diff --git a/azure/functions/_cosmosdb.py b/azure/functions/_cosmosdb.py
index b9a4de1c..dcdf01c6 100644
--- a/azure/functions/_cosmosdb.py
+++ b/azure/functions/_cosmosdb.py
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 import collections
-import json
 
 from . import _abc
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class Document(_abc.Document, collections.UserDict):
diff --git a/azure/functions/_http.py b/azure/functions/_http.py
index 7e349b1b..267425c4 100644
--- a/azure/functions/_http.py
+++ b/azure/functions/_http.py
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 import collections.abc
 import http
 import io
-import json
 import types
 import typing
 
+from ._jsonutils import json
 from werkzeug import formparser as _wk_parser
 from werkzeug import http as _wk_http
 from werkzeug.datastructures import (Headers, FileStorage, MultiDict,
diff --git a/azure/functions/_jsonutils.py b/azure/functions/_jsonutils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2ee0e256
--- /dev/null
+++ b/azure/functions/_jsonutils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+# Licensed under the MIT License.
+
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from typing import Any, Union
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+
+"""
+Azure Functions JSON utilities.
+This module provides a JSON interface that can be used to serialize and
+deserialize objects to and from JSON format. It supports both the `orjson`
+and the standard `json` libraries, falling back to the standard library
+if `orjson` is not available (installed).
+"""
+
+
+try:
+    import orjson as _orjson
+except ImportError:
+    _orjson = None
+
+# Standard library is always present
+import json as _std_json
+
+
+class JsonInterface(ABC):
+    @abstractmethod
+    def dumps(self, obj: Any) -> str:
+        pass
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def loads(self, s: Union[str, bytes, bytearray]) -> Any:
+        pass
+
+
+class OrJsonAdapter(JsonInterface):
+    def __init__(self):
+        assert _orjson is not None
+        self.orjson = _orjson
+
+    def dumps(self, obj: Any) -> str:
+        # orjson.dumps returns bytes, decode to str
+        return self.orjson.dumps(obj).decode("utf-8")
+
+    def loads(self, s: Union[str, bytes, bytearray]) -> Any:
+        return self.orjson.loads(s)
+
+
+class StdJsonAdapter(JsonInterface):
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.json = _std_json
+
+    def dumps(self, obj: Any) -> str:
+        return self.json.dumps(obj)
+
+    def loads(self, s: Union[str, bytes, bytearray]) -> Any:
+        return self.json.loads(s)
+
+
+if _orjson is not None:
+    json_impl = OrJsonAdapter()
+else:
+    json_impl = StdJsonAdapter()
+
+
+def dumps(obj: Any) -> str:
+    return json_impl.dumps(obj)
+
+
+def loads(s: Union[str, bytes, bytearray]) -> Any:
+    return json_impl.loads(s)
+
+
+json = SimpleNamespace(
+    dumps=dumps,
+    loads=loads
+)
diff --git a/azure/functions/_mysql.py b/azure/functions/_mysql.py
index 9c7515d9..1f6b4072 100644
--- a/azure/functions/_mysql.py
+++ b/azure/functions/_mysql.py
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 import abc
 import collections
-import json
+
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class BaseMySqlRow(abc.ABC):
diff --git a/azure/functions/_queue.py b/azure/functions/_queue.py
index c6c7d094..85d574ce 100644
--- a/azure/functions/_queue.py
+++ b/azure/functions/_queue.py
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 import datetime
-import json
 import typing
 
 from . import _abc
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class QueueMessage(_abc.QueueMessage):
diff --git a/azure/functions/_sql.py b/azure/functions/_sql.py
index 3d70a1a9..166b3af4 100644
--- a/azure/functions/_sql.py
+++ b/azure/functions/_sql.py
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 import abc
 import collections
-import json
+
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class BaseSqlRow(abc.ABC):
diff --git a/azure/functions/cosmosdb.py b/azure/functions/cosmosdb.py
index 1edc78af..e8dc139f 100644
--- a/azure/functions/cosmosdb.py
+++ b/azure/functions/cosmosdb.py
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 import collections.abc
-import json
 import typing
 
 from azure.functions import _cosmosdb as cdb
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 from . import meta
 
diff --git a/azure/functions/eventgrid.py b/azure/functions/eventgrid.py
index e76f5dde..3cddd9e1 100644
--- a/azure/functions/eventgrid.py
+++ b/azure/functions/eventgrid.py
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 
 import collections
 import datetime
-import json
 from typing import Optional, List, Any, Dict, Union
 
