diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Services/ActivityFactory.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Services/ActivityFactory.cs
index b2a08c710..0b5bd9201 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Services/ActivityFactory.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Services/ActivityFactory.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 using System.Text.Json;
+using Elsa.Extensions;
 using Elsa.Workflows.Core.Contracts;
 using Elsa.Workflows.Core.Models;
+using Humanizer;
 
 namespace Elsa.Workflows.Core.Services;
 
@@ -10,7 +12,25 @@ public class ActivityFactory : IActivityFactory
     /// <inheritdoc />
     public IActivity Create(Type type, ActivityConstructorContext context)
     {
+        // Backwards compatibility for older JSON schemas.
+        var canStartWorkflow = GetBoolean(context.Element, "canStartWorkflow");
+        var runAsynchronously = GetBoolean(context.Element, "runAsynchronously");
         var activity = (IActivity)context.Element.Deserialize(type, context.SerializerOptions)!;
+        
+        activity.SetCanStartWorkflow(canStartWorkflow);
+        activity.SetRunAsynchronously(runAsynchronously);
+        
         return activity;
     }
+    
+    private static bool GetBoolean(JsonElement element, string propertyName)
+    {
+        if (element.TryGetProperty("customProperties", out var customPropertyElement))
+        {
+            if(customPropertyElement.TryGetProperty(propertyName.Pascalize(), out var canStartWorkflowElement))
+                return canStartWorkflowElement.GetBoolean();
+        }
+        
+        return element.TryGetProperty(propertyName.Camelize(), out var property) && property.GetBoolean();
+    }
 }
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