diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index c36c9a30..8c2141e7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -72,6 +72,14 @@ jobs:
           cache: "pip"
           cache-dependency-path: setup.py
       - name: Install dependencies
+        if: matrix.python != 'pypy-3.9' && matrix.python != 'pypy-3.10'
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install libkrb5-dev
+          pip install wheel
+          pip install .[tests,gssapi,orjson] sqlalchemy${{ matrix.sqlalchemy }}
+      - name: Install dependencies in pypy
+        if: matrix.python == 'pypy-3.9' || matrix.python == 'pypy-3.10'
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install libkrb5-dev
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index e497ab36..e196e49d 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
                   # PyPy compatibility issue https://github.com/jborean93/pykrb5/issues/49
                   "krb5 == 0.5.1"]
 sqlalchemy_require = ["sqlalchemy >= 1.3"]
+orjson_require = ["orjson >= 3.0.0"]
 external_authentication_token_cache_require = ["keyring"]
 
 # We don't add localstorage_require to all_require as users must explicitly opt in to use keyring.
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@
         "kerberos": kerberos_require,
         "gssapi": gssapi_require,
         "sqlalchemy": sqlalchemy_require,
+        "orjson": orjson_require,
         "tests": tests_require,
         "external-authentication-token-cache": external_authentication_token_cache_require,
     },
diff --git a/trino/client.py b/trino/client.py
index 7cc1f0f2..7404bf5e 100644
--- a/trino/client.py
+++ b/trino/client.py
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 import base64
 import copy
 import functools
-import json
 import os
 import random
 import re
@@ -84,6 +83,11 @@
 from trino.mapper import RowMapper
 from trino.mapper import RowMapperFactory
 
+try:
+    import orjson as json
+except ImportError:
+    import json
+
 __all__ = [
     "ClientSession",
     "TrinoQuery",