diff --git a/ext/json/json.c b/ext/json/json.c
index 782375e3717cc..751f491b44fdf 100644
--- a/ext/json/json.c
+++ b/ext/json/json.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ static PHP_MINIT_FUNCTION(json)
 	REGISTER_LONG_CONSTANT("JSON_HEX_APOS", PHP_JSON_HEX_APOS, CONST_CS | CONST_PERSISTENT);
 	REGISTER_LONG_CONSTANT("JSON_HEX_QUOT", PHP_JSON_HEX_QUOT, CONST_CS | CONST_PERSISTENT);
 	REGISTER_LONG_CONSTANT("JSON_FORCE_OBJECT", PHP_JSON_FORCE_OBJECT, CONST_CS | CONST_PERSISTENT);
+	REGISTER_LONG_CONSTANT("JSON_FORCE_EMPTY_OBJECT", PHP_JSON_FORCE_EMPTY_OBJECT, CONST_CS | CONST_PERSISTENT);
 	REGISTER_LONG_CONSTANT("JSON_NUMERIC_CHECK", PHP_JSON_NUMERIC_CHECK, CONST_CS | CONST_PERSISTENT);
 	REGISTER_LONG_CONSTANT("JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES", PHP_JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES, CONST_CS | CONST_PERSISTENT);
 	REGISTER_LONG_CONSTANT("JSON_PRETTY_PRINT", PHP_JSON_PRETTY_PRINT, CONST_CS | CONST_PERSISTENT);
@@ -247,6 +248,12 @@ static void json_encode_array(smart_str *buf, zval **val, int options TSRMLS_DC)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	i = myht ? zend_hash_num_elements(myht) : 0;
+
+	if (i == 0 && (options & PHP_JSON_FORCE_EMPTY_OBJECT)) {
+		r = PHP_JSON_OUTPUT_OBJECT;
+	}
+
 	if (r == PHP_JSON_OUTPUT_ARRAY) {
 		smart_str_appendc(buf, '[');
 	} else {
@@ -256,8 +263,6 @@ static void json_encode_array(smart_str *buf, zval **val, int options TSRMLS_DC)
 	json_pretty_print_char(buf, options, '\n' TSRMLS_CC);
 	++JSON_G(encoder_depth);
 
-	i = myht ? zend_hash_num_elements(myht) : 0;
-
 	if (i > 0)
 	{
 		char *key;
diff --git a/ext/json/php_json.h b/ext/json/php_json.h
index ec707ce3465a9..34c9cf4cb4840 100644
--- a/ext/json/php_json.h
+++ b/ext/json/php_json.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ extern zend_class_entry *php_json_serializable_ce;
 #define PHP_JSON_PRETTY_PRINT	(1<<7)
 #define PHP_JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE	(1<<8)
 #define PHP_JSON_PARTIAL_OUTPUT_ON_ERROR (1<<9)
+#define PHP_JSON_FORCE_EMPTY_OBJECT (1<<10)
 
 /* Internal flags */
 #define PHP_JSON_OUTPUT_ARRAY	0
diff --git a/ext/json/tests/json_encode_empty_object.phpt b/ext/json/tests/json_encode_empty_object.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..dfd00b2503095
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/json/tests/json_encode_empty_object.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+--TEST--
+json_encode() with JSON_FORCE_EMPTY_OBJECT
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php if (!extension_loaded("json")) print "skip"; ?>
+--FILE--
+<?php
+var_dump(json_encode(array(), JSON_FORCE_EMPTY_OBJECT));
+var_dump(json_encode(array(1,2,3), JSON_FORCE_EMPTY_OBJECT));
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+string(2) "{}"
+string(7) "[1,2,3]"