diff --git a/src/numpydantic/interface/hdf5.py b/src/numpydantic/interface/hdf5.py
index 0e72669..1f75409 100644
--- a/src/numpydantic/interface/hdf5.py
+++ b/src/numpydantic/interface/hdf5.py
@@ -130,7 +130,10 @@ class H5Proxy:
                     else:
                         item = (item, self.field)
 
-                    return obj[item].decode(encoding.encoding)
+                    try:
+                        return obj[item].decode(encoding.encoding)
+                    except AttributeError:
+                        return np.strings.decode(obj[item], encoding=encoding.encoding)
                 else:
                     obj = obj.fields(self.field)
             else:
@@ -262,12 +265,7 @@ class H5Interface(Interface):
 
         Subclasses to correctly handle
         """
-        if hasattr(array.dtype, "type") and array.dtype.type is np.object_:
-            if h5py.h5t.check_string_dtype(array.dtype):
-                return str
-            else:
-                return self.get_object_dtype(array)
-        elif h5py.h5t.check_string_dtype(array.dtype):
+        if h5py.h5t.check_string_dtype(array.dtype):
             return str
         else:
             return array.dtype
diff --git a/tests/test_interface/test_hdf5.py b/tests/test_interface/test_hdf5.py
index 7d00174..891dd9f 100644
--- a/tests/test_interface/test_hdf5.py
+++ b/tests/test_interface/test_hdf5.py
@@ -171,3 +171,6 @@ def test_strings(hdf5_array, compound):
     instance.array[0, 0] = "hey"
     assert instance.array[0, 0] == "hey"
     assert isinstance(instance.array[0, 1], str)
+
+    instance.array[1] = "sup"
+    assert all(instance.array[1] == "sup")