diff --git a/deno/lib/__tests__/json.test.ts b/deno/lib/__tests__/json.test.ts
index e75673f49b..9682f3384b 100644
--- a/deno/lib/__tests__/json.test.ts
+++ b/deno/lib/__tests__/json.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@ import * as z from "../index.ts";
 // @ts-ignore TS2304
 const isDeno = typeof Deno === "object";
 
+test("overload types", () => {
+  const schema = z.string().json();
+  z.util.assertEqual<typeof schema, z.ZodString>(true);
+  const schema2 = z.string().json(z.number());
+  z.util.assertEqual<
+    typeof schema2,
+    z.ZodPipeline<z.ZodEffects<z.ZodString, any, string>, z.ZodNumber>
+  >(true);
+  const r2 = schema2.parse("12");
+  z.util.assertEqual<number, typeof r2>(true);
+});
 test("parse string to json", async () => {
   const Env = z.object({
     myJsonConfig: z.string().json(z.object({ foo: z.number() })),
@@ -62,9 +73,7 @@ test("parse string to json", async () => {
         {
           code: "invalid_string",
           validation: "json",
-          message: isDeno
-            ? `Unexpected token 'T', "This is no"... is not valid JSON`
-            : "Unexpected token T in JSON at position 0",
+          message: "Invalid json",
           path: ["myJsonConfig"],
         },
         {
@@ -78,3 +87,16 @@ test("parse string to json", async () => {
     },
   });
 });
+
+test("no argument", () => {
+  const schema = z.string().json();
+  z.util.assertEqual<typeof schema, z.ZodString>(true);
+  z.string().json().parse(`{}`);
+  z.string().json().parse(`null`);
+  z.string().json().parse(`12`);
+  z.string().json().parse(`{ "test": "test"}`);
+  expect(() => z.string().json().parse(`asdf`)).toThrow();
+  expect(() => z.string().json().parse(`{ "test": undefined }`)).toThrow();
+  expect(() => z.string().json().parse(`{ "test": 12n }`)).toThrow();
+  expect(() => z.string().json().parse(`{ test: "test" }`)).toThrow();
+});
diff --git a/deno/lib/types.ts b/deno/lib/types.ts
index 7dd7c4b84b..8b356fd8dd 100644
--- a/deno/lib/types.ts
+++ b/deno/lib/types.ts
@@ -537,7 +537,8 @@ export type ZodStringCheck =
       precision: number | null;
       message?: string;
     }
-  | { kind: "ip"; version?: IpVersion; message?: string };
+  | { kind: "ip"; version?: IpVersion; message?: string }
+  | { kind: "json"; message?: string };
 
 export interface ZodStringDef extends ZodTypeDef {
   checks: ZodStringCheck[];
@@ -845,6 +846,18 @@ export class ZodString extends ZodType<string, ZodStringDef> {
           });
           status.dirty();
         }
+      } else if (check.kind === "json") {
+        try {
+          JSON.parse(input.data);
+        } catch (err) {
+          ctx = this._getOrReturnCtx(input, ctx);
+          addIssueToContext(ctx, {
+            code: ZodIssueCode.invalid_string,
+            validation: "json",
+            message: check.message,
+          });
+          status.dirty();
+        }
       } else {
         util.assertNever(check);
       }
@@ -957,19 +970,27 @@ export class ZodString extends ZodType<string, ZodStringDef> {
     });
   }
 
-  json<T extends ZodTypeAny>(shape: T) {
-    return this.transform((val, ctx) => {
+  json(message?: errorUtil.ErrMessage): this;
+  json<T extends ZodTypeAny>(
+    pipeTo: T
+  ): ZodPipeline<ZodEffects<this, any, input<this>>, T>;
+  json(input?: errorUtil.ErrMessage | ZodTypeAny) {
+    if (!(input instanceof ZodType)) {
+      return this._addCheck({ kind: "json", ...errorUtil.errToObj(input) });
+    }
+    const schema = this.transform((val, ctx) => {
       try {
         return JSON.parse(val);
       } catch (error: unknown) {
         ctx.addIssue({
           code: ZodIssueCode.invalid_string,
           validation: "json",
-          message: (error as Error).message,
+          // message: (error as Error).message,
         });
         return NEVER;
       }
-    }).pipe(shape);
+    });
+    return input ? schema.pipe(input) : schema;
   }
 
   min(minLength: number, message?: errorUtil.ErrMessage) {
diff --git a/playground.ts b/playground.ts
index aa2c57f27d..394760b630 100644
--- a/playground.ts
+++ b/playground.ts
@@ -1,32 +1,5 @@
 import { z } from "./src";
-import * as mod from "node:module";
 z;
 
