diff --git a/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/handlers.go b/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/handlers.go
index 7a74c6b2a7..070baff870 100644
--- a/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/handlers.go
+++ b/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/handlers.go
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ func (v2 *Handlers) TealDryrun(ctx echo.Context) error {
 
 	var dr DryrunRequest
 	var gdr generated.DryrunRequest
-	err := decode(protocol.JSONHandle, data, &gdr)
+	err := decode(protocol.JSONStrictHandle, data, &gdr)
 	if err == nil {
 		dr, err = DryrunRequestFromGenerated(&gdr)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/test/handlers_test.go b/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/test/handlers_test.go
index da98d6549a..b5930e28a0 100644
--- a/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/test/handlers_test.go
+++ b/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/test/handlers_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package test
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
@@ -27,16 +28,20 @@ import (
 	"github.com/labstack/echo/v4"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
+	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/agreement"
+	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/crypto"
 	v2 "github.com/algorand/go-algorand/daemon/algod/api/server/v2"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/generated"
 	generatedV2 "github.com/algorand/go-algorand/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/generated"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/account"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/basics"
+	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/bookkeeping"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/transactions"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/transactions/logic"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/logging"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/node"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/protocol"
+	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/util/execpool"
 )
 
 func setupTestForMethodGet(t *testing.T) (v2.Handlers, echo.Context, *httptest.ResponseRecorder, []account.Root, []transactions.SignedTxn, func()) {
@@ -105,6 +110,101 @@ func TestGetBlock(t *testing.T) {
 	getBlockTest(t, 0, "bad format", 400)
 }
 
+func TestGetBlockJsonEncoding(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	handler, c, rec, _, _, releasefunc := setupTestForMethodGet(t)
+	defer releasefunc()
+
+	l := handler.Node.Ledger()
+
+	genBlk, err := l.Block(0)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// make an app call txn with eval delta
+	lsig := transactions.LogicSig{Logic: retOneProgram} // int 1
+	program := logic.Program(lsig.Logic)
+	lhash := crypto.HashObj(&program)
+	var sender basics.Address
+	copy(sender[:], lhash[:])
+	stx := transactions.SignedTxn{
+		Txn: transactions.Transaction{
+			Type: protocol.ApplicationCallTx,
+			Header: transactions.Header{
+				Sender:      sender,
+				Fee:         basics.MicroAlgos{Raw: 1000},
+				GenesisID:   genBlk.GenesisID(),
+				GenesisHash: genBlk.GenesisHash(),
+				FirstValid:  1,
+				LastValid:   10,
+			},
+			ApplicationCallTxnFields: transactions.ApplicationCallTxnFields{
+				ApplicationID: 1,
+				OnCompletion:  transactions.ClearStateOC,
+			},
+		},
+		Lsig: lsig,
+	}
+	ad := transactions.ApplyData{
+		EvalDelta: basics.EvalDelta{
+			LocalDeltas: map[uint64]basics.StateDelta{
+				1: {"key": basics.ValueDelta{Action: 1}},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	// put it into a block
+	backlogPool := execpool.MakeBacklog(nil, 0, execpool.LowPriority, nil)
+	defer backlogPool.Shutdown()
+
+	totals, err := l.Totals(l.Latest())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	totalRewardUnits := totals.RewardUnits()
+	poolBal, err := l.Lookup(l.Latest(), poolAddr)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var blk bookkeeping.Block
+	blk.BlockHeader = bookkeeping.BlockHeader{
+		GenesisID:    genBlk.GenesisID(),
+		GenesisHash:  genBlk.GenesisHash(),
+		Round:        l.Latest() + 1,
+		Branch:       genBlk.Hash(),
+		TimeStamp:    0,
+		RewardsState: genBlk.NextRewardsState(l.Latest()+1, proto, poolBal.MicroAlgos, totalRewardUnits),
+		UpgradeState: genBlk.UpgradeState,
+	}
+
+	blk.BlockHeader.TxnCounter = genBlk.TxnCounter
+
+	blk.RewardsPool = genBlk.RewardsPool
+	blk.FeeSink = genBlk.FeeSink
+	blk.CurrentProtocol = genBlk.CurrentProtocol
+	blk.TimeStamp = genBlk.TimeStamp + 1
+
+	txib, err := blk.EncodeSignedTxn(stx, ad)
+	blk.Payset = append(blk.Payset, txib)
+	blk.BlockHeader.TxnCounter++
+	blk.TxnRoot, err = blk.PaysetCommit()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = l.AddBlock(blk, agreement.Certificate{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// fetch the block and ensure it can be properly decoded with the standard JSON decoder
+	format := "json"
+	err = handler.GetBlock(c, 1, generatedV2.GetBlockParams{Format: &format})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, 200, rec.Code)
+	data := rec.Body.Bytes()
+
+	response := struct {
+		Block bookkeeping.Block `codec:"block"`
+	}{}
+
+	err = json.Unmarshal(data, &response)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
 func TestGetSupply(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/test/helpers.go b/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/test/helpers.go
index b5962cf4c4..28d35c8577 100644
--- a/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/test/helpers.go
+++ b/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/test/helpers.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/basics"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/bookkeeping"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/transactions"
+	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/transactions/logic"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/ledger/ledgercore"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/logging"
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/node"
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ var sinkAddr = basics.Address{0x7, 0xda, 0xcb, 0x4b, 0x6d, 0x9e, 0xd1, 0x41, 0xb
 var poolAddr = basics.Address{0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff}
 var genesisHash = crypto.Digest{0xff, 0xfe, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfe}
 var genesisID = "testingid"
+var retOneProgram = []byte{2, 0x20, 1, 1, 0x22}
 
 var proto = config.Consensus[protocol.ConsensusCurrentVersion]
 
