diff --git a/src/common.rs b/src/common.rs
index ca992cc..8bf767f 100644
--- a/src/common.rs
+++ b/src/common.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
-use serde::Deserialize;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
 
 /// `permissions` for a workflow, job, or step.
 #[derive(Deserialize, Debug, PartialEq)]
@@ -116,48 +116,37 @@ pub type BoE = LoE<bool>;
 
 /// A "scalar or vector" type, for places in GitHub Actions where a
 /// key can have either a scalar value or an array of values.
+///
+/// This only appears internally, as an intermediate type for `scalar_or_vector`.
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
 #[serde(untagged)]
-pub enum SoV<T> {
+pub(crate) enum SoV<T> {
     One(T),
     Many(Vec<T>),
 }
 
-impl<T> Default for SoV<T> {
-    fn default() -> Self {
-        SoV::Many(Default::default())
+impl<T> Into<Vec<T>> for SoV<T> {
+    fn into(self) -> Vec<T> {
+        match self {
+            Self::One(v) => vec![v],
+            Self::Many(vs) => vs,
+        }
     }
 }
 
-impl<T> SoV<T> {
-    pub fn one(v: T) -> Self {
-        SoV::One(v)
-    }
-
-    pub fn many(vs: Vec<T>) -> Self {
-        SoV::Many(vs)
-    }
-}
-
-impl<'a, T> IntoIterator for &'a SoV<T> {
-    type Item = &'a T;
-    type IntoIter = std::slice::Iter<'a, T>;
-
-    fn into_iter(self) -> Self::IntoIter {
-        let slice = match self {
-            SoV::One(v) => std::slice::from_ref(v),
-            SoV::Many(vs) => vs.as_slice(),
-        };
-
-        slice.iter()
-    }
+pub(crate) fn scalar_or_vector<'de, D, T>(de: D) -> Result<Vec<T>, D::Error>
+where
+    D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    T: Deserialize<'de>,
+{
+    SoV::deserialize(de).map(Into::into)
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use crate::common::{BasePermission, ExplicitPermissions};
 
-    use super::{Permissions, SoV};
+    use super::Permissions;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_permissions() {
@@ -172,17 +161,4 @@ mod tests {
             Ok(_)
         ));
     }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn test_sov_intoiterator() {
-        let sov_one = SoV::one("test".to_string());
-        assert_eq!(sov_one.into_iter().collect::<Vec<_>>(), vec!["test"]);
-
-        let sov_many = SoV::many(vec!["test-1".to_string(), "test-2".to_string()]);
-        assert!(matches!(sov_many, SoV::Many(_)));
-        assert_eq!(
-            sov_many.into_iter().collect::<Vec<_>>(),
-            vec!["test-1", "test-2"]
-        );
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/dependabot/v2.rs b/src/dependabot/v2.rs
index 9a3b3a3..d643f5a 100644
--- a/src/dependabot/v2.rs
+++ b/src/dependabot/v2.rs
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
 
 use serde::Deserialize;
 
-use crate::common::SoV;
-
 /// A `dependabot.yml` configuration file.
 #[derive(Deserialize, Debug)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case")]
@@ -123,7 +121,8 @@ pub struct Update {
     // TODO: pull-request-branch-name
     #[serde(default)]
     pub rebase_strategy: RebaseStrategy,
-    pub registries: Option<SoV<String>>,
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "crate::common::scalar_or_vector")]
+    pub registries: Vec<String>,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub reviewers: HashSet<String>,
     pub schedule: Schedule,
diff --git a/src/workflow/job.rs b/src/workflow/job.rs
index e8b0bc7..4537157 100644
--- a/src/workflow/job.rs
+++ b/src/workflow/job.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use serde_yaml::Value;
 
-use crate::common::{BoE, Env, LoE, Permissions, SoV};
+use crate::common::{BoE, Env, LoE, Permissions};
 
 use super::{Concurrency, Defaults};
 
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ pub struct NormalJob {
     pub name: Option<String>,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub permissions: Permissions,
-    #[serde(default)]
-    pub needs: SoV<String>,
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "crate::common::scalar_or_vector")]
+    pub needs: Vec<String>,
     pub r#if: Option<String>,
     pub runs_on: RunsOn,
     pub environment: Option<DeploymentEnvironment>,
@@ -41,9 +41,15 @@ pub struct NormalJob {
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case", untagged)]
 pub enum RunsOn {
-    Target(SoV<String>),
-    Group { group: String },
-    Label { label: SoV<String> },
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "crate::common::scalar_or_vector")]
+    Target(Vec<String>),
+    Group {
+        group: String,
+    },
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "crate::common::scalar_or_vector")]
+    Label {
+        label: Vec<String>,
+    },
 }
 
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
@@ -130,8 +136,8 @@ pub struct ReusableWorkflowCallJob {
     pub name: Option<String>,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub permissions: Permissions,
-    #[serde(default)]
-    pub needs: SoV<String>,
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "crate::common::scalar_or_vector")]
+    pub needs: Vec<String>,
     pub r#if: Option<String>,
     pub uses: String,
     #[serde(default)]
diff --git a/tests/test_workflow.rs b/tests/test_workflow.rs
index 5a2e2ad..edcebf6 100644
--- a/tests/test_workflow.rs
+++ b/tests/test_workflow.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 use std::{env, path::Path};
 
-use github_actions_models::{
-    common::SoV,
-    workflow::{
-        event::OptionalBody,
-        job::{RunsOn, StepBody},
-        Job, Trigger, Workflow,
-    },
+use github_actions_models::workflow::{
+    event::OptionalBody,
+    job::{RunsOn, StepBody},
+    Job, Trigger, Workflow,
 };
 
 fn load_workflow(name: &str) -> Workflow {
@@ -44,7 +41,7 @@ fn test_pip_audit_ci() {
     assert_eq!(test_job.name, None);
     assert_eq!(
         test_job.runs_on,
-        RunsOn::Target(SoV::one("ubuntu-latest".to_string()))
+        RunsOn::Target(vec!["ubuntu-latest".to_string()])
     );
     assert_eq!(test_job.steps.len(), 3);