diff --git a/xarray/backends/zarr.py b/xarray/backends/zarr.py
index fe004c212b6..b26d8b6b8ac 100644
--- a/xarray/backends/zarr.py
+++ b/xarray/backends/zarr.py
@@ -1130,6 +1130,20 @@ def _create_new_array(
                 if c in encoding:
                     encoding["config"][c] = encoding.pop(c)
 
+        else:
+            from zarr.util import normalize_dtype
+
+            _, object_codec = normalize_dtype(dtype, None)
+
+            if object_codec is not None:
+                existing_filters = encoding.get("filters")
+                if (
+                    existing_filters is not None
+                    and len(existing_filters) == 1
+                    and existing_filters[0] == object_codec
+                ):
+                    del encoding["filters"]
+
         zarr_array = self.zarr_group.create(
             name,
             shape=shape,
diff --git a/xarray/tests/test_backends.py b/xarray/tests/test_backends.py
index 996644e5c16..811154e2451 100644
--- a/xarray/tests/test_backends.py
+++ b/xarray/tests/test_backends.py
@@ -3795,6 +3795,17 @@ def test_zarr_fill_value_setting(self, dtype):
             # ``raise_on_invalid=vn in check_encoding_set`` line in zarr.py
             # ds.foo.encoding["fill_value"] = fv
 
+    def test_object_codec(self) -> None:
+        data = xr.DataArray(
+            data=np.zeros((2, 2)),
+            dims=["x", "y"],
+            coords=dict(y=np.array(["a", "b"], dtype=object)),
+        )
+        with self.create_zarr_target() as store_target:
+            data.to_zarr(store_target, **self.version_kwargs)
+            data = xr.open_zarr(store_target, **self.version_kwargs)
+            data.to_zarr(store_target, **self.version_kwargs, mode="w")
+
 
 @requires_zarr
 @pytest.mark.skipif(