diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/68518-to_nice_json-cleanup.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/68518-to_nice_json-cleanup.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fa3c4923b0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/68518-to_nice_json-cleanup.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - to_nice_json filter - Removed now-useless exception handler
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py
index 52721e53808..48fab01174c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py
@@ -80,12 +80,7 @@ def to_json(a, *args, **kw):
 
 def to_nice_json(a, indent=4, sort_keys=True, *args, **kw):
     '''Make verbose, human readable JSON'''
-    try:
-        return json.dumps(a, indent=indent, sort_keys=sort_keys, separators=(',', ': '), cls=AnsibleJSONEncoder, *args, **kw)
-    except Exception as e:
-        # Fallback to the to_json filter
-        display.warning(u'Unable to convert data using to_nice_json, falling back to to_json: %s' % to_text(e))
-        return to_json(a, *args, **kw)
+    return to_json(a, indent=indent, sort_keys=sort_keys, separators=(',', ': '), *args, **kw)
 
 
 def to_bool(a):
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/filter_core/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/filter_core/tasks/main.yml
index 230b7b4f62d..cfc04bad5c3 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/filter_core/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/filter_core/tasks/main.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 # Copyright: (c) 2019, Ansible Project
 # GNU General Public License v3.0+ (see COPYING or https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt)
 
+# Note: |groupby is already tested by the `groupby_filter` target.
+
 - set_fact:
     output_dir: "{{ lookup('env', 'OUTPUT_DIR') }}"
 
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@
     that:
       - '"{{ "hash" | hash("sha1") }}" == "2346ad27d7568ba9896f1b7da6b5991251debdf2"'
       - '"{{ "café" | hash("sha1") }}" == "f424452a9673918c6f09b0cdd35b20be8e6ae7d7"'
+      - '"corned beef"|hash("haha, get it?") == None'
 
 - name: Flatten tests
   block:
@@ -190,6 +193,12 @@
         - 4
         - key: value
 
+- name: Verify combine fails with extra kwargs
+  set_fact:
+    foo: "{{[1] | combine(foo='bar')}}"
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: combine_fail
+
 - name: Verify combine filter
   assert:
     that:
@@ -198,9 +207,12 @@
       - "(x | combine(y, z)) == {'x': 'x', 'y': 'y', 'z': 'z', 'key': 'z'}"
       - "([x, y, z] | combine) == {'x': 'x', 'y': 'y', 'z': 'z', 'key': 'z'}"
       - "([x, y] | combine(z)) == {'x': 'x', 'y': 'y', 'z': 'z', 'key': 'z'}"
-      # more advance dicts combination tests are done in "merge_hash" function unit tests
-      # but even it's redundant with those unit tests, we do at least the most complicated exemple of the documentation here
+      - "None|combine == {}"
+      # more advanced dict combination tests are done in the "merge_hash" function unit tests
+      # but even though it's redundant with those unit tests, we do at least the most complicated example of the documentation here
       - "(default | combine(patch, recursive=True, list_merge='append_rp')) == result"
+      - combine_fail is failed
+      - "combine_fail.msg == \"'recursive' and 'list_merge' are the only valid keyword arguments\""
 
