diff --git a/src/emqx_json.erl b/src/emqx_json.erl
index 563909e2c..c81c9b06b 100644
--- a/src/emqx_json.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_json.erl
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ safe_decode(Json, Opts) ->
           , from_ejson/1
           ]}).
 
+to_ejson([[{_,_}]|_] = L) ->
+    [to_ejson(E) || E <- L];
 to_ejson([{_, _}|_] = L) ->
     lists:foldl(
       fun({Name, Value}, Acc) ->
@@ -110,6 +112,8 @@ to_ejson([{_, _}|_] = L) ->
       end, #{}, L);
 to_ejson(T) -> T.
 
+from_ejson([{_}|_] = L) ->
+    [from_ejson(E) || E <- L];
 from_ejson({L}) ->
     [{Name, from_ejson(Value)} || {Name, Value} <- L];
 from_ejson(T) -> T.
diff --git a/test/emqx_json_SUITE.erl b/test/emqx_json_SUITE.erl
index d0adf0650..434180cb9 100644
--- a/test/emqx_json_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqx_json_SUITE.erl
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ t_decode_encode(_) ->
     [{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}] = decode(encode({[{foo, bar}]})),
     [{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}] = decode(encode({[{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}]})),
     [{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}] = decode(encode([{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}])),
+    [[{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}]] = decode(encode([[{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}]])),
     #{<<"foo">> := <<"bar">>} = decode(encode(#{<<"foo">> => <<"bar">>}), [return_maps]),
     JsonText = <<"{\"bool\":true,\"int\":10,\"foo\":\"bar\"}">>,
     JsonMaps = #{<<"bool">> => true,