diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 9a53310..6a5445e 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 // See LICENSE in the project root for license information.
 
 buildscript {
-  ext.avroVersion = '1.8.1'
+  ext.avroVersion = '1.9.2'
   ext.awsVersion = '2.10.15'
   ext.findBugsVersion = '3.0.0'
-  ext.gobblinVersion = '0.17.0-dev-174'
+  ext.gobblinVersion = '0.17.0-dev-303'
   ext.hadoopVersion = '2.3.0'
   ext.hiveVersion = '1.0.1'
   ext.javaVersion = JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
diff --git a/cdi-core/build.gradle b/cdi-core/build.gradle
index d30df46..bb66053 100644
--- a/cdi-core/build.gradle
+++ b/cdi-core/build.gradle
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ jacocoTestReport {
 apply from: "$rootDir/gradle/java-publishing.gradle"
 
 dependencies {
+  compile externalDependency.'avro'
   compile externalDependency.'gson'
   compile externalDependency.'gobblin-core'
   compile externalDependency.'gobblin-core-base'
diff --git a/cdi-core/src/main/java/com/linkedin/cdi/util/AvroSchemaUtils.java b/cdi-core/src/main/java/com/linkedin/cdi/util/AvroSchemaUtils.java
index 33e7d80..ad9ef7b 100644
--- a/cdi-core/src/main/java/com/linkedin/cdi/util/AvroSchemaUtils.java
+++ b/cdi-core/src/main/java/com/linkedin/cdi/util/AvroSchemaUtils.java
@@ -52,9 +52,13 @@ static List<String> getSchemaFieldNames(Schema schema) {
    * @return copy of schema field
    */
   static Schema.Field deepCopySchemaField(Schema.Field field) {
-      Schema.Field f = new Schema.Field(field.name(), field.schema(), field.doc(), field.defaultVal(), field.order());
-      field.getProps().forEach(f::addProp);
-      return f;
+    Schema.Field f = new Schema.Field(field.name(), field.schema(), field.doc(), field.defaultVal(), field.order());
+    field.getObjectProps().forEach(
+        (propName, propValue) -> {
+          if (propValue instanceof String) f.addProp(propName, (String) propValue);
+        }
+    );
+    return f;
   }
 
   /**