diff --git a/src/JSON.js b/src/JSON.js
index bcb5fabeca00..e6d48c861533 100644
--- a/src/JSON.js
+++ b/src/JSON.js
@@ -1,5 +1,20 @@
 'use strict';
 
+var jsonReplacer = function(key, value) {
+  var val = value;
+  if (/^\$+/.test(key)) {
+    val = undefined;
+  } else if (isWindow(value)) {
+    val = '$WINDOW';
+  } else if (value &&  document === value) {
+    val = '$DOCUMENT';
+  } else if (isScope(value)) {
+    val = '$SCOPE';
+  }
+
+  return val;
+};
+
 /**
  * @ngdoc function
  * @name angular.toJson
@@ -13,9 +28,7 @@
  * @returns {string} Jsonified string representing `obj`.
  */
 function toJson(obj, pretty) {
-  var buf = [];
-  toJsonArray(buf, obj, pretty ? "\n  " : null, []);
-  return buf.join('');
+  return JSON.stringify(obj, jsonReplacer, pretty ? '  ' : null);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -34,133 +47,3 @@ function fromJson(json) {
       ? JSON.parse(json)
       : json;
 }
-
-
-function jsonDateToString(date){
-  if (!date) return date;
-  var isoString = date.toISOString ? date.toISOString() : '';
-  return (isoString.length==24)
-    ? isoString
-    : padNumber(date.getUTCFullYear(), 4) + '-' +
-      padNumber(date.getUTCMonth() + 1, 2) + '-' +
-      padNumber(date.getUTCDate(), 2) + 'T' +
-      padNumber(date.getUTCHours(), 2) + ':' +
-      padNumber(date.getUTCMinutes(), 2) + ':' +
-      padNumber(date.getUTCSeconds(), 2) + '.' +
-      padNumber(date.getUTCMilliseconds(), 3) + 'Z';
-}
-
-function quoteUnicode(string) {
-    var chars = ['"'];
-    for ( var i = 0; i < string.length; i++) {
-      var code = string.charCodeAt(i);
-      var ch = string.charAt(i);
-      switch(ch) {
-        case '"': chars.push('\\"'); break;
-        case '\\': chars.push('\\\\'); break;
-        case '\n': chars.push('\\n'); break;
-        case '\f': chars.push('\\f'); break;
-        case '\r': chars.push(ch = '\\r'); break;
-        case '\t': chars.push(ch = '\\t'); break;
-        default:
-          if (32 <= code && code <= 126) {
-            chars.push(ch);
-          } else {
-            var encode = "000" + code.toString(16);
-            chars.push("\\u" + encode.substring(encode.length - 4));
-          }
-      }
-    }
-    chars.push('"');
-    return chars.join('');
-  }
-
-
-function toJsonArray(buf, obj, pretty, stack) {
-  if (isObject(obj)) {
-    if (obj === window) {
-      buf.push('WINDOW');
-      return;
-    }
-
-    if (obj === document) {
-      buf.push('DOCUMENT');
-      return;
-    }
-
-    if (includes(stack, obj)) {
-      buf.push('RECURSION');
-      return;
-    }
-    stack.push(obj);
-  }
-  if (obj === null) {
-    buf.push('null');
-  } else if (obj instanceof RegExp) {
-    buf.push(quoteUnicode(obj.toString()));
-  } else if (isFunction(obj)) {
-    return;
-  } else if (isBoolean(obj)) {
-    buf.push('' + obj);
-  } else if (isNumber(obj)) {
-    if (isNaN(obj)) {
-      buf.push('null');
-    } else {
-      buf.push('' + obj);
-    }
-  } else if (isString(obj)) {
-    return buf.push(quoteUnicode(obj));
-  } else if (isObject(obj)) {
-    if (isArray(obj)) {
-      buf.push("[");
-      var len = obj.length;
-      var sep = false;
-      for(var i=0; i<len; i++) {
-        var item = obj[i];
-        if (sep) buf.push(",");
-        if (!(item instanceof RegExp) && (isFunction(item) || isUndefined(item))) {
-          buf.push('null');
-        } else {
-          toJsonArray(buf, item, pretty, stack);
-        }
-        sep = true;
-      }
-      buf.push("]");
-    } else if (isElement(obj)) {
-      // TODO(misko): maybe in dev mode have a better error reporting?
-      buf.push('DOM_ELEMENT');
-    } else if (isDate(obj)) {
-      buf.push(quoteUnicode(jsonDateToString(obj)));
-    } else {
-      buf.push("{");
-      if (pretty) buf.push(pretty);
-      var comma = false;
-      var childPretty = pretty ? pretty + "  " : false;
-      var keys = [];
-      for(var k in obj) {
-        if (k!='this' && k!='$parent' && k.substring(0,2) != '$$' && obj.hasOwnProperty(k) && obj[k] !== undefined) {
-          keys.push(k);
-        }
-      }
-      keys.sort();
-      for ( var keyIndex = 0; keyIndex < keys.length; keyIndex++) {
-        var key = keys[keyIndex];
-        var value = obj[key];
-        if (!isFunction(value)) {
-          if (comma) {
-            buf.push(",");
-            if (pretty) buf.push(pretty);
-          }
-          buf.push(quoteUnicode(key));
-          buf.push(":");
-          toJsonArray(buf, value, childPretty, stack);
-          comma = true;
-        }
-      }
-      buf.push("}");
-    }
-  }
-  if (isObject(obj)) {
-    stack.pop();
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/input.js b/src/ng/directive/input.js
index 348c9f251128..7343c3581544 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/input.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/input.js
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ function checkboxInputType(scope, element, attr, ctrl) {
       </doc:source>
       <doc:scenario>
         it('should initialize to model', function() {
-          expect(binding('user')).toEqual('{"last":"visitor","name":"guest"}');
+          expect(binding('user')).toEqual('{"name":"guest","last":"visitor"}');
           expect(binding('myForm.userName.$valid')).toEqual('true');
           expect(binding('myForm.$valid')).toEqual('true');
         });
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ function checkboxInputType(scope, element, attr, ctrl) {
 
