diff --git a/datatype/neuronjson/memstore.go b/datatype/neuronjson/memstore.go
index 9345e71a..bdf5dc3e 100644
--- a/datatype/neuronjson/memstore.go
+++ b/datatype/neuronjson/memstore.go
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ func (d *Data) loadMemDB(v dvid.VersionID, mdb *memdb) error {
 			d.DataName(), v, err)
 	}
 	sort.Slice(mdb.ids, func(i, j int) bool { return mdb.ids[i] < mdb.ids[j] })
-	tlog.Infof("Completed loading of %d annotations into neuronjson instance %q version %s in-memory db",
+	tlog.Infof("Completed loading of %d annotations into neuronjson instance %q version %d in-memory db",
 		numLoaded, d.DataName(), v)
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/datatype/neuronjson/neuronjson.go b/datatype/neuronjson/neuronjson.go
index b0d669db..b7d7aff1 100644
--- a/datatype/neuronjson/neuronjson.go
+++ b/datatype/neuronjson/neuronjson.go
@@ -1018,12 +1018,18 @@ func (d *Data) Initialize() {
 	if found {
 		dvid.Infof("Found configuration for additional in-memory UUIDs for neuronjson %q: %v\n",
 			d.DataName(), uuidListI)
-		var ok bool
-		uuidList, ok = uuidListI.([]string)
-		if !ok {
-			dvid.Criticalf("configuration for inmemory dbs for neuronjson %q not a list of UUIDs: %v",
-				d.DataName(), uuidListI)
-			return
+		switch v := uuidListI.(type) {
+		case []string:
+			uuidList = v
+		case []interface{}:
+			for i, version := range v {
+				versionStr, ok := version.(string)
+				if ok {
+					uuidList = append(uuidList, versionStr)
+				} else {
+					dvid.Criticalf("can't parse neuronjson inmemory config for %dth version: %v\n", i, version)
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if err := d.initMemoryDB(uuidList); err != nil {