 from azure.functions import _eventgrid as azf_eventgrid
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 from . import meta
 from .meta import Datum
diff --git a/azure/functions/eventhub.py b/azure/functions/eventhub.py
index 6aab2be5..8888aaed 100644
--- a/azure/functions/eventhub.py
+++ b/azure/functions/eventhub.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 # Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
-import json
 from typing import Dict, Any, List, Union, Optional, Mapping
 
 from azure.functions import _eventhub
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 from . import meta
 
diff --git a/azure/functions/extension/extension_meta.py b/azure/functions/extension/extension_meta.py
index 2536d6fb..fde3622f 100644
--- a/azure/functions/extension/extension_meta.py
+++ b/azure/functions/extension/extension_meta.py
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
 
 from typing import Optional, Union, Dict, List
 import abc
-import json
 from .app_extension_hooks import AppExtensionHooks
 from .func_extension_hooks import FuncExtensionHooks
 from .extension_hook_meta import ExtensionHookMeta
 from .extension_scope import ExtensionScope
 from .function_extension_exception import FunctionExtensionException
+from .._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class ExtensionMeta(abc.ABCMeta):
diff --git a/azure/functions/http.py b/azure/functions/http.py
index 734f43eb..5a9e10c3 100644
--- a/azure/functions/http.py
+++ b/azure/functions/http.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
-import json
 import logging
 import sys
 import typing
@@ -10,6 +9,7 @@
 from azure.functions import _abc as azf_abc
 from azure.functions import _http as azf_http
 from . import meta
+from ._jsonutils import json
 from werkzeug.datastructures import Headers
 
 
diff --git a/azure/functions/kafka.py b/azure/functions/kafka.py
index 4693e9d1..f71bb2c4 100644
--- a/azure/functions/kafka.py
+++ b/azure/functions/kafka.py
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 import typing
-import json
 
 from typing import Any, List
 
 from . import meta
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 from ._kafka import AbstractKafkaEvent
 
diff --git a/azure/functions/meta.py b/azure/functions/meta.py
index 2ca92563..09314f8d 100644
--- a/azure/functions/meta.py
+++ b/azure/functions/meta.py
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 import abc
 import collections.abc
 import datetime
-import json
 import re
 from typing import Dict, Optional, Union, Tuple, Mapping, Any
 
+from ._jsonutils import json
 from ._thirdparty import typing_inspect
 from ._utils import (
     try_parse_datetime_with_formats,
diff --git a/azure/functions/mysql.py b/azure/functions/mysql.py
index 06a04a56..cbaf18e7 100644
--- a/azure/functions/mysql.py
+++ b/azure/functions/mysql.py
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 import collections.abc
-import json
 import typing
 
 from azure.functions import _mysql as mysql
 
 from . import meta
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class MySqlConverter(meta.InConverter, meta.OutConverter,
diff --git a/azure/functions/queue.py b/azure/functions/queue.py
index d39c56e5..77b8354d 100644
--- a/azure/functions/queue.py
+++ b/azure/functions/queue.py
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 
 import collections.abc
 import datetime
-import json
 from typing import List, Dict, Any, Union, Optional
 
 from azure.functions import _abc as azf_abc
 from azure.functions import _queue as azf_queue
 
 from . import meta
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class QueueMessage(azf_queue.QueueMessage):
diff --git a/azure/functions/servicebus.py b/azure/functions/servicebus.py
index 72a9d254..bc04bfde 100644
--- a/azure/functions/servicebus.py
+++ b/azure/functions/servicebus.py
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 import datetime
-import json
 from typing import Dict, Any, List, Union, Optional, Mapping, cast
 
 from azure.functions import _servicebus as azf_sbus
 
 from . import meta
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class ServiceBusMessage(azf_sbus.ServiceBusMessage):
diff --git a/azure/functions/sql.py b/azure/functions/sql.py
index f8288303..d385ee6e 100644
--- a/azure/functions/sql.py
+++ b/azure/functions/sql.py
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 import collections.abc
-import json
 import typing
 
 from azure.functions import _sql as sql
 
 from . import meta
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class SqlConverter(meta.InConverter, meta.OutConverter,
diff --git a/azure/functions/timer.py b/azure/functions/timer.py
index 92ef71c3..87d0fd36 100644
--- a/azure/functions/timer.py
+++ b/azure/functions/timer.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 # Licensed under the MIT License.
 
-import json
 import typing
 
 from azure.functions import _abc as azf_abc
 from . import meta
+from ._jsonutils import json
 
 
 class TimerRequest(azf_abc.TimerRequest):