@@ -256,7 +258,15 @@ func testingenv(t testing.TB, numAccounts, numTxs int, offlineAccounts bool) (*d
 
 	genesis[poolAddr] = basics.MakeAccountData(basics.NotParticipating, basics.MicroAlgos{Raw: 100000 * uint64(proto.RewardsRateRefreshInterval)})
 
-	bootstrap := data.MakeGenesisBalances(genesis, poolAddr, sinkAddr)
+	program := logic.Program(retOneProgram)
+	lhash := crypto.HashObj(&program)
+	var addr basics.Address
+	copy(addr[:], lhash[:])
+	ad := basics.MakeAccountData(basics.NotParticipating, basics.MicroAlgos{Raw: 100000 * uint64(proto.RewardsRateRefreshInterval)})
+	ad.AppLocalStates = map[basics.AppIndex]basics.AppLocalState{1: {}}
+	genesis[addr] = ad
+
+	bootstrap := data.MakeGenesisBalances(genesis, sinkAddr, poolAddr)
 
 	// generate test transactions
 	const inMem = true
diff --git a/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/utils.go b/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/utils.go
index 6788890622..e4b2dd24c4 100644
--- a/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/utils.go
+++ b/daemon/algod/api/server/v2/utils.go
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func getCodecHandle(formatPtr *string) (codec.Handle, string, error) {
 
 	switch format {
 	case "json":
-		return protocol.JSONHandle, "application/json", nil
+		return protocol.JSONStrictHandle, "application/json", nil
 	case "msgpack":
 		fallthrough
 	case "msgp":
diff --git a/protocol/codec_test.go b/protocol/codec_test.go
index 221e14ceba..14fef6187c 100644
--- a/protocol/codec_test.go
+++ b/protocol/codec_test.go
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ package protocol
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
-	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/test/partitiontest"
+	"github.com/algorand/go-codec/codec"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -167,21 +167,35 @@ func TestEncodeJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	v.Map[1] = []string{"test1"}
 
 	nonStrict := EncodeJSON(&v)
-	strings.Contains(string(nonStrict), `0:`)
-	strings.Contains(string(nonStrict), `1:`)
+	require.Contains(t, string(nonStrict), `0:`)
+	require.Contains(t, string(nonStrict), `1:`)
 
 	strict := EncodeJSONStrict(&v)
-	strings.Contains(string(strict), `"0":`)
-	strings.Contains(string(strict), `"1":`)
+	require.Contains(t, string(strict), `"0":`)
+	require.Contains(t, string(strict), `"1":`)
 
 	var nsv mp
 	err := DecodeJSON(nonStrict, &nsv)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	var sv mp
-	err = DecodeJSON(nonStrict, &sv)
+	err = DecodeJSON(strict, &sv)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	require.True(t, reflect.DeepEqual(v, nsv))
 	require.True(t, reflect.DeepEqual(v, sv))
+
+	decodeJSONStrict := func(b []byte, objptr interface{}) error {
+		dec := codec.NewDecoderBytes(b, JSONStrictHandle)
+		return dec.Decode(objptr)
+	}
+
+	nsv = mp{}
+	decodeJSONStrict(nonStrict, &nsv)
+
+	sv = mp{}
+	decodeJSONStrict(strict, &sv)
+
+	require.True(t, reflect.DeepEqual(v, nsv))
+	require.True(t, reflect.DeepEqual(v, sv))
 }
diff --git a/test/scripts/e2e_subs/serial/rest-proof-endpoint.sh b/test/scripts/e2e_subs/serial/rest-proof-endpoint.sh
index ba87561efc..d0faaee5d2 100755
--- a/test/scripts/e2e_subs/serial/rest-proof-endpoint.sh
+++ b/test/scripts/e2e_subs/serial/rest-proof-endpoint.sh
@@ -17,9 +17,7 @@ while [[ "${NUM_TRANSACTIONS}" != "1" ]]; do
 
   # check if the transaction was all alone in the round
   call_and_verify "Checking block" "/v2/blocks/${ROUND}" 200 'txns'
-  #TODO: The check with jq can be re-enabled after fixing JSONStrictHandle.
-  #NUM_TRANSACTIONS=$(cat "${TEMPDIR}/curl_out.txt" | jq '.block.txns | length')
-  NUM_TRANSACTIONS=$(cat "${TEMPDIR}/curl_out.txt" | grep type | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+  NUM_TRANSACTIONS=$(cat "${TEMPDIR}/curl_out.txt" | jq '.block.txns | length')
 done
 
 call_and_verify "The proof should not be null." "/v2/blocks/${ROUND}/transactions/${TXID}/proof" 200 '"proof":""'