diff --git a/src/sinks/console.rs b/src/sinks/console.rs
index 75fb4aba203f9..8475a05f588c2 100644
--- a/src/sinks/console.rs
+++ b/src/sinks/console.rs
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ pub struct ConsoleSinkConfig {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub target: Target,
     #[serde(default = "default_string_encoder")]
-    pub encoder: Box<dyn EncoderConfig>,
+    pub encoding: Box<dyn EncoderConfig>,
 }
 
 #[typetag::serde(name = "console")]
 impl crate::topology::config::SinkConfig for ConsoleSinkConfig {
     fn build(&self, acker: Acker) -> Result<(super::RouterSink, super::Healthcheck), String> {
-        let encoder = self.encoder.build();
+        let encoder = self.encoding.build();
 
         let output: Box<dyn io::AsyncWrite + Send> = match self.target {
             Target::Stdout => Box::new(io::stdout()),
diff --git a/src/sinks/encoders.rs b/src/sinks/encoders.rs
index 8a002e4696e17..494f216ee9017 100644
--- a/src/sinks/encoders.rs
+++ b/src/sinks/encoders.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+mod dynamic;
 mod json;
 mod string;
 
+pub use dynamic::DynamicEncoderConfig;
 pub use json::JsonEncoderConfig;
 pub use string::StringEncoderConfig;
 
diff --git a/src/sinks/encoders/dynamic.rs b/src/sinks/encoders/dynamic.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..6a77d09d02a58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sinks/encoders/dynamic.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+use super::{json::JsonEncoder, string::StringEncoder, Encoder, EncoderConfig};
+use crate::event::Event;
+use bytes::Bytes;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Default)]
+pub struct DynamicEncoderConfig {}
+
+#[typetag::serde(name = "dynamic")]
+impl EncoderConfig for DynamicEncoderConfig {
+    fn build(&self) -> Box<dyn Encoder + Send> {
+        Box::new(DynamicEncoder {
+            json: JsonEncoder {},
+            string: StringEncoder {},
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+struct DynamicEncoder {
+    string: StringEncoder,
+    json: JsonEncoder,
+}
+
+impl Encoder for DynamicEncoder {
+    fn encode(&self, event: Event) -> Bytes {
+        if event.as_log().is_structured() {
+            self.json.encode(event)
+        } else {
+            self.string.encode(event)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::DynamicEncoderConfig;
+    use crate::event::Event;
+    use crate::sinks::encoders::EncoderConfig;
+    use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn dynamic_encoder_uses_string() {
+        let encoder = DynamicEncoderConfig::default().build();
+        let event = Event::from("hello world");
+        let bytes = encoder.encode(event);
+        let msg = String::from_utf8(bytes.to_vec()).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(msg, "hello world".to_string());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn dynamic_encoder_uses_json() {
+        let encoder = DynamicEncoderConfig::default().build();
+        let mut event = Event::from("hello world");
+
+        event
+            .as_mut_log()
+            .insert_explicit("key".into(), "value".into());
+
+        let bytes = encoder.encode(event);
+        let map = serde_json::from_slice::<HashMap<String, String>>(&bytes[..]).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(map["message"], "hello world".to_string());
+        assert_eq!(map["key"], "value".to_string());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/sinks/encoders/string.rs b/src/sinks/encoders/string.rs
index d9687f66dbc7c..f97313fa6017e 100644
--- a/src/sinks/encoders/string.rs
+++ b/src/sinks/encoders/string.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ impl EncoderConfig for StringEncoderConfig {
     }
 }
 
-struct StringEncoder {}
+pub struct StringEncoder {}
 
 impl Encoder for StringEncoder {
     fn encode(&self, event: Event) -> Bytes {