-// @ts-ignore
-// const arg = await import("./index");
-// arg;
-// require.resolve(arg);
-
-load: {
-}
-interface A<T> {
-  name: T;
-  children: any;
-  render(): ReadableStream | string;
-}
-function Hyper<T>(arg: T) {
-  return function () {} as any as {
-    prototype: A<T>;
-    new (): A<T>;
-  };
-}
-
-export default class extends Hyper({ name: 1234 }) {
-  render() {
-    // this.name.name;
-    return `asdf ${this.children} asdf`;
-  }
-}
-
-const a = new Arg();
-a.name;
+const r = z.string().json().safeParse("asf");
+console.log(JSON.stringify(r, null, 2));
diff --git a/src/__tests__/json.test.ts b/src/__tests__/json.test.ts
index fb14252c2a..067c25f8b4 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/json.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/json.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,17 @@ import * as z from "../index";
 // @ts-ignore TS2304
 const isDeno = typeof Deno === "object";
 
+test("overload types", () => {
+  const schema = z.string().json();
+  z.util.assertEqual<typeof schema, z.ZodString>(true);
+  const schema2 = z.string().json(z.number());
+  z.util.assertEqual<
+    typeof schema2,
+    z.ZodPipeline<z.ZodEffects<z.ZodString, any, string>, z.ZodNumber>
+  >(true);
+  const r2 = schema2.parse("12");
+  z.util.assertEqual<number, typeof r2>(true);
+});
 test("parse string to json", async () => {
   const Env = z.object({
     myJsonConfig: z.string().json(z.object({ foo: z.number() })),
@@ -61,9 +72,7 @@ test("parse string to json", async () => {
         {
           code: "invalid_string",
           validation: "json",
-          message: isDeno
-            ? `Unexpected token 'T', "This is no"... is not valid JSON`
-            : "Unexpected token T in JSON at position 0",
+          message: "Invalid json",
           path: ["myJsonConfig"],
         },
         {
@@ -77,3 +86,16 @@ test("parse string to json", async () => {
     },
   });
 });
+
+test("no argument", () => {
+  const schema = z.string().json();
+  z.util.assertEqual<typeof schema, z.ZodString>(true);
+  z.string().json().parse(`{}`);
+  z.string().json().parse(`null`);
+  z.string().json().parse(`12`);
+  z.string().json().parse(`{ "test": "test"}`);
+  expect(() => z.string().json().parse(`asdf`)).toThrow();
+  expect(() => z.string().json().parse(`{ "test": undefined }`)).toThrow();
+  expect(() => z.string().json().parse(`{ "test": 12n }`)).toThrow();
+  expect(() => z.string().json().parse(`{ test: "test" }`)).toThrow();
+});
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 3c457432d3..0ea302bf48 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -537,7 +537,8 @@ export type ZodStringCheck =
       precision: number | null;
       message?: string;
     }
-  | { kind: "ip"; version?: IpVersion; message?: string };
+  | { kind: "ip"; version?: IpVersion; message?: string }
+  | { kind: "json"; message?: string };
 
 export interface ZodStringDef extends ZodTypeDef {
   checks: ZodStringCheck[];
@@ -845,6 +846,18 @@ export class ZodString extends ZodType<string, ZodStringDef> {
           });
           status.dirty();
         }
+      } else if (check.kind === "json") {
+        try {
+          JSON.parse(input.data);
+        } catch (err) {
+          ctx = this._getOrReturnCtx(input, ctx);
+          addIssueToContext(ctx, {
+            code: ZodIssueCode.invalid_string,
+            validation: "json",
+            message: check.message,
+          });
+          status.dirty();
+        }
       } else {
         util.assertNever(check);
       }
@@ -957,19 +970,27 @@ export class ZodString extends ZodType<string, ZodStringDef> {
     });
   }
 
-  json<T extends ZodTypeAny>(shape: T) {
-    return this.transform((val, ctx) => {
+  json(message?: errorUtil.ErrMessage): this;
+  json<T extends ZodTypeAny>(
+    pipeTo: T
+  ): ZodPipeline<ZodEffects<this, any, input<this>>, T>;
+  json(input?: errorUtil.ErrMessage | ZodTypeAny) {
+    if (!(input instanceof ZodType)) {
+      return this._addCheck({ kind: "json", ...errorUtil.errToObj(input) });
+    }
+    const schema = this.transform((val, ctx) => {
       try {
         return JSON.parse(val);
       } catch (error: unknown) {
         ctx.addIssue({
           code: ZodIssueCode.invalid_string,
           validation: "json",
-          message: (error as Error).message,
+          // message: (error as Error).message,
         });
         return NEVER;
       }
-    }).pipe(shape);
+    });
+    return input ? schema.pipe(input) : schema;
   }
 
   min(minLength: number, message?: errorUtil.ErrMessage) {