Fixes serialization issues with the ini files. Still has an unhealthy dependency on odict() and cannot recurse its method. Macro.jinja has additional methods that should also be pruned once

php/ng/files/php.ini

-{%- macro php_block(section, settings) %}
-
-    {%- if settings is number or settings is string %}
+{%- macro php_block(config) %}
+    {% for sections in config %}
+        {%- for section, settings in sections.items() -%}
+            {%- if settings is number or settings is string %}
 {{ section }} = {{ settings }}
-    {%- else %}
+            {%- else %}
 [{{ section }}]
-        {%- for setting, value in settings.items() -%}
-            {%- if value is number or value is string %}
-    {{ setting }} = {{ value }}
-            {%- elif value is iterable -%}
-                {%- if setting == 'error_reporting' %}
-    {{ setting }} = {{ value|join(" & ") }}
-                {%- else %}
-    {{ setting }} = {{ value|join(",") }}
-                {%- endif -%}
-            {%- endif %}
+                {%- for setting in settings -%}
+                    {%- for key, value in setting.items() %}
+                        {%- if value is number or value is string %}
+    {{ key }} = {{ value }}
+                        {%- elif value is iterable -%}
+                            {%- if key == 'error_reporting' %}
+    {{ key }} = {{ value|join(" & ") }}
+                            {%- else %}
+    {{ key }} = {{ value|join(",") }}
+                            {%- endif -%}
+                        {%- endif -%}
+                    {%- endfor -%}
+                {%- endfor -%}
+            {%- endif -%}
         {%- endfor -%}
-    {%- endif -%}
+    {% endfor %}
 {%- endmacro -%}
 
 ; PHP configuration file.
 ; **** DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE ****
 ;
 ; This file is managed by Salt
-{%- for section, settings in config.items() -%}
-{{ php_block(section, settings) }}
-{%- endfor -%}
+{{ php_block(config) }}

php/ng/fpm/config.sls

 # Manages the php-fpm main ini file
-{% from 'php/ng/map.jinja' import php, sls_block with context %}
+{% from 'php/ng/map.jinja' import php with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/macro.jinja" import sls_block, serialize %}
 
 {% set ini_settings = php.ini.defaults %}
 {% do ini_settings.update(php.fpm.config.ini.settings) %}
     - source: salt://php/ng/files/php.ini
     - template: jinja
     - context:
-      config: {{ ini_settings }}
+        config: {{ serialize(ini_settings) }}
 
 php_fpm_conf_config:
   file.managed:
     - source: salt://php/ng/files/php.ini
     - template: jinja
     - context:
-      config: {{ conf_settings }}
+        config: {{ serialize(conf_settings) }}

php/ng/fpm/pools.sls

 # Manages the php-fpm pools config files
-{% from 'php/ng/map.jinja' import php, sls_block with context %}
-{% from 'php/ng/fpm/pools_config.sls' import pool_states with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/map.jinja" import php with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/macro.jinja" import sls_block %}
+{% from "php/ng/fpm/pools_config.sls" import pool_states with context %}
 
 {% macro file_requisites(states) %}
       {%- for state in states %}

php/ng/fpm/pools_config.sls

 # Manages the php-fpm pools config files
-{% from 'php/ng/map.jinja' import php, sls_block with context %}
+{% from 'php/ng/map.jinja' import php with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/macro.jinja" import sls_block, serialize %}
 
 # Simple path concatenation.
 {% macro path_join(file, root) -%}
     - source: salt://php/ng/files/php.ini
     - template: jinja
     - context:
-      config: {{ config.settings }}
+        config: {{ serialize(config.settings) }}
 {% else %}
   file.absent:
     - name: {{ fpath }}

php/ng/fpm/service.sls

 # Manages the php-fpm service.
-{% from 'php/ng/map.jinja' import php, sls_block with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/map.jinja" import php with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/macro.jinja" import sls_block %}
+
 {% set service_function = {True:'running', False:'dead'}.get(php.fpm.service.enabled) %}
 
 include:

php/ng/ini.sls

 # php.ng.ini.sls
 #
 # Generic php.ini management state.
-{% from "php/ng/map.jinja" import php, sls_block with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/map.jinja" import php with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/macro.jinja" import sls_block, serialize %}
 
 php_ini:
   file.managed:
     - source: salt://php/ng/files/php.ini
     - template: jinja
     - context:
-      config: {{ php.ini.settings }}
+      config: {{ serialize(php.ini.settings) }}

php/ng/installed.jinja

 # Template for installing packages.
-{% from "php/ng/map.jinja" import php, sls_block with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/map.jinja" import php with context %}
+{% from "php/ng/macro.jinja" import sls_block %}
+
 {% set opts = php.installed.get(state, {}) %}
 
 php_install_{{ state }}:

php/ng/macro.jinja

+# Returns a generic block of values suitable for inclusion in most states.
+{% macro sls_block(dict, ind=4) %}
+    {% for key, value in dict.items() %}
+{{ '-'|indent(ind, True) }} {{ key }}: {{ value|json() }}
+    {% endfor %}
+{% endmacro %}
+
+# Serializes dicts into sequenced data
+{%- macro serialize(data) -%}
+    {%- if data is mapping -%}
+        {%- set ret = [] -%}
+        {%- for key, value in data.items() -%}
+            {%- set value = serialize(value)|load_json() -%}
+            {%- do ret.append({key: value}) -%}
+        {%- endfor -%}
+    {%- elif data is iterable and data is not string -%}
+        {%- set ret = [] -%}
+        {%- for value in data -%}
+            {%- set value = serialize(value)|load_json() -%}
+            {%- do ret.append(value) -%}
+        {%- endfor -%}
+    {%- else -%}
+        {% set ret = data %}
+    {%- endif -%}
+
+    {{ ret|json() }}
+{%- endmacro -%}
+
+{%- macro deserialize(data) -%}
+    {%- if data is mapping -%}
+        {%- set ret = odict([]) -%}
+        {%- for key, value in data.items() -%}
+            {%- do ret.update({key: deserialize(value)}) -%}
+        {%- endfor -%}
+    {%- elif data is iterable and data is not string -%}
+        {%- if is_list_skd(data)|int() == 1 -%}
+            {%- set ret = odict([]) -%}
+            {%- for item in data -%}
+                {%- for key, value in item.items() -%}
+                    {% do ret.update({key: deserialize(value)}) %}
+                {%- endfor -%}
+            {%- endfor -%}
+        {%- else -%}
+            {%- set ret = [] -%}
+            {%- for item in data -%}
+                {%- do ret.append(deserialize(item)) -%}
+            {%- endfor -%}
+        {%- endif -%}
+    {%- else -%}
+        {% set ret = data %}
+    {%- endif -%}
+
+    {{ ret }}
+{%- endmacro -%}
+
+# and is not number and is mapping and item|length() == 1
+{%- macro is_list_skd(list) -%}
+    {% set ret = 0 %}
+    {%- set skds = {'counter': 0} -%}
+    {%- for item in list if item is mapping and item|length() == 1 -%}
+        {%- do skds.update({'counter': (skds.counter + 1)}) -%}
+    {%- endfor -%}
+    {%- if skds.counter == list|length() -%}
+        {% set ret = 1 %}
+    {%- endif -%}
+
+    {{ ret }}
+{%- endmacro -%}

php/ng/map.jinja

-{% macro sls_block(dict) %}
-    {% for key, value in dict.items() %}
-    - {{ key }}: {{ value|json() }}
-    {% endfor %}
-{% endmacro %}
-
 {% set php = salt['pillar.get']('php:ng', {
     'lookup': salt['grains.filter_by']({
         'Debian': {