diff --git a/include/asterisk/json.h b/include/asterisk/json.h
index d287bd6123..d8cf98ece1 100644
--- a/include/asterisk/json.h
+++ b/include/asterisk/json.h
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@
 
 /*!@{*/
 
+/*!
+ * \brief Initialize the JSON library.
+ */
+void ast_json_init(void);
+
 /*!
  * \brief Set custom allocators instead of the standard ast_malloc() and ast_free().
  * \since 12.0.0
diff --git a/main/asterisk.c b/main/asterisk.c
index 3a0e87c412..d7eb8d9534 100644
--- a/main/asterisk.c
+++ b/main/asterisk.c
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ int daemon(int, int);  /* defined in libresolv of all places */
 #include "asterisk/uuid.h"
 #include "asterisk/sorcery.h"
 #include "asterisk/stasis.h"
+#include "asterisk/json.h"
 
 #include "../defaults.h"
 
@@ -4070,6 +4071,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			ast_el_read_history(filename);
 	}
 
+	ast_json_init();
 	ast_ulaw_init();
 	ast_alaw_init();
 	tdd_init();
diff --git a/main/json.c b/main/json.c
index f1ebaef60c..b91707a8a6 100644
--- a/main/json.c
+++ b/main/json.c
@@ -502,19 +502,8 @@ struct ast_json *ast_json_deep_copy(const struct ast_json *value)
 	return (struct ast_json *)json_deep_copy((json_t *)value);
 }
 
-static int unload_module(void)
-{
-	/* Nothing to do */
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int load_module(void)
+void ast_json_init(void)
 {
 	/* Setup to use Asterisk custom allocators */
 	ast_json_reset_alloc_funcs();
-	return AST_MODULE_LOAD_SUCCESS;
 }
-
-AST_MODULE_INFO(ASTERISK_GPL_KEY, AST_MODFLAG_GLOBAL_SYMBOLS, "JSON library",
-		.load = load_module,
-		.unload = unload_module);