diff --git a/lib/puma/app/status.rb b/lib/puma/app/status.rb
index 6f68c6b83e..58615d7db1 100644
--- a/lib/puma/app/status.rb
+++ b/lib/puma/app/status.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+require 'json'
+
 module Puma
   module App
     class Status
@@ -60,8 +62,7 @@ def call(env)
           return rack_response(200, OK_STATUS)
 
         when /\/gc-stats$/
-          json = "{" + GC.stat.map { |k, v| "\"#{k}\": #{v}" }.join(",") + "}"
-          return rack_response(200, json)
+          return rack_response(200, GC.stat.to_json)
 
         when /\/stats$/
           return rack_response(200, @cli.stats)
diff --git a/test/test_cli.rb b/test/test_cli.rb
index ceffef7e36..cadefd097a 100644
--- a/test/test_cli.rb
+++ b/test/test_cli.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 require_relative "helper"
 
 require "puma/cli"
+require "json"
 
 class TestCLI < Minitest::Test
   def setup
@@ -195,12 +196,7 @@ def control_gc_stats(uri, cntl)
 
     lines = body.split("\r\n")
     json_line = lines.detect { |l| l[0] == "{" }
-    pairs = json_line.scan(/\"[^\"]+\": [^,]+/)
-    gc_stats = {}
-    pairs.each do |p|
-      p =~ /\"([^\"]+)\": ([^,]+)/ || raise("Can't parse #{p.inspect}!")
-      gc_stats[$1] = $2
-    end
+    gc_stats = JSON.parse(json_line)
     gc_count_after = gc_stats["count"].to_i
 
     # Hitting the /gc route should increment the count by 1