba0f5154e 100644
--- a/zerver/models.py
+++ b/zerver/models.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import ast
 import datetime
 import re
 import secrets
@@ -20,6 +19,7 @@ from typing import (
 )
 
 import django.contrib.auth
+import orjson
 from bitfield import BitField
 from bitfield.types import BitHandler
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -3878,7 +3878,7 @@ class CustomProfileField(models.Model):
         (SELECT, gettext_lazy("List of options"), validate_select_field, str, "SELECT"),
     ]
     USER_FIELD_TYPE_DATA: List[UserFieldElement] = [
-        (USER, gettext_lazy("Person picker"), check_valid_user_ids, ast.literal_eval, "USER"),
+        (USER, gettext_lazy("Person picker"), check_valid_user_ids, orjson.loads, "USER"),
     ]
 
     SELECT_FIELD_VALIDATORS: Dict[int, ExtendedValidator] = {