diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/sorters/runsorter.py b/src/spikeinterface/sorters/runsorter.py
index da8b48085c..7591c9eb2c 100644
--- a/src/spikeinterface/sorters/runsorter.py
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/sorters/runsorter.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
 import json
+import pickle
 import platform
 from warnings import warn
 from typing import Optional, Union
@@ -414,9 +415,15 @@ def run_sorter_container(
 
     # create 3 files for communication with container
     # recording dict inside
-    (parent_folder / "in_container_recording.json").write_text(
-        json.dumps(check_json(rec_dict), indent=4), encoding="utf8"
-    )
+    if recording.check_serializability("json"):
+        (parent_folder / "in_container_recording.json").write_text(
+            json.dumps(check_json(rec_dict), indent=4), encoding="utf8"
+        )
+    elif recording.check_serializability("pickle"):
+        (parent_folder / "in_container_recording.pickle").write_bytes(pickle.dumps(rec_dict))
+    else:
+        raise RuntimeError("To use run_sorter with container the recording must be serializable")
+
     # need to share specific parameters
     (parent_folder / "in_container_params.json").write_text(
         json.dumps(check_json(sorter_params), indent=4), encoding="utf8"
@@ -433,13 +440,19 @@ def run_sorter_container(
     # the py script
     py_script = f"""
 import json
+from pathlib import Path
 from spikeinterface import load_extractor
 from spikeinterface.sorters import run_sorter_local
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     # this __name__ protection help in some case with multiprocessing (for instance HS2)
     # load recording in container
-    recording = load_extractor('{parent_folder_unix}/in_container_recording.json')
+    json_rec = Path('{parent_folder_unix}/in_container_recording.json')
+    pickle_rec = Path('{parent_folder_unix}/in_container_recording.pickle')
+    if json_rec.exists():
+        recording = load_extractor(json_rec)
+    else:
+        recording = load_extractor(pickle_rec)
 
     # load params in container
     with open('{parent_folder_unix}/in_container_params.json', encoding='utf8', mode='r') as f:
@@ -593,7 +606,10 @@ def run_sorter_container(
 
     # clean useless files
     if delete_container_files:
-        os.remove(parent_folder / "in_container_recording.json")
+        if (parent_folder / "in_container_recording.json").exists():
+            os.remove(parent_folder / "in_container_recording.json")
+        if (parent_folder / "in_container_recording.pickle").exists():
+            os.remove(parent_folder / "in_container_recording.pickle")
         os.remove(parent_folder / "in_container_params.json")
         os.remove(parent_folder / "in_container_sorter_script.py")
         if mode == "singularity":