diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/model/Recon.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/model/Recon.java
index 96e55fb92..7e9588305 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/model/Recon.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/model/Recon.java
@@ -273,13 +273,13 @@ public class Recon implements HasFields, Jsonizable {
         writer.key("j"); writer.value(judgmentToString());
         if (match != null) {
             writer.key("m");
-            writer.value(match.id);
+            match.write(writer, options);
         }
         if (match == null || saveMode) {
             writer.key("c"); writer.array();
             if (candidates != null) {
                 for (ReconCandidate c : candidates) {
-                    writer.value(c.id);
+                    c.write(writer, options);
                 }
             }
             writer.endArray();
@@ -344,11 +344,10 @@ public class Recon implements HasFields, Jsonizable {
                     recon.judgment = stringToJudgment(jp.getText());
                 } else if ("m".equals(fieldName)) {
                     if (jp.getCurrentToken() == JsonToken.VALUE_STRING) {
+                        // legacy case
                         String candidateID = jp.getText();
-                        
                         recon.match = pool.getReconCandidate(candidateID);
                     } else {
-                        // legacy
                         recon.match = ReconCandidate.loadStreaming(jp);
                     }
                 } else if ("f".equals(fieldName)) {
@@ -380,11 +379,10 @@ public class Recon implements HasFields, Jsonizable {
                     
                     while (jp.nextToken() != JsonToken.END_ARRAY) {
                         if (jp.getCurrentToken() == JsonToken.VALUE_STRING) {
+                            // legacy case
                             String candidateID = jp.getText();
-                        
                             recon.addCandidate(pool.getReconCandidate(candidateID));
                         } else {
-                            // legacy
                             recon.addCandidate(ReconCandidate.loadStreaming(jp));
                         }
                     }
diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/util/Pool.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/util/Pool.java
index 1ce4e17df..3981580ff 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/util/Pool.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/util/Pool.java
@@ -56,10 +56,12 @@ import com.google.refine.model.Recon;
 import com.google.refine.model.ReconCandidate;
 
 public class Pool implements Jsonizable {
-    final protected Map<String, ReconCandidate> candidates = new HashMap<String, ReconCandidate>();
     final protected Map<String, Recon> recons = new HashMap<String, Recon>();
     
-    public void pool(ReconCandidate candidate) {
+    // This is only for backward compatibility while loading old project files
+    final protected Map<String, ReconCandidate> candidates = new HashMap<String, ReconCandidate>();
+    
+    private void pool(ReconCandidate candidate) {
         candidates.put(candidate.id, candidate);
     }
     
@@ -103,20 +105,6 @@ public class Pool implements Jsonizable {
         options.setProperty("mode", "save");
         options.put("pool", this);
         
-        Collection<ReconCandidate> candidates2 = candidates.values();
-        writer.write("reconCandidateCount=" + candidates2.size()); writer.write('\n');
-        
-        for (ReconCandidate c : candidates2) {
-            JSONWriter jsonWriter = new JSONWriter(writer);
-            try {
-                c.write(jsonWriter, options);
-                
-                writer.write('\n');
-            } catch (JSONException e) {
-                e.printStackTrace();
-            }
-        }
-        
         Collection<Recon> recons2 = recons.values();
         writer.write("reconCount=" + recons2.size()); writer.write('\n');
         
@@ -141,6 +129,7 @@ public class Pool implements Jsonizable {
 
         /* String version = */ reader2.readLine();
         
+        Map<String, ReconCandidate> candidates = new HashMap<String, ReconCandidate>();
         String line;
         while ((line = reader2.readLine()) != null) {
             int equal = line.indexOf('=');
@@ -155,6 +144,7 @@ public class Pool implements Jsonizable {
                     if (line != null) {
                         ReconCandidate candidate = ReconCandidate.loadStreaming(line);
                         if (candidate != null) {
+                            // pool for backward compatibility
                             pool(candidate);
                         }
                     }
@@ -179,15 +169,6 @@ public class Pool implements Jsonizable {
             throws JSONException {
         
         writer.object();
-        
-        writer.key("reconCandidates");
-            writer.object();
-            for (Entry<String, ReconCandidate> entry : candidates.entrySet()) {
-                writer.key(entry.getKey());
-                entry.getValue().write(writer, options);
-            }
-            writer.endObject();
-        
         writer.key("recons");
             writer.object();
             for (Entry<String, Recon> entry : recons.entrySet()) {
@@ -195,7 +176,6 @@ public class Pool implements Jsonizable {
                 entry.getValue().write(writer, options);
             }
             writer.endObject();
-            
         writer.endObject();
     }
 }
diff --git a/main/webapp/modules/core/scripts/project.js b/main/webapp/modules/core/scripts/project.js
index a7adca65c..013d50658 100644
--- a/main/webapp/modules/core/scripts/project.js
+++ b/main/webapp/modules/core/scripts/project.js
@@ -384,22 +384,6 @@ Refine.columnNameToColumnIndex = function(columnName) {
     return -1;
 };
 
-Refine.preparePool = function(pool) {
-    for (var id in pool.recons) {
-        if (pool.recons.hasOwnProperty(id)) {        
-            var recon = pool.recons[id];
-            if (recon.m) {
-                recon.m = pool.reconCandidates[recon.m];
-            }
-            if (recon.c) {
-                for (var j = 0; j < recon.c.length; j++) {
-                    recon.c[j] = pool.reconCandidates[recon.c[j]];
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-};
-
 Refine.fetchRows = function(start, limit, onDone, sorting) {
     var body = {
         engine: JSON.stringify(ui.browsingEngine.getJSON())
@@ -415,7 +399,6 @@ Refine.fetchRows = function(start, limit, onDone, sorting) {
             theProject.rowModel = data;
             
             // Un-pool objects
-            Refine.preparePool(data.pool);
             for (var r = 0; r < data.rows.length; r++) {
                 var row = data.rows[r];
                 for (var c = 0; c < row.cells.length; c++) {