         it('should be valid if empty when min length is set', function() {
           input('user.last').enter('');
-          expect(binding('user')).toEqual('{"last":"","name":"guest"}');
+          expect(binding('user')).toEqual('{"name":"guest","last":""}');
           expect(binding('myForm.lastName.$valid')).toEqual('true');
           expect(binding('myForm.$valid')).toEqual('true');
         });
diff --git a/src/ng/filter/filters.js b/src/ng/filter/filters.js
index c792cacefbcf..19f79ad1a1a6 100644
--- a/src/ng/filter/filters.js
+++ b/src/ng/filter/filters.js
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ function dateFilter($locale) {
      </doc:source>
      <doc:scenario>
        it('should jsonify filtered objects', function() {
-         expect(binding("{'name':'value'}")).toBe('{\n  "name":"value"}');
+         expect(binding("{'name':'value'}")).toMatch(/\{\n  "name": ?"value"\n}/);
        });
      </doc:scenario>
    </doc:example>
diff --git a/src/ng/filter/limitTo.js b/src/ng/filter/limitTo.js
index 4928fb9a7d6e..af94b2f4a758 100644
--- a/src/ng/filter/limitTo.js
+++ b/src/ng/filter/limitTo.js
@@ -31,24 +31,24 @@
          }
        </script>
        <div ng-controller="Ctrl">
-         Limit {{numbers}} to: <input type="integer" ng-model="limit"/>
-         <p>Output: {{ numbers | limitTo:limit | json }}</p>
+         Limit {{numbers}} to: <input type="integer" ng-model="limit" ng-model-instant>
+         <p>Output: {{ numbers | limitTo:limit }}</p>
        </div>
      </doc:source>
      <doc:scenario>
        it('should limit the numer array to first three items', function() {
          expect(element('.doc-example-live input[ng-model=limit]').val()).toBe('3');
-         expect(binding('numbers | limitTo:limit | json')).toEqual('[1,2,3]');
+         expect(binding('numbers | limitTo:limit')).toEqual('[1,2,3]');
        });
 
