diff --git a/pylsp/__main__.py b/pylsp/__main__.py
index 61bd015b..08b5e452 100644
--- a/pylsp/__main__.py
+++ b/pylsp/__main__.py
@@ -2,16 +2,12 @@
 # Copyright 2021- Python Language Server Contributors.
 
 import argparse
+import json
 import logging
 import logging.config
 import sys
 import time
 
-try:
-    import ujson as json
-except Exception:
-    import json
-
 from ._version import __version__
 from .python_lsp import (
     PythonLSPServer,
diff --git a/pylsp/plugins/pylint_lint.py b/pylsp/plugins/pylint_lint.py
index beffe6f3..ababff3b 100644
--- a/pylsp/plugins/pylint_lint.py
+++ b/pylsp/plugins/pylint_lint.py
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@
 from pylsp import hookimpl, lsp
 
 try:
-    import ujson as json
-except Exception:
+    import orjson as json
+except ImportError:
     import json
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
diff --git a/pylsp/python_lsp.py b/pylsp/python_lsp.py
index 528ffdb4..47d765e6 100644
--- a/pylsp/python_lsp.py
+++ b/pylsp/python_lsp.py
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
 from typing import Any, Dict, List
 
 try:
-    import ujson as json
-except Exception:
+    import orjson as json
+except ImportError:
     import json
 
 from pylsp_jsonrpc.dispatchers import MethodDispatcher
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f68cc2ed..53629727 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "jedi>=0.17.2,<0.20.0",
     "pluggy>=1.0.0",
     "python-lsp-jsonrpc>=1.1.0,<2.0.0",
-    "ujson>=3.0.0",
+    "orjson>=3.10.0",
 ]
 dynamic = ["version"]