diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_dataframe/custom_value.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_dataframe/custom_value.rs
index 8276e6fe3e..e657756a5b 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_dataframe/custom_value.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_dataframe/custom_value.rs
@@ -33,10 +33,6 @@ impl CustomValue for NuDataFrame {
         Ok(Value::List { vals, span })
     }
 
-    fn to_json(&self) -> nu_json::Value {
-        nu_json::Value::Null
-    }
-
     fn as_any(&self) -> &dyn std::any::Any {
         self
     }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_expression/custom_value.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_expression/custom_value.rs
index 528b861303..665a4e15f0 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_expression/custom_value.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_expression/custom_value.rs
@@ -34,10 +34,6 @@ impl CustomValue for NuExpression {
         Ok(self.to_value(span))
     }
 
-    fn to_json(&self) -> nu_json::Value {
-        nu_json::Value::Null
-    }
-
     fn as_any(&self) -> &dyn std::any::Any {
         self
     }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_lazyframe/custom_value.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_lazyframe/custom_value.rs
index c33dcd06b2..5a64534701 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_lazyframe/custom_value.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_lazyframe/custom_value.rs
@@ -47,10 +47,6 @@ impl CustomValue for NuLazyFrame {
         Ok(Value::Record { cols, vals, span })
     }
 
-    fn to_json(&self) -> nu_json::Value {
-        nu_json::Value::Null
-    }
-
     fn as_any(&self) -> &dyn std::any::Any {
         self
     }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_lazygroupby/custom_value.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_lazygroupby/custom_value.rs
index 9123cb8ee4..3a52d872dc 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_lazygroupby/custom_value.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_lazygroupby/custom_value.rs
@@ -38,10 +38,6 @@ impl CustomValue for NuLazyGroupBy {
         Ok(Value::Record { cols, vals, span })
     }
 
-    fn to_json(&self) -> nu_json::Value {
-        nu_json::Value::Null
-    }
-
     fn as_any(&self) -> &dyn std::any::Any {
         self
     }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_when/custom_value.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_when/custom_value.rs
index 81980a12e0..02238b3292 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_when/custom_value.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_when/custom_value.rs
@@ -34,10 +34,6 @@ impl CustomValue for NuWhen {
         Ok(value)
     }
 
-    fn to_json(&self) -> nu_json::Value {
-        nu_json::Value::Null
-    }
-
     fn as_any(&self) -> &dyn std::any::Any {
         self
     }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/json.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/json.rs
index 72cbb8519e..ffe15f256b 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/json.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/json.rs
@@ -142,7 +142,10 @@ pub fn value_to_json_value(v: &Value) -> Result<nu_json::Value, ShellError> {
             let collected = val.collect()?;
             value_to_json_value(&collected)?
         }
-        Value::CustomValue { val, .. } => val.to_json(),
+        Value::CustomValue { val, span } => {
+            let collected = val.to_base_value(*span)?;
+            value_to_json_value(&collected)?
+        }
     })
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/custom_value.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/custom_value.rs
index 531a9c7cf7..0822853f28 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/custom_value.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/custom_value.rs
@@ -17,11 +17,6 @@ pub trait CustomValue: fmt::Debug + Send + Sync {
     // That already exist in nushell
     fn to_base_value(&self, span: Span) -> Result<Value, ShellError>;
 
-    // Json representation of custom value
-    fn to_json(&self) -> nu_json::Value {
-        nu_json::Value::Null
-    }
-
     // Any representation used to downcast object to its original type
     fn as_any(&self) -> &dyn std::any::Any;