        it('should update the output when -3 is entered', function() {
          input('limit').enter(-3);
-         expect(binding('numbers | limitTo:limit | json')).toEqual('[7,8,9]');
+         expect(binding('numbers | limitTo:limit')).toEqual('[7,8,9]');
        });
 
        it('should not exceed the maximum size of input array', function() {
          input('limit').enter(100);
-         expect(binding('numbers | limitTo:limit | json')).toEqual('[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]');
+         expect(binding('numbers | limitTo:limit')).toEqual('[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]');
        });
      </doc:scenario>
    </doc:example>
diff --git a/test/JsonSpec.js b/test/JsonSpec.js
index e4c2745508d1..5ca3e42eb863 100644
--- a/test/JsonSpec.js
+++ b/test/JsonSpec.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ describe('json', function() {
 
   describe('fromJson', function() {
 
-    it('should delegate to native parser', function() {
+    it('should delegate to JSON.parse', function() {
       var spy = spyOn(JSON, 'parse').andCallThrough();
 
       expect(fromJson('{}')).toEqual({});
@@ -13,125 +13,46 @@ describe('json', function() {
   });
 
 
-  it('should serialize primitives', function() {
-    expect(toJson(0/0)).toEqual('null');
-    expect(toJson(null)).toEqual('null');
-    expect(toJson(true)).toEqual('true');
-    expect(toJson(false)).toEqual('false');
-    expect(toJson(123.45)).toEqual('123.45');
-    expect(toJson('abc')).toEqual('"abc"');
-    expect(toJson('a \t \n \r b \\')).toEqual('"a \\t \\n \\r b \\\\"');
-  });
-
-  it('should not serialize $$properties', function() {
-    expect(toJson({$$some:'value', 'this':1, '$parent':1}, false)).toEqual('{}');
-  });
-
-  it('should not serialize this or $parent', function() {
-    expect(toJson({'this':'value', $parent:'abc'}, false)).toEqual('{}');
-  });
+  describe('toJson', function() {
 
-  it('should serialize strings with escaped characters', function() {
-    expect(toJson("7\\\"7")).toEqual("\"7\\\\\\\"7\"");
-  });
-
-  it('should serialize objects', function() {
-    expect(toJson({a: 1, b: 2})).toEqual('{"a":1,"b":2}');
-    expect(toJson({a: {b: 2}})).toEqual('{"a":{"b":2}}');
-    expect(toJson({a: {b: {c: 0}}})).toEqual('{"a":{"b":{"c":0}}}');
-    expect(toJson({a: {b: 0/0}})).toEqual('{"a":{"b":null}}');
-  });
-
-  it('should format objects pretty', function() {
-    expect(toJson({a: 1, b: 2}, true)).toEqual('{\n  "a":1,\n  "b":2}');
-    expect(toJson({a: {b: 2}}, true)).toEqual('{\n  "a":{\n    "b":2}}');
-  });
+    it('should delegate to JSON.stringify', function() {
+      var spy = spyOn(JSON, 'stringify').andCallThrough();
 
