diff --git a/src/json.c b/src/json.c
index 5e1439f881..c6c5a1a9b1 100644
--- a/src/json.c
+++ b/src/json.c
@@ -337,8 +337,14 @@ enum json_object_type {
   json_object_plist
 };
 
+enum json_array_type {
+  json_array_array,
+  json_array_list
+};
+
 struct json_configuration {
   enum json_object_type object_type;
+  enum json_array_type array_type;
   Lisp_Object null_object;
   Lisp_Object false_object;
 };
@@ -521,7 +527,7 @@ static void
 json_parse_args (ptrdiff_t nargs,
                  Lisp_Object *args,
                  struct json_configuration *conf,
-                 bool configure_object_type)
+                 bool configure_types)
 {
   if ((nargs % 2) != 0)
     wrong_type_argument (Qplistp, Flist (nargs, args));
@@ -531,7 +537,7 @@ json_parse_args (ptrdiff_t nargs,
   for (ptrdiff_t i = nargs; i > 0; i -= 2) {
     Lisp_Object key = args[i - 2];
     Lisp_Object value = args[i - 1];
-    if (configure_object_type && EQ (key, QCobject_type))
+    if (configure_types && EQ (key, QCobject_type))
       {
         if (EQ (value, Qhash_table))
           conf->object_type = json_object_hashtable;
@@ -542,12 +548,22 @@ json_parse_args (ptrdiff_t nargs,
         else
           wrong_choice (list3 (Qhash_table, Qalist, Qplist), value);
       }
+    else if (configure_types && EQ (key, QCarray_type))
+      {
+        if (EQ (value, Qarray))
+          conf->array_type = json_array_array;
+        else if (EQ (value, Qlist))
+          conf->array_type = json_array_list;
+        else
+          wrong_choice (list2 (Qarray, Qlist), value);
+      }
     else if (EQ (key, QCnull_object))
       conf->null_object = value;
     else if (EQ (key, QCfalse_object))
       conf->false_object = value;
-    else if (configure_object_type)
-      wrong_choice (list3 (QCobject_type,
+    else if (configure_types)
+      wrong_choice (list4 (QCobject_type,
+                           QCarray_type,
                            QCnull_object,
                            QCfalse_object),
                     value);
@@ -604,7 +620,8 @@ usage: (json-serialize OBJECT &rest ARGS)  */)
     }
 #endif
 
-  struct json_configuration conf = {json_object_hashtable, QCnull, QCfalse};
+  struct json_configuration conf =
+    {json_object_hashtable, json_array_array, QCnull, QCfalse};
   json_parse_args (nargs - 1, args + 1, &conf, false);
 
   json_t *json = lisp_to_json_toplevel (args[0], &conf);
@@ -701,7 +718,8 @@ usage: (json-insert OBJECT &rest ARGS)  */)
     }
 #endif
 
-  struct json_configuration conf = {json_object_hashtable, QCnull, QCfalse};
+  struct json_configuration conf =
+    {json_object_hashtable, json_array_array, QCnull, QCfalse};
   json_parse_args (nargs - 1, args + 1, &conf, false);
 
   json_t *json = lisp_to_json (args[0], &conf);
@@ -817,10 +835,30 @@ json_to_lisp (json_t *json, struct json_configuration *conf)
         size_t size = json_array_size (json);
         if (PTRDIFF_MAX < size)
           overflow_error ();
-        Lisp_Object result = make_vector (size, Qunbound);
-        for (ptrdiff_t i = 0; i < size; ++i)
-          ASET (result, i,
-                json_to_lisp (json_array_get (json, i), conf));
+        Lisp_Object result;
+        switch (conf->array_type)
+          {
+          case json_array_array:
+            {
+              result = make_vector (size, Qunbound);
+              for (ptrdiff_t i = 0; i < size; ++i)
+                ASET (result, i,
+                      json_to_lisp (json_array_get (json, i), conf));
+              break;
+            }
+          case json_array_list:
+            {
+              result = Qnil;
+              for (ptrdiff_t i = 0; i < size; ++i)
+                result = Fcons (json_to_lisp (json_array_get (json, i), conf),
+                                result);
+              result = Fnreverse (result);
+              break;
+            }
+          default:
+            /* Can't get here.  */
+            emacs_abort ();
+          }
         --lisp_eval_depth;
         return result;
       }
@@ -946,7 +984,8 @@ usage: (json-parse-string STRING &rest ARGS) */)
   Lisp_Object string = args[0];
   Lisp_Object encoded = json_encode (string);
   check_string_without_embedded_nuls (encoded);
-  struct json_configuration conf = {json_object_hashtable, QCnull, QCfalse};
+  struct json_configuration conf =
+    {json_object_hashtable, json_array_array, QCnull, QCfalse};
   json_parse_args (nargs - 1, args + 1, &conf, true);
 
   json_error_t error;
@@ -1016,7 +1055,8 @@ usage: (json-parse-buffer &rest args) */)
     }
 #endif
 
-  struct json_configuration conf = {json_object_hashtable, QCnull, QCfalse};
+  struct json_configuration conf =
+    {json_object_hashtable, json_array_array, QCnull, QCfalse};
   json_parse_args (nargs, args, &conf, true);
 
   ptrdiff_t point = PT_BYTE;
@@ -1095,10 +1135,12 @@ syms_of_json (void)
   Fput (Qjson_parse_string, Qside_effect_free, Qt);
 
   DEFSYM (QCobject_type, ":object-type");
+  DEFSYM (QCarray_type, ":array-type");
   DEFSYM (QCnull_object, ":null-object");
   DEFSYM (QCfalse_object, ":false-object");
   DEFSYM (Qalist, "alist");
   DEFSYM (Qplist, "plist");
+  DEFSYM (Qarray, "array");
 
   defsubr (&Sjson_serialize);
   defsubr (&Sjson_insert);
diff --git a/test/src/json-tests.el b/test/src/json-tests.el
index 04f91f4abb..542eec11bf 100644
--- a/test/src/json-tests.el
+++ b/test/src/json-tests.el
@@ -117,6 +117,14 @@ 'json-tests--error
     (should (equal (json-parse-string input :object-type 'plist)
                    '(:abc [9 :false] :def :null)))))
 
+(ert-deftest json-parse-string/array ()
+  (skip-unless (fboundp 'json-parse-string))
+  (let ((input "[\"a\", 1, [\"b\", 2]]"))
+    (should (equal (json-parse-string input)
+                   ["a" 1 ["b" 2]]))
+    (should (equal (json-parse-string input :array-type 'list)
+                   '("a" 1 ("b" 2))))))
+
 (ert-deftest json-parse-string/string ()
   (skip-unless (fboundp 'json-parse-string))
   (should-error (json-parse-string "[\"formfeed\f\"]") :type 'json-parse-error)