diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/widgets/widget.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/widgets/widget.js
index 9d05c57..17eb1f1 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/widgets/widget.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/widgets/widget.js
@@ -210,6 +210,15 @@ function(WidgetManager, _, Backbone){
             // Replace models with model ids recursively.
             if (value instanceof Backbone.Model) {
                 return value.id;
+
+            } else if ($.isArray(value)) {
+                var packed = [];
+                var that = this;
+                _.each(value, function(sub_value, key) {
+                    packed.push(that._pack_models(sub_value));
+                });
+                return packed;
+
             } else if (value instanceof Object) {
                 var packed = {};
                 var that = this;
@@ -217,6 +226,7 @@ function(WidgetManager, _, Backbone){
                     packed[key] = that._pack_models(sub_value);
                 });
                 return packed;
+
             } else {
                 return value;
             }
@@ -224,13 +234,22 @@ function(WidgetManager, _, Backbone){
 
         _unpack_models: function(value) {
             // Replace model ids with models recursively.
-            if (value instanceof Object) {
+            if ($.isArray(value)) {
+                var unpacked = [];
+                var that = this;
+                _.each(value, function(sub_value, key) {
+                    unpacked.push(that._unpack_models(sub_value));
+                });
+                return unpacked;
+
+            } else if (value instanceof Object) {
                 var unpacked = {};
                 var that = this;
                 _.each(value, function(sub_value, key) {
                     unpacked[key] = that._unpack_models(sub_value);
                 });
                 return unpacked;
+
             } else {
                 var model = this.widget_manager.get_model(value);
                 if (model) {
diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets.js b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets.js
index 9943dd4..db26f99 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets.js
@@ -1,3 +1,33 @@
+var xor = function (a, b) {return !a ^ !b;}; 
+var isArray = function (a) {return toString.call(a) === "[object Array]" || toString.call(a) === "[object RuntimeArray]";};
+var recursive_compare = function(a, b) {
+    // Recursively compare two objects.
+    var same = true;
+    same = same && !xor(a instanceof Object, b instanceof Object);
+    same = same && !xor(isArray(a), isArray(b));
+
+    if (same) {
+        if (a instanceof Object) {
+            for (var key in a) {
+                if (a.hasOwnProperty(key) && !recursive_compare(a[key], b[key])) {
+                    same = false;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            for (var key in b) {
+                if (b.hasOwnProperty(key) && !recursive_compare(a[key], b[key])) {
+                    same = false;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            return a === b;
+        }    
+    }
+    
+    return same;
+}
+
 // Test the widget framework.
 casper.notebook_test(function () {
     var index;
@@ -21,6 +51,43 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         this.test.assert(this.evaluate(function() {
             return IPython.notebook.kernel.widget_manager !== undefined; 
         }), 'Notebook widget manager instantiated');
+
+        // Functions that can be used to test the packing and unpacking APIs
+        var that = this;
+        var test_pack = function (input) {
+            var output = that.evaluate(function(input) {
+                var model = new IPython.WidgetModel(IPython.notebook.kernel.widget_manager, undefined);
+                var results = model._pack_models(input);
+                delete model;
+                return results;
+            }, {input: input});
+            that.test.assert(recursive_compare(input, output), 
+                JSON.stringify(input) + ' passed through Model._pack_model unchanged');
+        };
+        var test_unpack = function (input) {
+            var output = that.evaluate(function(input) {
+                var model = new IPython.WidgetModel(IPython.notebook.kernel.widget_manager, undefined);
+                var results = model._unpack_models(input);
+                delete model;
+                return results;
+            }, {input: input});
+            that.test.assert(recursive_compare(input, output), 
+                JSON.stringify(input) + ' passed through Model._unpack_model unchanged');
+        };
+        var test_packing = function(input) {
+            test_pack(input);
+            test_unpack(input);
+        };
+        
+        test_packing({0: 'hi', 1: 'bye'})
+        test_packing(['hi', 'bye'])
+        test_packing(['hi', 5])
+        test_packing(['hi', '5'])
+        test_packing([1.0, 0])
+        test_packing([1.0, false])
+        test_packing([1, false])
+        test_packing([1, false, {a: 'hi'}])
+        test_packing([1, false, ['hi']])
     });
 
     var textbox = {};