diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f0e5e080..7dc3fd4d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ $ curl -XPOST http://0.0.0.0:8000/parse --data 'locale=en_GB&text=tomorrow at ei
 In the example application, all dimensions are enabled by default. Provide the parameter `dims` to specify which ones you want. Examples:
 ```
 Identify credit card numbers only:
-$ curl -XPOST http://0.0.0.0:8000/parse --data 'locale=en_US&text="4111-1111-1111-1111"&dims="[\"credit-card-number\"]"'
+$ curl -XPOST http://0.0.0.0:8000/parse --data 'locale=en_US&text="4111-1111-1111-1111"&dims="["credit-card-number"]"'
 If you want multiple dimensions, comma-separate them in the array:
-$ curl -XPOST http://0.0.0.0:8000/parse --data 'locale=en_US&text="3 cups of sugar"&dims="[\"quantity\",\"numeral\"]"'
+$ curl -XPOST http://0.0.0.0:8000/parse --data 'locale=en_US&text="3 cups of sugar"&dims="["quantity","numeral"]"'
 ```
 
 See `exe/ExampleMain.hs` for an example on how to integrate Duckling in your
diff --git a/exe/ExampleMain.hs b/exe/ExampleMain.hs
index b4019a41..1630b526 100644
--- a/exe/ExampleMain.hs
+++ b/exe/ExampleMain.hs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import System.Environment (lookupEnv)
 import TextShow
 import Text.Read (readMaybe)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as LBS
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as LBS8
 import qualified Data.HashMap.Strict as HashMap
 import qualified Data.Text as Text
 import qualified Data.Text.Encoding as Text
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ parseHandler tzs = do
     Just tx -> do
       let timezone = parseTimeZone tz
       now <- liftIO $ currentReftime tzs timezone
+
       let
         lang = parseLang l
 
@@ -118,9 +120,18 @@ parseHandler tzs = do
           }
         options = Options {withLatent = parseLatent latent}
 
+        cleanupDims =
+            LBS8.filter (/= '\\') -- strip out escape chars people throw in
+          . stripSuffix "\"" -- remove trailing double quote
+          . stripPrefix "\"" -- remote leading double quote
+
+          where
+            stripSuffix suffix str = fromMaybe str $ LBS.stripSuffix suffix str
+            stripPrefix prefix str = fromMaybe str $ LBS.stripPrefix prefix str
+
         dims = fromMaybe (allDimensions lang) $ do
-          queryDims <- ds
-          txtDims <- decode @[Text] $ LBS.fromStrict queryDims
+          queryDims <- fmap (cleanupDims . LBS.fromStrict) ds
+          txtDims <- decode @[Text] queryDims
           pure $ mapMaybe parseDimension txtDims
 
         parsedResult = parse (Text.decodeUtf8 tx) context options dims
@@ -138,7 +149,7 @@ parseHandler tzs = do
         fromCustomName :: Text -> Maybe (Seal Dimension)
         fromCustomName name = HashMap.lookup name m
         m = HashMap.fromList
-          [ -- ("my-dimension", This (CustomDimension MyDimension))
+          [ -- ("my-dimension", Seal (CustomDimension MyDimension))
           ]
 
     parseTimeZone :: Maybe ByteString -> Text