diff --git a/http_logging_test.go b/http_logging_test.go
index 09558ab..e7785be 100644
--- a/http_logging_test.go
+++ b/http_logging_test.go
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ func TestLogRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	w.Flush()
 	actual := b.String()
 	//nolint: lll
-	expected := `{"level":"info","msg":"test1","method":"","url":"<nil>","proto":"","remote_addr":"","host":"foo-host:123","header.x-forwarded-proto":"","header.x-forwarded-for":"","user-agent":"","tls":true,"tls.peer_cn":"x\nyz","header.foo":"bar1,bar2"}
-{"level":"info","msg":"test2","method":"","url":"<nil>","proto":"","remote_addr":"","host":"foo-host:123","header.x-forwarded-proto":"","header.x-forwarded-for":"","user-agent":"","extra1":"v1","extra2":"v2"}
+	expected := `{"level":"info","msg":"test1","method":"","url":null,"proto":"","remote_addr":"","host":"foo-host:123","header.x-forwarded-proto":"","header.x-forwarded-for":"","user-agent":"","tls":true,"tls.peer_cn":"x\nyz","header.foo":"bar1,bar2"}
+{"level":"info","msg":"test2","method":"","url":null,"proto":"","remote_addr":"","host":"foo-host:123","header.x-forwarded-proto":"","header.x-forwarded-for":"","user-agent":"","extra1":"v1","extra2":"v2"}
 `
 	if actual != expected {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected:\n%s\nvs:\n%s\n", actual, expected)
diff --git a/logger.go b/logger.go
index 5499121..c80c13e 100644
--- a/logger.go
+++ b/logger.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package log // import "fortio.org/log"
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -32,7 +33,6 @@ import (
 	"math"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
-	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -589,39 +589,18 @@ type ValueType[T ValueTypes] struct {
 	Val T
 }
 
-func arrayToString(s []interface{}) string {
-	var buf strings.Builder
-	buf.WriteString("[")
-	for i, e := range s {
-		if i != 0 {
-			buf.WriteString(",")
-		}
-		vv := ValueType[interface{}]{Val: e}
-		buf.WriteString(vv.String())
-	}
-	buf.WriteString("]")
-	return buf.String()
-}
-
-func mapToString(s map[string]interface{}) string {
-	var buf strings.Builder
-	buf.WriteString("{")
-	keys := make([]string, 0, len(s))
-	for k := range s {
-		keys = append(keys, k)
+func toJSON(v any) string {
+	bytes, err := json.Marshal(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return strconv.Quote(fmt.Sprintf("ERR marshaling %v: %v", v, err))
 	}
-	sort.Strings(keys)
-	for i, k := range keys {
-		if i != 0 {
-			buf.WriteString(",")
-		}
-		buf.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("%q", k))
-		buf.WriteString(":")
-		vv := ValueType[interface{}]{Val: s[k]}
-		buf.WriteString(vv.String())
+	str := string(bytes)
+	// This is kinda hacky way to handle both structured and custom serialization errors, and
+	// struct with no public fields for which we need to call Error() to get a useful string.
+	if e, isError := v.(error); isError && str == "{}" {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%q", e.Error())
 	}
-	buf.WriteString("}")
-	return buf.String()
+	return str
 }
 
 func (v ValueType[T]) String() string {
@@ -629,13 +608,12 @@ func (v ValueType[T]) String() string {
 	switch s := any(v.Val).(type) {
 	case bool, int, int8, int16, int32, int64, uint, uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64,
 		float32, float64:
-		return fmt.Sprint(v.Val)
-	case []interface{}:
-		return arrayToString(s)
-	case map[string]interface{}:
-		return mapToString(s)
+		return fmt.Sprint(s)
+	case string:
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%q", s)
+	/* It's all handled by json fallback now even though slightly more expensive at runtime, it's a lot simpler */
 	default:
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%q", fmt.Sprint(v.Val))
+		return toJSON(v.Val) // was fmt.Sprintf("%q", fmt.Sprint(v.Val))
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/logger_test.go b/logger_test.go
index ed5b5db..cf24fe1 100644
--- a/logger_test.go
+++ b/logger_test.go
@@ -752,6 +752,52 @@ func TestNoLevel(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+type customError struct {
+	Msg  string
+	Code int
+}
+
+func (e customError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("custom error %s (code %d)", e.Msg, e.Code)
+}
+
+func TestSerializationOfError(t *testing.T) {
+	var err error
+	kv := Any("err", err)
+	kvStr := kv.StringValue()
+	expected := `null`
+	if kvStr != expected {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected:\n%s\nvs:\n%s\n", kvStr, expected)
+	}
+	err = fmt.Errorf("test error")
+	Errf("Error on purpose: %v", err)
+	S(Error, "Error on purpose", Any("err", err))
+	kv = Any("err", err)
+	kvStr = kv.StringValue()
+	expected = `"test error"`
+	if kvStr != expected {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected:\n%s\nvs:\n%s\n", kvStr, expected)
+	}
+	err = customError{Msg: "custom error", Code: 42}
+	kv = Any("err", err)
+	kvStr = kv.StringValue()
+	expected = `{"Msg":"custom error","Code":42}`
+	if kvStr != expected {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected:\n%s\nvs:\n%s\n", kvStr, expected)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestToJSON_MarshalError(t *testing.T) {
+	badValue := make(chan int)
+
+	expected := fmt.Sprintf("\"ERR marshaling %v: %v\"", badValue, "json: unsupported type: chan int")
+	actual := toJSON(badValue)
+
+	if actual != expected {
+		t.Errorf("Expected %q, got %q", expected, actual)
+	}
+}
+
 // io.Discard but specially known to by logger optimizations for instance.
 type discard struct{}