diff --git a/docs/content/commands/npm-pack.md b/docs/content/commands/npm-pack.md
index de3eeb731a9e3..4bf05fa60aceb 100644
--- a/docs/content/commands/npm-pack.md
+++ b/docs/content/commands/npm-pack.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ description: Create a tarball from a package
 ### Synopsis
 
 ```bash
-npm pack [[<@scope>/]<pkg>...] [--dry-run]
+npm pack [[<@scope>/]<pkg>...] [--dry-run] [--json]
 ```
 
 ### Configuration
diff --git a/lib/pack.js b/lib/pack.js
index 5c0da6be7b6e0..52d4c3e7f900a 100644
--- a/lib/pack.js
+++ b/lib/pack.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class Pack extends BaseCommand {
 
   /* istanbul ignore next - see test/lib/load-all-commands.js */
   static get params () {
-    return ['dry-run', 'workspace', 'workspaces']
+    return ['dry-run', 'json', 'workspace', 'workspaces']
   }
 
   /* istanbul ignore next - see test/lib/load-all-commands.js */
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class Pack extends BaseCommand {
 
     const unicode = this.npm.config.get('unicode')
     const dryRun = this.npm.config.get('dry-run')
+    const json = this.npm.config.get('json')
 
     // Get the manifests and filenames first so we can bail early on manifest
     // errors before making any tarballs
@@ -74,6 +75,11 @@ class Pack extends BaseCommand {
       tarballs.push(pkgContents)
     }
 
+    if (json) {
+      this.npm.output(JSON.stringify(tarballs, null, 2))
+      return
+    }
+
     for (const tar of tarballs) {
       logTar(tar, { log, unicode })
       this.npm.output(tar.filename.replace(/^@/, '').replace(/\//, '-'))
diff --git a/test/lib/pack.js b/test/lib/pack.js
index 6706042b4c82e..89585e21cdded 100644
--- a/test/lib/pack.js
+++ b/test/lib/pack.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const t = require('tap')
 const mockNpm = require('../fixtures/mock-npm')
+const pkgDirPack = require('libnpmpack')
 const pacote = require('pacote')
 
 const OUTPUT = []
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ t.test('should pack given directory', (t) => {
   const npm = mockNpm({
     config: {
       unicode: true,
-      json: true,
+      json: false,
       'dry-run': true,
     },
     output,
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ t.test('should pack given directory for scoped package', (t) => {
   const npm = mockNpm({
     config: {
       unicode: true,
-      json: true,
+      json: false,
       'dry-run': true,
     },
     output,
@@ -158,6 +159,45 @@ t.test('should log pack contents', (t) => {
   })
 })
 
+t.test('should log output as valid json', (t) => {
+  const testDir = t.testdir({
+    'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'my-cool-pkg',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+    }, null, 2),
+  })
+
+  const Pack = t.mock('../../lib/pack.js', {
+    libnpmpack: () => pkgDirPack(testDir),
+    npmlog: {
+      notice: () => {},
+      showProgress: () => {},
+      clearProgress: () => {},
+    },
+  })
+  const npm = mockNpm({
+    config: {
+      unicode: true,
+      json: true,
+      'dry-run': true,
+    },
+    output,
+  })
+  const pack = new Pack(npm)
+
+  pack.exec([testDir], err => {
+    t.error(err, { bail: true })
+
+    t.similar(JSON.parse(OUTPUT), [{
+      filename: 'my-cool-pkg-1.0.0.tgz',
+      files: [{path: 'package.json'}],
+      entryCount: 1,
+    }], 'pack details output as valid json')
+
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
 t.test('invalid packument', (t) => {
   const mockPacote = {
     manifest: () => {
@@ -176,7 +216,7 @@ t.test('invalid packument', (t) => {
   const npm = mockNpm({
     config: {
       unicode: true,
-      json: true,
+      json: false,
       'dry-run': true,
     },
     output,