diff --git a/carl/context/search_space_encoding.py b/carl/context/search_space_encoding.py
index 893a71d4..ae955d3a 100644
--- a/carl/context/search_space_encoding.py
+++ b/carl/context/search_space_encoding.py
@@ -106,11 +106,11 @@ def search_space_to_config_space(
     -------
     ConfigurationSpace
     """
-    if type(search_space) == str:
+    if isinstance(search_space, str):
         with open(search_space, "r") as f:
             jason_string = f.read()
         cs = csjson.read(jason_string)
-    elif type(search_space) == DictConfig:
+    elif isinstance(search_space, DictConfig):
         # reorder hyperparameters as List[Dict]
         hyperparameters = []
         for name, cfg in search_space.hyperparameters.items():
@@ -130,8 +130,10 @@ def search_space_to_config_space(
 
         jason_string = json.dumps(search_space, cls=JSONCfgEncoder)
         cs = csjson.read(jason_string)
-    elif type(search_space) == ConfigurationSpace:
+    elif isinstance(search_space, ConfigurationSpace):
         cs = search_space
+    elif isinstance(search_space, dict):
+        cs = csjson.read(json.dumps(search_space))
     else:
         raise ValueError(
             f"search_space must be of type str or DictConfig. Got {type(search_space)}."
diff --git a/test/test_search_space_encoding.py b/test/test_search_space_encoding.py
index 42a0489d..2c1a4e84 100644
--- a/test/test_search_space_encoding.py
+++ b/test/test_search_space_encoding.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
             "lower": -512.0,
             "upper": 512.0,
             "default": -3.0,
+            "q": None,
         },
         {
             "name": "x1",
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@
             "lower": -512.0,
             "upper": 512.0,
             "default": -4.0,
+            "q": None,
         },
     ],
     "conditions": [],
@@ -51,19 +53,14 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.test_space = ConfigurationSpace(name="myspace", space=dict_space)
         return super().setUp()
 
-    def test_init(self):
-        self.test_space = ConfigurationSpace(name="myspace", space=dict_space_2)
-
-        self.test_space = ConfigurationSpace(name="myspace", space=str_space)
-
-    def test_config_spaces(self):
+    def test_ss_as_cs(self):
         try:
             search_space_to_config_space(self.test_space)
         except Exception as e:
             print(f"Cannot encode search space --  {self.test_space}.")
             raise e
 
-    def test_dict_configs(self):
+    def test_ss_as_dictconfig(self):
         try:
             dict_space = DictConfig({"hyperparameters": {}})
 
@@ -72,6 +69,13 @@ def test_dict_configs(self):
             print(f"Cannot encode search space --  {dict_space}.")
             raise e
 
+    def test_ss_as_dict(self):
+        try:
+            search_space_to_config_space(dict_space_2)
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"Cannot encode search space --  {dict_space_2}.")
+            raise e
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()