diff --git a/backend/app/core/validators/config/pii_remover_safety_validator_config.py b/backend/app/core/validators/config/pii_remover_safety_validator_config.py
index fbc7e7a..27a8c6a 100644
--- a/backend/app/core/validators/config/pii_remover_safety_validator_config.py
+++ b/backend/app/core/validators/config/pii_remover_safety_validator_config.py
@@ -1,21 +1,20 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 from typing import List, Literal
 
-from pydantic import ConfigDict
-
 from app.core.enum import PIIEntityType
 from app.core.validators.pii_remover import DEFAULT_ENTITY_TYPES, PIIRemover
 from app.core.validators.config.base_validator_config import BaseValidatorConfig
 
 
 class PIIRemoverSafetyValidatorConfig(BaseValidatorConfig):
-    model_config = ConfigDict(use_enum_values=True)
-
+    # use_enum_values would also stringify the inherited on_fail/stage enums.
     type: Literal["pii_remover"]
     entity_types: List[PIIEntityType] = DEFAULT_ENTITY_TYPES
 
     def build(self):
         return PIIRemover(
-            entity_types=self.entity_types,
+            entity_types=[
+                PIIEntityType(entity_type).value for entity_type in self.entity_types
+            ],
             on_fail=self.resolve_on_fail(),
         )
diff --git a/backend/app/tests/validators/test_pii_remover.py b/backend/app/tests/validators/test_pii_remover.py
index 4dd83a9..58f8413 100644
--- a/backend/app/tests/validators/test_pii_remover.py
+++ b/backend/app/tests/validators/test_pii_remover.py
@@ -90,6 +90,15 @@ def test_config_default_entity_types_passed_as_strings(mock_presidio):
     assert v.entity_types == DEFAULT_ENTITY_TYPES
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("on_fail", ["fix", "exception", "rephrase"])
+def test_config_explicit_on_fail_resolves(mock_presidio, on_fail):
+    config = PIIRemoverSafetyValidatorConfig(type="pii_remover", on_fail=on_fail)
+    assert config.resolve_on_fail() is not None
+    validator = config.build()
+    assert validator.entity_types == DEFAULT_ENTITY_TYPES
+    assert all(type(entity) is str for entity in validator.entity_types)
+
+
 def test_config_rejects_unknown_entity_type():
     with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
         PIIRemoverSafetyValidatorConfig(type="pii_remover", entity_types=["AADHAR"])