diff --git a/lib/ansible/cli/inventory.py b/lib/ansible/cli/inventory.py
index a9c08836e93..d839567dd8c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cli/inventory.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cli/inventory.py
@@ -178,8 +178,8 @@ class InventoryCLI(CLI):
             from ansible.parsing.yaml.dumper import AnsibleDumper
             results = yaml.dump(stuff, Dumper=AnsibleDumper, default_flow_style=False)
         else:
-            import json
-            results = json.dumps(stuff, sort_keys=True, indent=4)
+            from ansible.module_utils.basic import jsonify
+            results = jsonify(stuff, sort_keys=True, indent=4)
 
         return results
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
index dfdd2df7d5c..b469a95c9a6 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ import errno
 import datetime
 from collections import deque
 from collections import Mapping, MutableMapping, Sequence, MutableSequence, Set, MutableSet
-from itertools import repeat, chain
+from itertools import chain, repeat
 
 try:
     import syslog
@@ -111,6 +111,11 @@ except ImportError:
     except SyntaxError:
         print('\n{"msg": "SyntaxError: probably due to installed simplejson being for a different python version", "failed": true}')
         sys.exit(1)
+    else:
+        sj_version = json.__version__.split('.')
+        if sj_version < ['1', '6']:
+            # Version 1.5 released 2007-01-18 does not have the encoding parameter which we need
+            print('\n{"msg": "Error: Ansible requires the stdlib json or simplejson >= 1.6.  Neither was found!", "failed": true}')
 
 AVAILABLE_HASH_ALGORITHMS = dict()
 try:
@@ -736,17 +741,34 @@ def get_flags_from_attributes(attributes):
     return ''.join(flags)
 
 
+def _json_encode_fallback(obj):
+    if isinstance(obj, Set):
+        return list(obj)
+    elif isinstance(obj, datetime.datetime):
+        return obj.isoformat()
+    raise TypeError("Cannot json serialize %s" % to_native(obj))
+
+
+def jsonify(data, **kwargs):
+    for encoding in ("utf-8", "latin-1"):
+        try:
+            return json.dumps(data, encoding=encoding, default=_json_encode_fallback, **kwargs)
+        # Old systems using old simplejson module does not support encoding keyword.
+        except TypeError:
+            try:
+                new_data = json_dict_bytes_to_unicode(data, encoding=encoding)
+            except UnicodeDecodeError:
+                continue
+            return json.dumps(new_data, default=_json_encode_fallback, **kwargs)
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            continue
+    raise UnicodeError('Invalid unicode encoding encountered')
+
+
 class AnsibleFallbackNotFound(Exception):
     pass
 
 
-class _SetEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
-    def default(self, obj):
-        if isinstance(obj, Set):
-            return list(obj)
-        return super(_SetEncoder, self).default(obj)
-
-
 class AnsibleModule(object):
     def __init__(self, argument_spec, bypass_checks=False, no_log=False,
                  check_invalid_arguments=True, mutually_exclusive=None, required_together=None,
@@ -2180,19 +2202,10 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
             self.fail_json(msg=to_native(e))
 
     def jsonify(self, data):
-        for encoding in ("utf-8", "latin-1"):
-            try:
-                return json.dumps(data, encoding=encoding, cls=_SetEncoder)
-            # Old systems using old simplejson module does not support encoding keyword.
-            except TypeError:
-                try:
-                    new_data = json_dict_bytes_to_unicode(data, encoding=encoding)
-                except UnicodeDecodeError:
-                    continue
-                return json.dumps(new_data, cls=_SetEncoder)
-            except UnicodeDecodeError:
-                continue
-        self.fail_json(msg='Invalid unicode encoding encountered')
+        try:
+            return jsonify(data)
+        except UnicodeError as e:
+            self.fail_json(msg=to_text(e))
 
     def from_json(self, data):
         return json.loads(data)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/json_utils.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/json_utils.py
index 0b190ed26ad..181e955d548 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/json_utils.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/json_utils.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 # LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE
 # USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #
-
 try:
     import json
 except ImportError:
diff --git a/test/units/module_utils/test_basic.py b/test/units/module_utils/test_basic.py
index 8298697f4c3..4df155bc084 100644
--- a/test/units/module_utils/test_basic.py
+++ b/test/units/module_utils/test_basic.py
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ class TestModuleUtilsBasic(ModuleTestCase):
             if name == 'json':
                 raise ImportError
             elif name == 'simplejson':
-                return MagicMock()
+                sj = MagicMock()
+                sj.__version__ = '3.10.0'
+                return sj
             return realimport(name, *args, **kwargs)
 
         self.clear_modules(['json', 'ansible.module_utils.basic'])