diff --git a/anymail/backends/mailgun.py b/anymail/backends/mailgun.py
index 0964761..1ad518b 100644
--- a/anymail/backends/mailgun.py
+++ b/anymail/backends/mailgun.py
@@ -122,18 +122,8 @@ class MailgunPayload(RequestsPayload):
         )
 
     def set_metadata(self, metadata):
-        # The Mailgun docs are a little unclear on whether to send each var as a separate v: field,
-        # or to send a single 'v:my-custom-data' field with a json blob of all vars.
-        # (https://documentation.mailgun.com/user_manual.html#attaching-data-to-messages)
-        # From experimentation, it seems like the first option works:
         for key, value in metadata.items():
-            # Ensure the value is json-serializable (for Mailgun storage)
-            json = self.serialize_json(value)  # will raise AnymailSerializationError
-            # Special case: a single string value should be sent bare (without quotes),
-            # because Mailgun will add quotes when querying the value as json.
-            if json.startswith('"'):  # only a single string could be serialized as "...
-                json = value
-            self.data["v:%s" % key] = json
+            self.data["v:%s" % key] = value
 
     def set_send_at(self, send_at):
         # Mailgun expects RFC-2822 format dates
diff --git a/tests/test_mailgun_backend.py b/tests/test_mailgun_backend.py
index f272b26..47bb03a 100644
--- a/tests/test_mailgun_backend.py
+++ b/tests/test_mailgun_backend.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from datetime import date, datetime
-from decimal import Decimal
 from email.mime.base import MIMEBase
 from email.mime.image import MIMEImage
 
@@ -13,7 +12,7 @@ from django.test import SimpleTestCase
 from django.test.utils import override_settings
 from django.utils.timezone import get_fixed_timezone, override as override_current_timezone
 
-from anymail.exceptions import AnymailAPIError, AnymailSerializationError, AnymailUnsupportedFeature
+from anymail.exceptions import AnymailAPIError, AnymailUnsupportedFeature
 from anymail.message import attach_inline_image_file
 
 from .mock_requests_backend import RequestsBackendMockAPITestCase, SessionSharingTestCasesMixin
@@ -270,12 +269,13 @@ class MailgunBackendAnymailFeatureTests(MailgunBackendMockAPITestCase):
     """Test backend support for Anymail added features"""
 
     def test_metadata(self):
-        self.message.metadata = {'user_id': "12345", 'items': ['mail', 'gun']}
+        # Each metadata value is just a string; you can serialize your own JSON if you'd like.
+        # (The Mailgun docs are a little confusing on this point.)
+        self.message.metadata = {'user_id': "12345", 'items': '["mail","gun"]'}
         self.message.send()
         data = self.get_api_call_data()
-        # note values get serialized to json:
-        self.assertEqual(data['v:user_id'], '12345')  # simple values are transmitted as-is
-        self.assertEqual(data['v:items'], '["mail", "gun"]')  # complex values get json-serialized
+        self.assertEqual(data['v:user_id'], '12345')
+        self.assertEqual(data['v:items'], '["mail","gun"]')
 
     def test_send_at(self):
         utc_plus_6 = get_fixed_timezone(6 * 60)
@@ -401,16 +401,8 @@ class MailgunBackendAnymailFeatureTests(MailgunBackendMockAPITestCase):
         self.assertEqual(self.message.anymail_status.recipients, {})
         self.assertEqual(self.message.anymail_status.esp_response, mock_response)
 
-    def test_json_serialization_errors(self):
-        """Try to provide more information about non-json-serializable data"""
-        self.message.metadata = {'total': Decimal('19.99')}
-        with self.assertRaises(AnymailSerializationError) as cm:
-            self.message.send()
-            print(self.get_api_call_data())
-        err = cm.exception
-        self.assertIsInstance(err, TypeError)  # compatibility with json.dumps
-        self.assertIn("Don't know how to send this data to Mailgun", str(err))  # our added context
-        self.assertIn("Decimal('19.99') is not JSON serializable", str(err))  # original message
+    # test_json_serialization_errors: Mailgun payload isn't JSON, so we don't test this.
+    # (Anything that requests can serialize as a form field will work with Mailgun)
 
 
 class MailgunBackendRecipientsRefusedTests(MailgunBackendMockAPITestCase):
diff --git a/tests/test_mailgun_integration.py b/tests/test_mailgun_integration.py
index 4cdb971..7bc1516 100644
--- a/tests/test_mailgun_integration.py
+++ b/tests/test_mailgun_integration.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class MailgunBackendIntegrationTests(SimpleTestCase, AnymailTestMixin):
             reply_to=["reply1@example.com", "Reply 2 <reply2@example.com>"],
             headers={"X-Anymail-Test": "value"},
 
-            metadata={"meta1": "simple string", "meta2": 2, "meta3": {"complex": "value"}},
+            metadata={"meta1": "simple string", "meta2": 2},
             send_at=send_at,
             tags=["tag 1", "tag 2"],
             track_clicks=False,
@@ -136,9 +136,7 @@ class MailgunBackendIntegrationTests(SimpleTestCase, AnymailTestMixin):
         event = events.pop()
         self.assertCountEqual(event["tags"], ["tag 1", "tag 2"])  # don't care about order
         self.assertEqual(event["user-variables"],
-                         {"meta1": "simple string",
-                          "meta2": "2",  # numbers become strings
-                          "meta3": '{"complex": "value"}'})  # complex values become json
+                         {"meta1": "simple string", "meta2": "2"})  # all metadata values become strings
 
         self.assertEqual(event["message"]["scheduled-for"], send_at_timestamp)
         self.assertCountEqual(event["message"]["recipients"],