diff --git a/docs/guide/README.md b/docs/guide/README.md
index a802d3024e..5d29cfc00c 100644
--- a/docs/guide/README.md
+++ b/docs/guide/README.md
@@ -201,5 +201,6 @@ Helpers
 * [Helpers Overview](helper-overview.md)
 * [ArrayHelper](helper-array.md)
 * [Html](helper-html.md)
+* [Json](helper-json.md)
 * [Url](helper-url.md)
 
diff --git a/docs/guide/helper-json.md b/docs/guide/helper-json.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c8aed96f12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/guide/helper-json.md
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+Json Helper
+==========
+
+Json helper provides a set of static methods for encoding and decoding JSON.
+It handles encoding errors and the `[[yii\helpers\Json::encode()]]` method will not encode a JavaScript expression that is represented in 
+terms of a `[[yii\web\JsExpression]]` object.
+By default, ecoding is done with the `JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE` options.
+Please see [PHP:json_encode](https://secure.php.net/manual/en/function.json-encode.php) for more information.
+
+## Pretty Print <span id="pretty-print"></span>
+
+By default the `[[yii\helpers\Json::encode()]]` method will output unformatted JSON (e.g. without whitespaces).
+To make it more readable for humans you can turn on "pretty printing".
+
+> Note: Pretty Print can useful for debugging during development but is not recommended in a production environment. 
+
+To enable pretty print in a single instance you can specify it as an option. E.g.
+
+```php
+$data = ['a' => 1, 'b' => 2];
+$json = yii\helpers\Json::encode($data, JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE | JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);
+```
+You can also enable pretty printing of the JSON helper globally. For example in your config for or index.php: 
+```php
+yii\helpers\Json::$prettyPrint = YII_DEBUG; // use "pretty" output in debug mode
+```
diff --git a/docs/guide/helper-overview.md b/docs/guide/helper-overview.md
index f6f85c357a..087b7657f5 100644
--- a/docs/guide/helper-overview.md
+++ b/docs/guide/helper-overview.md
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ The following core helper classes are provided in the Yii releases:
 - HtmlPurifier
 - Imagine (provided by yii2-imagine extension)
 - Inflector
-- Json
+- [Json](helper-json.md)
 - Markdown
 - StringHelper
 - [Url](helper-url.md)
diff --git a/framework/CHANGELOG.md b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
index 0c4c5cf6f0..fbe1ff7587 100644
--- a/framework/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Yii Framework 2 Change Log
 - Enh #18676: Added method `yii\helpers\BaseFileHelper::changeOwnership()` and properties `newFileMode`/`newFileOwnership` in `yii\console\controllers\BaseMigrateController` (rhertogh)
 - Bug #18678: Fix `yii\caching\DbCache` to use configured cache table name instead of the default one in case of MSSQL varbinary column type detection (aidanbek)
 - Enh #18695: Added `yii\web\Cookie::SAME_SITE_NONE` constant (rhertogh)
+- Enh #18726: Added `yii\helpers\Json::$prettyPrint` (rhertogh)
 
 
 2.0.42.1 May 06, 2021
diff --git a/framework/helpers/BaseJson.php b/framework/helpers/BaseJson.php
index 0e3663e4a2..2637653e84 100644
--- a/framework/helpers/BaseJson.php
+++ b/framework/helpers/BaseJson.php
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ use yii\base\Model;
  */
 class BaseJson
 {
+    /**
+     * @var bool|null Enables human readable output a.k.a. Pretty Print.
+     * This can useful for debugging during development but is not recommended in a production environment!
+     * In case `prettyPrint` is `null` (default) the `options` passed to `encode` functions will not be changed.
+     * @since 2.0.43
+     */
+    public static $prettyPrint = null;
     /**
      * List of JSON Error messages assigned to constant names for better handling of version differences.
      * @var array
@@ -62,6 +69,13 @@ class BaseJson
         set_error_handler(function () {
             static::handleJsonError(JSON_ERROR_SYNTAX);
         }, E_WARNING);
+
+        if (static::$prettyPrint === true) {
+            $options |= JSON_PRETTY_PRINT;
+        } elseif (static::$prettyPrint === false) {
+            $options &= ~JSON_PRETTY_PRINT;
+        }
+
         $json = json_encode($value, $options);
         restore_error_handler();
         static::handleJsonError(json_last_error());
diff --git a/tests/framework/helpers/JsonTest.php b/tests/framework/helpers/JsonTest.php
index 785b093ea3..9695af91c0 100644
--- a/tests/framework/helpers/JsonTest.php
+++ b/tests/framework/helpers/JsonTest.php
@@ -230,6 +230,37 @@ class JsonTest extends TestCase
         $output = Json::encode($input);
         $this->assertEquals('{"date":"2014-10-12 00:00:00.000000","timezone_type":3,"timezone":"UTC"}', $output);
     }
+
+    public function testPrettyPrint()
+    {
+        $defaultValue = Json::$prettyPrint;
+        $input = ['a' => 1, 'b' => 2];
+        $defOutput = '{"a":1,"b":2}';
+        $ppOutput = "{\n    \"a\": 1,\n    \"b\": 2\n}";
+
+        // Test unchanged options
+        Json::$prettyPrint = null;
+        $output = Json::encode($input, 320);
+        $this->assertEquals($defOutput, $output);
+        $output = Json::encode($input, 448);
+        $this->assertEquals($ppOutput, $output);
+
+        // Test pretty print enabled
+        Json::$prettyPrint = true;
+        $output = Json::encode($input, 320);
+        $this->assertEquals($ppOutput, $output);
+        $output = Json::encode($input, 448);
+        $this->assertEquals($ppOutput, $output);
+
+        // Test pretty print disabled
+        Json::$prettyPrint = false;
+        $output = Json::encode($input, 320);
+        $this->assertEquals($defOutput, $output);
+        $output = Json::encode($input, 448);
+        $this->assertEquals($defOutput, $output);
+
+        Json::$prettyPrint = $defaultValue;
+    }
 }
 
 class JsonModel extends DynamicModel implements \JsonSerializable