diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/CompactionMetadata.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/CompactionMetadata.java
index 491bad70187..e01d4fd1e14 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/CompactionMetadata.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/CompactionMetadata.java
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ public String toJson() {
     GSonData jData = new GSonData();
     jData.inputs =
         jobFiles.stream().map(stf -> new TabletFileCqMetadataGson(stf)).collect(toList());
-    jData.tmp = new TabletFileCqMetadataGson(compactTmpName);
+    jData.tmp = new TabletFileCqMetadataGson(compactTmpName.insert());
     jData.compactor = compactorId;
     jData.kind = kind.name();
     jData.groupId = cgid.toString();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/StoredTabletFile.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/StoredTabletFile.java
index d8f575d041c..bcce048b212 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/StoredTabletFile.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/StoredTabletFile.java
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ private static String serialize(TabletFileCq tabletFileCq) {
    * returned as an empty byte array
    **/
 
-  private static byte[] encodeRow(final Key key) {
+  protected static byte[] encodeRow(final Key key) {
     final Text row = key != null ? key.getRow() : null;
     if (row != null) {
       try (ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ private static byte[] encodeRow(final Key key) {
     return new byte[0];
   }
 
-  private static Text decodeRow(byte[] serialized) {
+  protected static Text decodeRow(byte[] serialized) {
     // Empty byte array means null row
     if (serialized.length == 0) {
       return null;
@@ -292,26 +292,26 @@ public TabletFileCq(Path path, Range range) {
   }
 
   static class TabletFileCqMetadataGson {
-    private String path;
-    private byte[] startRow;
-    private byte[] endRow;
+    protected String metadataEntry;
+    protected String path;
+    protected byte[] startRow;
+    protected byte[] endRow;
 
     TabletFileCqMetadataGson() {}
 
-    TabletFileCqMetadataGson(AbstractTabletFile<?> atf) {
-      path = Objects.requireNonNull(atf.path.toString());
-      startRow = encodeRow(atf.range.getStartKey());
-      endRow = encodeRow(atf.range.getEndKey());
+    TabletFileCqMetadataGson(StoredTabletFile stf) {
+      metadataEntry = Objects.requireNonNull(stf.getMetadata());
+      path = Objects.requireNonNull(stf.getMetadataPath());
+      startRow = encodeRow(stf.range.getStartKey());
+      endRow = encodeRow(stf.range.getEndKey());
     }
 
     ReferencedTabletFile toReferencedTabletFile() {
-      return new ReferencedTabletFile(new Path(URI.create(path)),
-          new Range(decodeRow(startRow), true, decodeRow(endRow), false));
+      return new StoredTabletFile(metadataEntry).getTabletFile();
     }
 
     StoredTabletFile toStoredTabletFile() {
-      return StoredTabletFile.of(new Path(URI.create(path)),
-          new Range(decodeRow(startRow), true, decodeRow(endRow), false));
+      return new StoredTabletFile(metadataEntry);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/StoredTabletFileTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/StoredTabletFileTest.java
index 998c9eab112..660b7bbe431 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/StoredTabletFileTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/metadata/StoredTabletFileTest.java
@@ -18,11 +18,23 @@
  */
 package org.apache.accumulo.core.metadata;
 
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertArrayEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
+import java.net.URI;
+
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.data.Range;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.data.TableId;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.dataImpl.KeyExtent;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.metadata.StoredTabletFile.TabletFileCqMetadataGson;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.util.json.ByteArrayToBase64TypeAdapter;
+import org.apache.hadoop.io.Text;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
+
 public class StoredTabletFileTest {
 
   @Test
@@ -37,4 +49,28 @@ public void fileConversionTest() {
     assertFalse(StoredTabletFile.fileNeedsConversion(s31));
     assertFalse(StoredTabletFile.fileNeedsConversion(s31_untrimmed));
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testSerDe() {
+    Gson gson = ByteArrayToBase64TypeAdapter.createBase64Gson();
+    String metadataEntry =
+        "{ \"path\":\"hdfs://localhost:8020/accumulo//tables//1/t-0000000/A000003v.rf\",\"startRow\":\"AmEA\",\"endRow\":\"AnoA\" }";
+    URI normalizedPath =
+        URI.create("hdfs://localhost:8020/accumulo/tables/1/t-0000000/A000003v.rf");
+    KeyExtent ke = new KeyExtent(TableId.of("t"), new Text("z"), new Text("a"));
+    Range r = ke.toDataRange();
+    StoredTabletFile expected = new StoredTabletFile(metadataEntry);
+    TabletFileCqMetadataGson meta = new TabletFileCqMetadataGson(expected);
+    assertEquals(metadataEntry, meta.metadataEntry);
+    assertEquals(normalizedPath.toString(), meta.path);
+    assertArrayEquals(StoredTabletFile.encodeRow(r.getStartKey()), meta.startRow);
+    assertArrayEquals(StoredTabletFile.encodeRow(r.getEndKey()), meta.endRow);
+    String json = gson.toJson(meta);
+    System.out.println(json);
+    TabletFileCqMetadataGson des = gson.fromJson(json, TabletFileCqMetadataGson.class);
+    assertEquals(metadataEntry, des.metadataEntry);
+    assertEquals(normalizedPath.toString(), des.path);
+    assertArrayEquals(StoredTabletFile.encodeRow(r.getStartKey()), des.startRow);
+    assertArrayEquals(StoredTabletFile.encodeRow(r.getEndKey()), des.endRow);
+  }
 }