 - set_fact:
     combine: "{{[x, [y]] | combine(z)}}"
@@ -261,3 +273,287 @@
       - named_groups == ['bye', 'good']
       - numbered_groups == ['bye', 'good']
       - failure is failed
+
+- name: Verify to_bool
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - 'None|bool == None'
+      - 'False|bool == False'
+      - '"TrUe"|bool == True'
+      - '"FalSe"|bool == False'
+      - '7|bool == False'
+
+- name: Verify to_datetime
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '"1993-03-26 01:23:45"|to_datetime < "1994-03-26 01:23:45"|to_datetime'
+
+- name: strftime invalid argument (failure expected)
+  set_fact:
+    foo: "{{ '%Y' | strftime('foo') }}"
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: strftime_fail
+
+- name: Verify strftime
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '"%Y-%m-%d"|strftime(1585247522) == "2020-03-26"'
+      - '("%Y"|strftime(None)).startswith("20")' # Current date, can't check much there.
+      - strftime_fail is failed
+      - '"Invalid value for epoch value" in strftime_fail.msg'
+
+- name: Verify case-insensitive regex_replace
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '"hElLo there"|regex_replace("hello", "hi", ignorecase=True) == "hi there"'
+
+- name: Verify case-insensitive regex_findall
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '"hEllo there heLlo haha HELLO there"|regex_findall("h.... ", ignorecase=True)|length == 3'
+
+- name: Verify ternary
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - 'True|ternary("seven", "eight") == "seven"'
+      - 'None|ternary("seven", "eight") == "eight"'
+      - 'None|ternary("seven", "eight", "nine") == "nine"'
+      - 'False|ternary("seven", "eight") == "eight"'
+      - '123|ternary("seven", "eight") == "seven"'
+      - '"haha"|ternary("seven", "eight") == "seven"'
+
+- name: Verify regex_escape raises on posix_extended (failure expected)
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{"]]^"|regex_escape(re_type="posix_extended")}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: regex_escape_fail_1
+
+- name: Verify regex_escape raises on other re_type (failure expected)
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{"]]^"|regex_escape(re_type="haha")}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: regex_escape_fail_2
+
+- name: Verify regex_escape with re_type other than 'python'
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '"]]^"|regex_escape(re_type="posix_basic") == "\\]\\]\\^"'
+      - regex_escape_fail_1 is failed
+      - 'regex_escape_fail_1.msg == "Regex type (posix_extended) not yet implemented"'
+      - regex_escape_fail_2 is failed
+      - 'regex_escape_fail_2.msg == "Invalid regex type (haha)"'
+
+- name: Verify from_yaml and from_yaml_all
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "'---\nbananas: yellow\napples: red'|from_yaml == {'bananas': 'yellow', 'apples': 'red'}"
+      - "2|from_yaml == 2"
+      - "'---\nbananas: yellow\n---\napples: red'|from_yaml_all|list == [{'bananas': 'yellow'}, {'apples': 'red'}]"
+      - "2|from_yaml_all == 2"
+
+- name: Verify random raises on non-iterable input (failure expected)
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{None|random}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: random_fail_1
+
+- name: Verify random raises on iterable input with start (failure expected)
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{[1,2,3]|random(start=2)}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: random_fail_2
+
+- name: Verify random raises on iterable input with step (failure expected)
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{[1,2,3]|random(step=2)}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: random_fail_3
+
+- name: Verify random
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '2|random in [0,1]'
+      - '2|random(seed=1337) in [0,1]'
+      - '["a", "b"]|random in ["a", "b"]'
+      - '20|random(start=10) in range(10, 20)'
+      - '20|random(start=10, step=2) % 2 == 0'
+      - random_fail_1 is failure
+      - '"random can only be used on" in random_fail_1.msg'
+      - random_fail_2 is failure
+      - '"start and step can only be used" in random_fail_2.msg'
+      - random_fail_3 is failure
+      - '"start and step can only be used" in random_fail_3.msg'
+
+# It's hard to actually verify much here since the result is, well, random.
+- name: Verify randomize_list
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '[1,3,5,7,9]|shuffle|length == 5'
+      - '[1,3,5,7,9]|shuffle(seed=1337)|length == 5'
+      - '22|shuffle == 22'
+
+- name: Verify password_hash throws on weird salt_size type
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{"hey"|password_hash(salt_size=[999])}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: password_hash_1
+
+- name: Verify password_hash throws on weird hashtype
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{"hey"|password_hash(hashtype="supersecurehashtype")}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: password_hash_2
+
+- name: Verify password_hash
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "'what in the WORLD is up?'|password_hash|length == 106"
+      # This throws a vastly different error on py2 vs py3, so we just check
+      # that it's a failure, not a substring of the exception.
+      - password_hash_1 is failed
+      - password_hash_2 is failed
+      - "'not support' in password_hash_2.msg"
+
+- name: Verify to_uuid throws on weird namespace
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{"hey"|to_uuid(namespace=22)}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: to_uuid_1
+
+- name: Verify to_uuid
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '"monkeys"|to_uuid == "0d03a178-da0f-5b51-934e-cda9c76578c3"'
