diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/default_resolve.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/default_resolve.js
index 5471ee629a..ef1e1a54fe 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/default_resolve.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/default_resolve.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const preserveSymlinksMain = getOptionValue('--preserve-symlinks-main');
 const { ERR_INVALID_PACKAGE_CONFIG,
         ERR_TYPE_MISMATCH,
         ERR_UNKNOWN_FILE_EXTENSION } = require('internal/errors').codes;
+const experimentalJsonModules = getOptionValue('--experimental-json-modules');
 const { resolve: moduleWrapResolve } = internalBinding('module_wrap');
 const { pathToFileURL, fileURLToPath, URL } = require('internal/url');
 const asyncESM = require('internal/process/esm_loader');
@@ -34,6 +35,16 @@ const legacyExtensionFormatMap = {
   '.node': 'commonjs'
 };
 
+if (experimentalJsonModules) {
+  // This is a total hack
+  Object.assign(extensionFormatMap, {
+    '.json': 'json'
+  });
+  Object.assign(legacyExtensionFormatMap, {
+    '.json': 'json'
+  });
+}
+
 function readPackageConfig(path, parentURL) {
   const existing = pjsonCache.get(path);
   if (existing !== undefined)
diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js
index 7b903b1816..5755e4f837 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 const { NativeModule } = require('internal/bootstrap/loaders');
 const { ModuleWrap, callbackMap } = internalBinding('module_wrap');
 const {
-  stripShebang
+  stripShebang,
+  stripBOM
 } = require('internal/modules/cjs/helpers');
 const CJSModule = require('internal/modules/cjs/loader');
 const internalURLModule = require('internal/url');
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ const fs = require('fs');
 const {
   SafeMap,
 } = primordials;
-const { URL } = require('url');
+const { fileURLToPath, URL } = require('url');
 const { debuglog, promisify } = require('util');
 const esmLoader = require('internal/process/esm_loader');
 const {
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ const {
 } = require('internal/errors').codes;
 const readFileAsync = promisify(fs.readFile);
 const StringReplace = Function.call.bind(String.prototype.replace);
+const JsonParse = JSON.parse;
 
 const debug = debuglog('esm');
 
@@ -99,3 +101,35 @@ translators.set('builtin', async function builtinStrategy(url) {
       reflect.exports.default.set(module.exports);
     });
 });
+
+// Strategy for loading a JSON file
+translators.set('json', async function jsonStrategy(url) {
+  debug(`Translating JSONModule ${url}`);
+  debug(`Loading JSONModule ${url}`);
+  const pathname = fileURLToPath(url);
+  const modulePath = isWindows ?
+    StringReplace(pathname, winSepRegEx, '\\') : pathname;
+  let module = CJSModule._cache[modulePath];
+  if (module && module.loaded) {
+    const exports = module.exports;
+    return createDynamicModule(['default'], url, (reflect) => {
+      reflect.exports.default.set(exports);
+    });
+  }
+  const content = await readFileAsync(pathname, 'utf-8');
+  try {
+    const exports = JsonParse(stripBOM(content));
+    module = {
+      exports,
+      loaded: true
+    };
+  } catch (err) {
+    err.message = pathname + ': ' + err.message;
+    throw err;
+  }
+  CJSModule._cache[modulePath] = module;
+  return createDynamicModule(['default'], url, (reflect) => {
+    debug(`Parsing JSONModule ${url}`);
+    reflect.exports.default.set(module.exports);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/node_options.cc b/src/node_options.cc
index e966b024fe..0f7471b29c 100644
--- a/src/node_options.cc
+++ b/src/node_options.cc
@@ -214,6 +214,10 @@ DebugOptionsParser::DebugOptionsParser() {
 }
 
 EnvironmentOptionsParser::EnvironmentOptionsParser() {
+  AddOption("--experimental-json-modules",
+            "experimental JSON interop support for the ES Module loader",
+            &EnvironmentOptions::experimental_json_modules,
+            kAllowedInEnvironment);
   AddOption("--experimental-modules",
             "experimental ES Module support and caching modules",
             &EnvironmentOptions::experimental_modules,
diff --git a/src/node_options.h b/src/node_options.h
index f0973679c6..d0db989813 100644
--- a/src/node_options.h
+++ b/src/node_options.h
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ class DebugOptions : public Options {
 class EnvironmentOptions : public Options {
  public:
   bool abort_on_uncaught_exception = false;
+  bool experimental_json_modules = false;
   bool experimental_modules = false;
   std::string es_module_specifier_resolution = "explicit";
   std::string module_type;
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-json-cache.mjs b/test/es-module/test-esm-json-cache.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ecd27c5488
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-json-cache.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Flags: --experimental-modules --experimental-json-modules
+/* eslint-disable node-core/required-modules */
+import '../common/index.mjs';
+
+import { strictEqual, deepStrictEqual } from 'assert';
+
+import { createRequireFromPath as createRequire } from 'module';
+import { fileURLToPath as fromURL } from 'url';
+
+import mod from '../fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/mod.cjs';
+import another from '../fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/another.cjs';
+import test from '../fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/test.json';
+
+const require = createRequire(fromURL(import.meta.url));
+
+const modCjs = require('../fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/mod.cjs');
+const anotherCjs = require('../fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/another.cjs');
+const testCjs = require('../fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/test.json');
+
+strictEqual(mod.one, 1);
+strictEqual(another.one, 'zalgo');
+strictEqual(test.one, 'it comes');
+
+deepStrictEqual(mod, modCjs);
+deepStrictEqual(another, anotherCjs);
+deepStrictEqual(test, testCjs);
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-json.mjs b/test/es-module/test-esm-json.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b140d031ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-json.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// Flags: --experimental-modules --experimental-json-modules
+/* eslint-disable node-core/required-modules */
+
+import '../common/index.mjs';
+import { strictEqual } from 'assert';
+
+import secret from '../fixtures/experimental.json';
+
+strictEqual(secret.ofLife, 42);
diff --git a/test/fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/another.cjs b/test/fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/another.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8c8e9f1c0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/another.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+const test = require('./test.json');
+
+module.exports = {
+  ...test
+};
+
+test.one = 'it comes';
diff --git a/test/fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/mod.cjs b/test/fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/mod.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..047cfb24a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/mod.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+const test = require('./test.json');
+
+module.exports = {
+  ...test
+};
+
+test.one = 'zalgo';
diff --git a/test/fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/test.json b/test/fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..120cbb2840
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/es-modules/json-cache/test.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "one": 1,
+  "two": 2,
+  "three": 3
+}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/experimental.json b/test/fixtures/experimental.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..12611d2385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/experimental.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "ofLife": 42
+}