diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Hudson.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Hudson.java
index 93d2e8cfd56fbb7c0b59240093313ad2a4c988e5..5c78727a0b2cafc8e3db62ada4fbd5240037c912 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Hudson.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Hudson.java
@@ -1544,10 +1544,10 @@ public final class Hudson extends View implements ItemGroup<TopLevelItem>, Node,
             boolean result = true;
 
             for( Descriptor<Builder> d : BuildStep.BUILDERS )
-                result &= d.configure(req,json.getJSONObject(d.getJsonSafeClassName()));
+                result &= configureDescriptor(req,json,d);
 
             for( Descriptor<Publisher> d : BuildStep.PUBLISHERS )
-                result &= d.configure(req,json.getJSONObject(d.getJsonSafeClassName()));
+                result &= configureDescriptor(req,json,d);
 
             for( Descriptor<BuildWrapper> d : BuildWrappers.WRAPPERS )
                 result &= d.configure(req);
@@ -1574,6 +1574,13 @@ public final class Hudson extends View implements ItemGroup<TopLevelItem>, Node,
         }
     }
 
+    private boolean configureDescriptor(StaplerRequest req, JSONObject json, Descriptor<?> d) throws FormException {
+        // collapse the structure to remain backward compatible with the JSON structure before 1.238
+        JSONObject js = json.getJSONObject(d.getJsonSafeClassName());
+        json.putAll(js);
+        return d.configure(req, js);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Accepts submission from the configuration page.
      */
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/tasks/Ant.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/tasks/Ant.java
index 4047e49828bccc02b9cc5487494f6f8a4d75efec..8aed9609d5c473c314c5961c3ba6ad01d071cf75 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/tasks/Ant.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/tasks/Ant.java
@@ -260,9 +260,10 @@ public class Ant extends Builder {
             return installations;
         }
 
-        public boolean configure(StaplerRequest req) {
+        @Override
+        public boolean configure(StaplerRequest req, JSONObject json) throws FormException {
             installations = req.bindJSONToList(
-                    AntInstallation.class, req.getSubmittedForm().get("ant")).toArray(new AntInstallation[0]);
+                    AntInstallation.class, json.get("ant")).toArray(new AntInstallation[0]);
             save();
             return true;
         }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/tasks/Maven.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/tasks/Maven.java
index 88f448ae68cdcc1d73ba8786756b4fbbb43521d2..3f709cb77f261241a2b67d70f51edaf210d1919a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/tasks/Maven.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/tasks/Maven.java
@@ -225,9 +225,9 @@ public class Maven extends Builder {
             return installations;
         }
 
-        public boolean configure(StaplerRequest req) {
-            this.installations = req.bindJSONToList(MavenInstallation.class, req.getSubmittedForm().get("maven"))
-                    .toArray(new MavenInstallation[0]);
+        @Override
+        public boolean configure(StaplerRequest req, JSONObject json) throws FormException {
+            this.installations = req.bindJSONToList(MavenInstallation.class, json.get("maven")).toArray(new MavenInstallation[0]);
             save();
             return true;
         }