diff --git a/Yesod/Json.hs b/Yesod/Json.hs
index d35a4710..4f83f4d5 100644
--- a/Yesod/Json.hs
+++ b/Yesod/Json.hs
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeSynonymInstances #-}
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -fno-warn-orphans #-}
 module Yesod.Json
-    ( defaultLayoutJson
+    ( -- ^ Convert from a JSON value
+      defaultLayoutJson
     , jsonToRepJson
+      -- ^ Compatibility wrapper for old API
+    , Json
+    , jsonScalar
+    , jsonList
+    , jsonMap
     ) where
 
 import Yesod.Handler (GHandler)
@@ -14,6 +20,9 @@ import Yesod.Core (defaultLayout, Yesod)
 import Yesod.Widget (GWidget)
 import qualified Data.JSON.Types as J
 import qualified Text.JSON.Enumerator as J
+import Data.Text.Lazy (pack)
+import Control.Arrow (first)
+import Data.Map (fromList)
 
 instance ToContent J.Value where
     toContent = flip ContentBuilder Nothing . J.renderValue
@@ -31,3 +40,14 @@ defaultLayoutJson w json = do
 -- | Wraps the 'Content' generated by 'jsonToContent' in a 'RepJson'.
 jsonToRepJson :: J.Value -> GHandler sub master RepJson
 jsonToRepJson = return . RepJson . toContent
+
+type Json = J.Value
+
+jsonScalar :: String -> Json
+jsonScalar = J.ValueAtom . J.AtomText . pack
+
+jsonList :: [Json] -> Json
+jsonList = J.ValueArray
+
+jsonMap :: [(String, Json)] -> Json
+jsonMap = J.ValueObject . fromList . map (first pack)
diff --git a/yesod-json.cabal b/yesod-json.cabal
index 5c5d15d4..95147a5d 100644
--- a/yesod-json.cabal
+++ b/yesod-json.cabal
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ library
                    , yesod-core                >= 0.7      && < 0.8
                    , json-enumerator           >= 0.0      && < 0.1
                    , json-types                >= 0.1      && < 0.2
+                   , containers                >= 0.2      && < 0.5
+                   , text                      >= 0.8      && < 0.12
     exposed-modules: Yesod.Json
     ghc-options:     -Wall