diff --git a/lib/options.go b/lib/options.go
index a0d1be95ff0..056e7d3d9a4 100644
--- a/lib/options.go
+++ b/lib/options.go
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
-
-	"gopkg.in/guregu/null.v3"
+	"strings"
 
 	"go.k6.io/k6/lib/types"
 	"go.k6.io/k6/stats"
+	"gopkg.in/guregu/null.v3"
 )
 
 // DefaultScenarioName is used as the default key/ID of the scenario config entries
@@ -178,10 +178,18 @@ func (ipnet *IPNet) UnmarshalText(b []byte) error {
 	}
 
 	*ipnet = *newIPNet
-
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (ipnet *IPNet) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	return []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%q", ipnet.String())), nil
+}
+
+func (ipnet *IPNet) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
+	// Remove quotes and fallback to unmarshal text
+	return ipnet.UnmarshalText([]byte(strings.Trim(string(b), `"`)))
+}
+
 // HostAddress stores information about IP and port
 // for a host.
 type HostAddress net.TCPAddr
@@ -572,6 +580,12 @@ func (o Options) Validate() []error {
 					o.ExecutionSegment, o.ExecutionSegmentSequence))
 		}
 	}
+	for _, ip := range o.BlacklistIPs {
+		if ip.String() == "<nil>" {
+			errors = append(errors, fmt.Errorf("blacklisted IP %q has an invalid CIDR", ip.IP.String()))
+		}
+
+	}
 	return append(errors, o.Scenarios.Validate()...)
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/options_test.go b/lib/options_test.go
index 5b74862d29a..868d4a5ffbb 100644
--- a/lib/options_test.go
+++ b/lib/options_test.go
@@ -307,15 +307,26 @@ func TestOptions(t *testing.T) {
 		opts := Options{}.Apply(Options{
 			BlacklistIPs: []*IPNet{{
 				IPNet: net.IPNet{
-					IP:   net.IPv4zero,
-					Mask: net.CIDRMask(1, 1),
+					IP:   net.IPv4bcast,
+					Mask: net.CIDRMask(31, 32),
 				},
 			}},
 		})
 		assert.NotNil(t, opts.BlacklistIPs)
 		assert.NotEmpty(t, opts.BlacklistIPs)
-		assert.Equal(t, net.IPv4zero, opts.BlacklistIPs[0].IP)
-		assert.Equal(t, net.CIDRMask(1, 1), opts.BlacklistIPs[0].Mask)
+		assert.Equal(t, net.IPv4bcast, opts.BlacklistIPs[0].IP)
+		assert.Equal(t, net.CIDRMask(31, 32), opts.BlacklistIPs[0].Mask)
+
+		t.Run("JSON", func(t *testing.T) {
+			b, err := json.Marshal(opts)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			var uopts Options
+			err = json.Unmarshal(b, &uopts)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Len(t, uopts.BlacklistIPs, 1)
+			require.Equal(t, "255.255.255.254/31", uopts.BlacklistIPs[0].String())
+		})
 	})
 	t.Run("BlockedHostnames", func(t *testing.T) {
 		blockedHostnames, err := types.NewNullHostnameTrie([]string{"test.k6.io", "*valid.pattern"})
@@ -519,6 +530,20 @@ func TestOptionsEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestOptionsValidate(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("BlacklistIPs", func(t *testing.T) {
+		opts := Options{}.Apply(Options{
+			BlacklistIPs: []*IPNet{
+				{IPNet: net.IPNet{IP: []byte{192, 0, 2, 1}, Mask: []byte{255, 255, 255, 0}}},
+				{IPNet: net.IPNet{IP: net.IPv4bcast, Mask: net.CIDRMask(1, 1)}},
+				{IPNet: net.IPNet{IP: []byte(""), Mask: net.CIDRMask(64, 128)}},
+			},
+		})
+		errs := opts.Validate()
+		require.Len(t, errs, 2)
+	})
+}
+
 func TestCIDRUnmarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	testData := []struct {
 		input          string