diff --git a/src/JSON.jl b/src/JSON.jl
index 3cb784d..6b9a26f 100644
--- a/src/JSON.jl
+++ b/src/JSON.jl
@@ -109,6 +109,61 @@ print(io::IO, obj, indent=nothing) = json(io, obj; pretty=something(indent, 0))
 print(a, indent=nothing) = print(stdout, a, indent)
 @doc (@doc json) print
 
+"""
+    JSON.write_json(Vector{UInt8}, x; kw...)::Vector{UInt8}
+    JSON.write_json(io::IO, x; kw...)
+    JSON.write_json(filename::AbstractString, x; kw...)
+
+Serialize `x` to JSON format. This function provides the same functionality as [`JSON.json`](@ref)
+
+The first method returns the JSON output as a `Vector{UInt8}`.
+The second method writes JSON output to an `IO` object.
+The third method writes JSON output to a file specified by `filename` which will
+be created if it does not exist yet or overwritten if it does exist.
+
+This function is provided for backward compatibility when upgrading from 
+older versions of JSON.jl where the `json` function signature differed.
+For new code, prefer using [`JSON.json`](@ref) directly.
+
+See [`JSON.json`](@ref) for detailed documentation of all keyword arguments and more examples.
+
+# Examples
+```julia
+# Write to IO
+io = IOBuffer()
+JSON.write_json(io, Dict("key" => "value"))
+String(take!(io))  # "{\"key\":\"value\"}"
+
+# Write to file
+JSON.write_json("output.json", [1, 2, 3])
+
+# Get as bytes
+bytes = JSON.write_json(Vector{UInt8}, Dict("hello" => "world"))
+String(bytes)  # "{\"hello\":\"world\"}"
+```
+"""
+function write_json end
+
+function write_json(::Type{Vector{UInt8}}, x; pretty::Union{Integer,Bool}=false, kw...)
+    opts = WriteOptions(; pretty=pretty === true ? 2 : Int(pretty), kw...)
+    _write_options_check(opts)
+    y = StructUtils.lower(opts.style, x)
+    buf = Vector{UInt8}(undef, sizeguess(y))
+    pos = json!(buf, 1, y, opts, Any[y], nothing)
+    resize!(buf, pos - 1)
+    return buf
+end
+
+function write_json(io::IO, x; kw...)
+    json(io, x; kw...)
+end
+
+function write_json(filename::AbstractString, x; kw...)
+    open(filename; write=true) do io
+        write_json(io, x; kw...)
+    end
+end
+
 @compile_workload begin
     x = JSON.parse("{\"a\": 1, \"b\": null, \"c\": true, \"d\": false, \"e\": \"\", \"f\": [1,null,true], \"g\": {\"key\": \"value\"}}")
     json = JSON.json(x)
diff --git a/src/write.jl b/src/write.jl
index b81e766..378c6e8 100644
--- a/src/write.jl
+++ b/src/write.jl
@@ -404,11 +404,17 @@ float_precision_check(fs, fp) = (fs == :shortest || fp > 0) || float_precision_t
 @noinline _jsonlines_pretty_throw() = throw(ArgumentError("pretty printing is not supported when writing jsonlines"))
 _jsonlines_pretty_check(jsonlines, pretty) = jsonlines && pretty !== false && !iszero(pretty) && _jsonlines_pretty_throw()
 
-function json(io::IO, x::T; pretty::Union{Integer,Bool}=false, kw...) where {T}
-    opts = WriteOptions(; pretty=pretty === true ? 2 : Int(pretty), kw...)
+# throw an error if opts is not a valid WriteOptions
+function _write_options_check(opts::WriteOptions)
     _jsonlines_pretty_check(opts.jsonlines, opts.pretty)
     float_style_check(opts.float_style)
     float_precision_check(opts.float_style, opts.float_precision)
+    nothing
+end
+
+function json(io::IO, x::T; pretty::Union{Integer,Bool}=false, kw...) where {T}
+    opts = WriteOptions(; pretty=pretty === true ? 2 : Int(pretty), kw...)
+    _write_options_check(opts)
     y = StructUtils.lower(opts.style, x)
     # Use smaller initial buffer size, limited by bufsize
     initial_size = min(sizeguess(y), opts.bufsize)
@@ -429,9 +435,7 @@ end
 
 function json(x; pretty::Union{Integer,Bool}=false, kw...)
     opts = WriteOptions(; pretty=pretty === true ? 2 : Int(pretty), kw...)
-    _jsonlines_pretty_check(opts.jsonlines, opts.pretty)
-    float_style_check(opts.float_style)
-    float_precision_check(opts.float_style, opts.float_precision)
+    _write_options_check(opts)
     y = StructUtils.lower(opts.style, x)
     buf = stringvec(sizeguess(y))
     pos = json!(buf, 1, y, opts, Any[y], nothing)
diff --git a/test/json.jl b/test/json.jl
index 4d33312..8275ca7 100644
--- a/test/json.jl
+++ b/test/json.jl
@@ -217,6 +217,21 @@ end
         # inline_limit tests
         @test JSON.json([1, 2]; pretty=2, inline_limit=3) == "[1,2]"
         @test JSON.json([1, 2, 3]; pretty=2, inline_limit=3) == "[\n  1,\n  2,\n  3\n]"
+        # write_json
+        for (obj, kw, output) in [
+            ([1, 2, 3], (;), b"[1,2,3]"),
+            ([1, 2, 3], (;pretty=true), b"[\n  1,\n  2,\n  3\n]"),
+            (NaN, (;allownan=true), b"NaN"),
+            (NaN, (;allownan=true, nan="different nan string"), b"different nan string"),
+        ]
+            @test JSON.write_json(Vector{UInt8}, obj; kw...) == output
+            io = IOBuffer()
+            @test JSON.write_json(io, obj; kw...) === nothing
+            @test take!(io) == output
+            fname = tempname()
+            @test JSON.write_json(fname, obj; kw...) === nothing
+            @test read(fname) == output
+        end
     end
     # non-Integer/AbstractFloat but <: Real output
     @test_throws MethodError JSON.json(CustomNumber(3.14))