-  it('should serialize array', function() {
-    expect(toJson([])).toEqual('[]');
-    expect(toJson([1, 'b'])).toEqual('[1,"b"]');
-  });
-
-  it('should serialize RegExp', function() {
-    expect(toJson(/foo/)).toEqual('"/foo/"');
-    expect(toJson([1, new RegExp('foo')])).toEqual('[1,"/foo/"]');
-  });
-
-  it('should ignore functions', function() {
-    expect(toJson([function() {},1])).toEqual('[null,1]');
-    expect(toJson({a:function() {}})).toEqual('{}');
-  });
-
-  it('should serialize array with empty items', function() {
-    var a = [];
-    a[1] = 'X';
-    expect(toJson(a)).toEqual('[null,"X"]');
-  });
-
-  it('should escape unicode', function() {
-    expect('\u00a0'.length).toEqual(1);
-    expect(toJson('\u00a0').length).toEqual(8);
-    expect(fromJson(toJson('\u00a0')).length).toEqual(1);
-  });
-
-  it('should serialize UTC dates', function() {
-    var date = new angular.mock.TzDate(-1, '2009-10-09T01:02:03.027Z');
-    expect(toJson(date)).toEqual('"2009-10-09T01:02:03.027Z"');
-  });
-
-  it('should prevent recursion', function() {
-    var obj = {a: 'b'};
-    obj.recursion = obj;
-    expect(angular.toJson(obj)).toEqual('{"a":"b","recursion":RECURSION}');
-  });
+      expect(toJson({})).toEqual('{}');
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
 
-  it('should serialize $ properties', function() {
-    var obj = {$a: 'a'};
-    expect(angular.toJson(obj)).toEqual('{"$a":"a"}');
-  });
 
-  it('should NOT serialize inherited properties', function() {
-    // This is what native Browser does
-    var obj = inherit({p:'p'});
-    obj.a = 'a';
-    expect(angular.toJson(obj)).toEqual('{"a":"a"}');
-  });
+    it('should format objects pretty', function() {
+      expect(toJson({a: 1, b: 2}, true)).
+          toBeOneOf('{\n  "a": 1,\n  "b": 2\n}', '{\n  "a":1,\n  "b":2\n}');
+      expect(toJson({a: {b: 2}}, true)).
+          toBeOneOf('{\n  "a": {\n    "b": 2\n  }\n}', '{\n  "a":{\n    "b":2\n  }\n}');
+    });
 
-  it('should serialize same objects multiple times', function() {
-    var obj = {a:'b'};
-    expect(angular.toJson({A:obj, B:obj})).toEqual('{"A":{"a":"b"},"B":{"a":"b"}}');
-  });
 
-  it('should not serialize undefined values', function() {
-    expect(angular.toJson({A:undefined})).toEqual('{}');
-  });
+    it('should not serialize properties starting with $', function() {
+      expect(toJson({$few: 'v', $$some:'value'}, false)).toEqual('{}');
+    });
 
-  it('should not serialize $window object', function() {
-    expect(toJson(window)).toEqual('WINDOW');
-  });
 
-  it('should not serialize $document object', function() {
-    expect(toJson(document)).toEqual('DOCUMENT');
-  });
+    it('should not serialize undefined values', function() {
+      expect(angular.toJson({A:undefined})).toEqual('{}');
+    });
 
 
-  describe('string', function() {
-    it('should quote', function() {
-      expect(quoteUnicode('a')).toBe('"a"');
-      expect(quoteUnicode('\\')).toBe('"\\\\"');
-      expect(quoteUnicode("'a'")).toBe('"\'a\'"');
-      expect(quoteUnicode('"a"')).toBe('"\\"a\\""');
-      expect(quoteUnicode('\n\f\r\t')).toBe('"\\n\\f\\r\\t"');
+    it('should not serialize $window object', function() {
+      expect(toJson(window)).toEqual('"$WINDOW"');
     });
 
-    it('should quote slashes', function() {
-      expect(quoteUnicode("7\\\"7")).toBe('"7\\\\\\\"7"');
-    });
 
-    it('should quote unicode', function() {
-      expect(quoteUnicode('abc\u00A0def')).toBe('"abc\\u00a0def"');
+    it('should not serialize $document object', function() {
+      expect(toJson(document)).toEqual('"$DOCUMENT"');
     });
 
-  });
 
+    it('should not serialize scope instances', inject(function($rootScope) {
+      expect(toJson({key: $rootScope})).toEqual('{"key":"$SCOPE"}');
+    }));
+  });
 });