diff --git a/docs/TheBook/src/main/markdown/config-billing.md b/docs/TheBook/src/main/markdown/config-billing.md
index 1d41274462c..e1f6c17ab8b 100644
--- a/docs/TheBook/src/main/markdown/config-billing.md
+++ b/docs/TheBook/src/main/markdown/config-billing.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ If you installed dCache following the instructions in the Chapter [Installing dC
 ```
 
 Use the property `billing.text.dir` to set the location of the log files and the property `billing.enable.text` to control whether the plain-text log files are generated.
+To write the logs in JSON format instead of plain text, use the property `billing.format.json=true`.
 
 By default the log files are located in the directory
 `/var/lib/dcache/billing`. Under this directory the log files are
diff --git a/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/billing/cells/BillingCell.java b/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/billing/cells/BillingCell.java
index 7795123922a..27ff4183fd1 100644
--- a/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/billing/cells/BillingCell.java
+++ b/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/billing/cells/BillingCell.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import javax.annotation.PostConstruct;
 import org.dcache.cells.CellStub;
+import org.dcache.notification.BillingMessageSerializerVisitor;
 import org.dcache.services.billing.text.StringTemplateInfoMessageVisitor;
 import org.dcache.util.Args;
 import org.dcache.util.Slf4jSTErrorListener;
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ public final class BillingCell
 
     private static final Logger LOGGER =
           LoggerFactory.getLogger(BillingCell.class);
-    public static final String FORMAT_PREFIX = "billing.text.format.";
+    public static final String TEXT_FORMAT_PREFIX = "billing.text.format.";
 
     private final SimpleDateFormat _fileNameFormat =
           new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy.MM.dd");
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ public final class BillingCell
     private CellStub _poolManagerStub;
     private Path _logsDir;
     private boolean _enableText;
+    private boolean _jsonFormat;
     private boolean _flatTextDir;
 
     public BillingCell() {
@@ -102,10 +104,10 @@ public void setEnvironment(final Map<String, Object> environment) {
         };
         for (Map.Entry<String, Object> e : environment.entrySet()) {
             String key = e.getKey();
-            if (key.startsWith(FORMAT_PREFIX)) {
+            if (key.startsWith(TEXT_FORMAT_PREFIX)) {
                 String format = Formats.replaceKeywords(String.valueOf(e.getValue()), replaceable);
                 String clazz = CaseFormat.LOWER_HYPHEN.to(CaseFormat.UPPER_CAMEL,
-                      key.substring(FORMAT_PREFIX.length()));
+                      key.substring(TEXT_FORMAT_PREFIX.length()));
                 _formats.put(clazz, format);
             }
         }
@@ -195,6 +197,11 @@ public void messageArrived(Object msg) {
     }
 
     private String getFormattedMessage(InfoMessage msg) {
+        if (_jsonFormat) {
+            BillingMessageSerializerVisitor visitor = new BillingMessageSerializerVisitor();
+            msg.accept(visitor);
+            return new String(visitor.getData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+        }
         String format = _formats.get(msg.getClass().getSimpleName());
         if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(format)) {
             try {
@@ -352,6 +359,9 @@ private void log(Path path, String output) {
     }
 
     private String getFormatHeaders() {
+        if (_jsonFormat) {
+            return "";
+        }
         return _formats.entrySet().stream()
               .map(e -> "## " + CaseFormat.UPPER_CAMEL.to(CaseFormat.LOWER_HYPHEN, e.getKey()) + ' '
                     + e.getValue() + '\n')
@@ -450,4 +460,8 @@ public void setEnableTxt(boolean enableText) {
         _enableText = enableText;
     }
 
+    public void setJsonFormat(boolean jsonFormat) {
+        _jsonFormat = jsonFormat;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/modules/dcache/src/main/resources/org/dcache/services/billing/cells/billing.xml b/modules/dcache/src/main/resources/org/dcache/services/billing/cells/billing.xml
index bb380b0460c..856686ab660 100644
--- a/modules/dcache/src/main/resources/org/dcache/services/billing/cells/billing.xml
+++ b/modules/dcache/src/main/resources/org/dcache/services/billing/cells/billing.xml
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
     class="org.dcache.services.billing.cells.BillingCell">
     <property name="logsDir" value="${billing.text.dir}"/>
     <property name="enableTxt" value="${billing.enable.text}"/>
+    <property name="jsonFormat" value="${billing.format.json}"/>
     <property name="flatTextDir" value="${billing.text.flat-dir}"/>