+      - to_uuid_1 is failed
+      - '"Invalid value" in to_uuid_1.msg'
+
+- name: Verify mandatory throws on undefined variable
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{hey|mandatory}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: mandatory_1
+
+- name: Verify mandatory throws on undefined variable with custom message
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{hey|mandatory("You did not give me a variable. I am a sad wolf.")}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: mandatory_2
+
+- name: Set a variable
+  set_fact:
+    mandatory_demo: 123
+
+- name: Verify mandatory
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '{{mandatory_demo|mandatory}} == 123'
+      - mandatory_1 is failed
+      - "mandatory_1.msg == \"Mandatory variable 'hey'  not defined.\""
+      - mandatory_2 is failed
+      - "mandatory_2.msg == 'You did not give me a variable. I am a sad wolf.'"
+
+- name: Verify comment
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '"boo!"|comment == "#\n# boo!\n#"'
+      - '"boo!"|comment(decoration="-- ") == "--\n-- boo!\n--"'
+      - '"boo!"|comment(style="cblock") == "/*\n *\n * boo!\n *\n */"'
+      - '"boo!"|comment(decoration="") == "boo!\n"'
+      - '"boo!"|comment(prefix="\n", prefix_count=20) == "\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n# boo!\n#"'
+
+- name: Verify subelements throws on invalid obj
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{True|subelements("foo")}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: subelements_1
+
+- name: Verify subelements throws on invalid subelements arg
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{{}|subelements(17)}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: subelements_2
+
+- name: Set demo data for subelements
+  set_fact:
+    subelements_demo: '{{ [{"name": "alice", "groups": ["wheel"], "authorized": ["/tmp/alice/onekey.pub"]}] }}'
+
+- name: Verify subelements throws on bad key
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{subelements_demo | subelements("does not compute")}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: subelements_3
+
+- name: Verify subelements throws on key pointing to bad value
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{subelements_demo | subelements("name")}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: subelements_4
+
+- name: Verify subelements throws on list of keys ultimately pointing to bad value
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{subelements_demo | subelements(["groups", "authorized"])}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: subelements_5
+
+- name: Verify subelements
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - subelements_1 is failed
+      - 'subelements_1.msg == "obj must be a list of dicts or a nested dict"'
+      - subelements_2 is failed
+      - 'subelements_2.msg == "subelements must be a list or a string"'
+      - 'subelements_demo|subelements("does not compute", skip_missing=True) == []'
+      - subelements_3 is failed
+      - '"could not find" in subelements_3.msg'
+      - subelements_4 is failed
+      - '"should point to a list" in subelements_4.msg'
+      - subelements_5 is failed
+      - '"should point to a dictionary" in subelements_5.msg'
+      - 'subelements_demo|subelements("groups") == [({"name": "alice", "groups": ["wheel"], "authorized": ["/tmp/alice/onekey.pub"]}, "wheel")]'
+      - 'subelements_demo|subelements(["groups"]) == [({"name": "alice", "groups": ["wheel"], "authorized": ["/tmp/alice/onekey.pub"]}, "wheel")]'
+
+
+- name: Verify dict2items throws on non-Mapping
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{True|dict2items}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: dict2items_fail
+
+- name: Verify dict2items
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '{"foo": "bar", "banana": "fruit"}|dict2items == [{"key": "foo", "value": "bar"}, {"key": "banana", "value": "fruit"}]'
+      - dict2items_fail is failed
+      - '"dict2items requires a dictionary" in dict2items_fail.msg'
+
+- name: Verify items2dict throws on non-Mapping
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{True|items2dict}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: items2dict_fail
+
+- name: Verify items2dict
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '[{"key": "foo", "value": "bar"}, {"key": "banana", "value": "fruit"}]|items2dict == {"foo": "bar", "banana": "fruit"}'
+      - items2dict_fail is failed
+      - '"items2dict requires a list" in items2dict_fail.msg'
+
+- name: Verify path_join throws on non-string and non-sequence
+  set_fact:
+    foo: '{{True|path_join}}'
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: path_join_fail
+
+- name: Verify path_join
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '"foo"|path_join == "foo"'
+      - '["foo", "bar"]|path_join in ["foo/bar", "foo\bar"]'
+      - path_join_fail is failed
+      - '"expects string or sequence" in path_join_fail.msg'
+
+- name: Verify type_debug
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - '"foo"|type_debug == "str"'
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/filter_core/templates/foo.j2 b/test/integration/targets/filter_core/templates/foo.j2
index 9d895fdcedc..1e0c4a6a3e7 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/filter_core/templates/foo.j2
+++ b/test/integration/targets/filter_core/templates/foo.j2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-This is a test of various filter plugins found in Ansible (ex: core.py), and 
+This is a test of various filter plugins found in Ansible (ex: core.py), and
 not so much a test of the core filters in Jinja2.
 
 Dumping the same structure to YAML