     <property name="poolManagerStub" ref="poolmanager-stub"/>
   </bean>
diff --git a/modules/dcache/src/test/java/org/dcache/services/billing/text/BillingJsonTest.java b/modules/dcache/src/test/java/org/dcache/services/billing/text/BillingJsonTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b196034f5d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/dcache/src/test/java/org/dcache/services/billing/text/BillingJsonTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package org.dcache.services.billing.text;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+import diskCacheV111.util.PnfsId;
+import diskCacheV111.vehicles.DoorRequestInfoMessage;
+import diskCacheV111.vehicles.GenericStorageInfo;
+import diskCacheV111.vehicles.MoverInfoMessage;
+import diskCacheV111.vehicles.PoolHitInfoMessage;
+import diskCacheV111.vehicles.RemoveFileInfoMessage;
+import diskCacheV111.vehicles.StorageInfoMessage;
+import diskCacheV111.vehicles.WarningPnfsFileInfoMessage;
+import dmg.cells.nucleus.CellAddressCore;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import javax.security.auth.Subject;
+import org.dcache.mock.ProtocolInfoBuilder;
+import org.dcache.notification.BillingMessageSerializerVisitor;
+import org.json.JSONException;
+import org.json.JSONObject;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+
+public class BillingJsonTest {
+
+    private static final CellAddressCore cellAdressCore = new CellAddressCore(
+          "bccs_uib_no_023@nas023_bccs_uib_no_1Domain");
+    private static final PnfsId pnfsid = new PnfsId("0000B706DD4045F346F2B90F882B706DA807");
+    private static final BillingMessageSerializerVisitor visitor = new BillingMessageSerializerVisitor();
+    GenericStorageInfo si = new GenericStorageInfo();
+
+    @Before
+    public void setup() {
+        si.setHsm("osm");
+        si.setStorageClass("atlas:default");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testDoorRequestInfoMessageValidJson() {
+        DoorRequestInfoMessage msg = new DoorRequestInfoMessage(cellAdressCore);
+        msg.setSubject(new Subject());
+
+        msg.accept(visitor);
+
+        assertTrue(isValidJson(new String(visitor.getData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testMoverInfoMessageValidJson() {
+        MoverInfoMessage msg = new MoverInfoMessage(cellAdressCore, pnfsid);
+        msg.setFileCreated(true);
+        msg.setFileSize(687926);
+        msg.setTransaction("remove");
+        msg.setSubject(new Subject());
+        msg.setStorageInfo(si);
+        msg.setTransferAttributes(256437, 2784,
+              ProtocolInfoBuilder.aProtocolInfo().withProtocol("GFtp")
+                    .withIPAddress("109.105.124.147").build());
+
+        msg.accept(visitor);
+
+        assertTrue(isValidJson(new String(visitor.getData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testPoolHitInfoMessageValidJson() {
+        PoolHitInfoMessage msg = new PoolHitInfoMessage(cellAdressCore, pnfsid);
+
+        msg.accept(visitor);
+
+        assertTrue(isValidJson(new String(visitor.getData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testRemoveFileInfoMessageValidJson() {
+        RemoveFileInfoMessage msg = new RemoveFileInfoMessage(cellAdressCore, pnfsid);
+        msg.setSubject(new Subject());
+
+        msg.setStorageInfo(si);
+
+        msg.accept(visitor);
+
+        assertTrue(isValidJson(new String(visitor.getData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testStorageInfoMessageValidJson() {
+        StorageInfoMessage msg = new StorageInfoMessage(cellAdressCore, pnfsid, true);
+        msg.setStorageInfo(si);
+
+        msg.accept(visitor);
+
+        assertTrue(isValidJson(new String(visitor.getData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testWarningPnfsFileInfoMessageValidJson() {
+        WarningPnfsFileInfoMessage msg = new WarningPnfsFileInfoMessage("TODO", cellAdressCore,
+              pnfsid, 0, "TODO");
+
+        msg.accept(visitor);
+
+        assertTrue(isValidJson(new String(visitor.getData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)));
+    }
+
+    private boolean isValidJson(String string) {
+        try {
+            new JSONObject(string);
+            return true;
+        } catch (JSONException e) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/skel/share/defaults/billing.properties b/skel/share/defaults/billing.properties
index a62d7e23569..9d860a74d40 100644
--- a/skel/share/defaults/billing.properties
+++ b/skel/share/defaults/billing.properties
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ billing.cell.subscribe=${dcache.topic.billing}
 #
 (one-of?true|false)billing.enable.text = true
 
+#  ---- Use JSON format
+#
+#   Changes the plain text output to JSON format if set to 'true'.
+#
+(one-of?true|false)billing.format.json = false
+
 #  ---- Directory for billing logs
 #
 #   The directory within which the billing logs are to be written.