diff --git a/actix-http/CHANGES.md b/actix-http/CHANGES.md
index c535b9866..34de7727a 100644
--- a/actix-http/CHANGES.md
+++ b/actix-http/CHANGES.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 * Renamed `IntoHeaderValue::{try_into => try_into_value}` to avoid ambiguity with std
   `TryInto` trait. [#1894]
 * `Extensions::insert` returns Option of replaced item. [#1904]
+* Remove `HttpResponseBuilder::json2()` and make `HttpResponseBuilder::json()` take a value by
+  reference. [#1903]
 
 ### Removed
 * `ResponseBuilder::set`; use `ResponseBuilder::insert_header`. [#1869]
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@
 
 [#1869]: https://github.com/actix/actix-web/pull/1869
 [#1894]: https://github.com/actix/actix-web/pull/1894
+[#1903]: https://github.com/actix/actix-web/pull/1903
 [#1904]: https://github.com/actix/actix-web/pull/1904
 [#1912]: https://github.com/actix/actix-web/pull/1912
 
diff --git a/actix-http/src/response.rs b/actix-http/src/response.rs
index 880f93c6a..110514e05 100644
--- a/actix-http/src/response.rs
+++ b/actix-http/src/response.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use std::{
     convert::TryInto,
     fmt,
     future::Future,
+    ops,
     pin::Pin,
     str,
     task::{Context, Poll},
@@ -651,19 +652,15 @@ impl ResponseBuilder {
         self.body(Body::from_message(BodyStream::new(stream)))
     }
 
-    #[inline]
     /// Set a json body and generate `Response`
     ///
     /// `ResponseBuilder` can not be used after this call.
-    pub fn json<T: Serialize>(&mut self, value: T) -> Response {
-        self.json2(&value)
-    }
-
-    /// Set a json body and generate `Response`
-    ///
-    /// `ResponseBuilder` can not be used after this call.
-    pub fn json2<T: Serialize>(&mut self, value: &T) -> Response {
-        match serde_json::to_string(value) {
+    pub fn json<T>(&mut self, value: T) -> Response
+    where
+        T: ops::Deref,
+        T::Target: Serialize,
+    {
+        match serde_json::to_string(&*value) {
             Ok(body) => {
                 let contains = if let Some(parts) = parts(&mut self.head, &self.err) {
                     parts.headers.contains_key(header::CONTENT_TYPE)
@@ -979,25 +976,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_json_ct() {
         let resp = Response::build(StatusCode::OK)
             .insert_header((CONTENT_TYPE, "text/json"))
-            .json(vec!["v1", "v2", "v3"]);
-        let ct = resp.headers().get(CONTENT_TYPE).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(ct, HeaderValue::from_static("text/json"));
-        assert_eq!(resp.body().get_ref(), b"[\"v1\",\"v2\",\"v3\"]");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn test_json2() {
-        let resp = Response::build(StatusCode::OK).json2(&vec!["v1", "v2", "v3"]);
-        let ct = resp.headers().get(CONTENT_TYPE).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(ct, HeaderValue::from_static("application/json"));
-        assert_eq!(resp.body().get_ref(), b"[\"v1\",\"v2\",\"v3\"]");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn test_json2_ct() {
-        let resp = Response::build(StatusCode::OK)
-            .insert_header((CONTENT_TYPE, "text/json"))
-            .json2(&vec!["v1", "v2", "v3"]);
+            .json(&vec!["v1", "v2", "v3"]);
         let ct = resp.headers().get(CONTENT_TYPE).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(ct, HeaderValue::from_static("text/json"));
         assert_eq!(resp.body().get_ref(), b"[\"v1\",\"v2\",\"v3\"]");
diff --git a/src/test.rs b/src/test.rs
index 55b436084..769cece55 100644
--- a/src/test.rs
+++ b/src/test.rs
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ where
 ///             web::resource("/people")
 ///                 .route(web::post().to(|person: web::Json<Person>| async {
 ///                     HttpResponse::Ok()
-///                         .json(person.into_inner())})
+///                         .json(person)})
 ///                     ))
 ///     ).await;
 ///
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ where
 ///             web::resource("/people")
 ///                 .route(web::post().to(|person: web::Json<Person>| async {
 ///                     HttpResponse::Ok()
-///                         .json(person.into_inner())})
+///                         .json(person)})
 ///                     ))
 ///     ).await;
 ///
@@ -1121,9 +1121,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[actix_rt::test]
     async fn test_response_json() {
         let mut app = init_service(App::new().service(web::resource("/people").route(
-            web::post().to(|person: web::Json<Person>| {
-                HttpResponse::Ok().json(person.into_inner())
-            }),
+            web::post().to(|person: web::Json<Person>| HttpResponse::Ok().json(person)),
         )))
         .await;
 
@@ -1142,9 +1140,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[actix_rt::test]
     async fn test_body_json() {
         let mut app = init_service(App::new().service(web::resource("/people").route(
-            web::post().to(|person: web::Json<Person>| {
-                HttpResponse::Ok().json(person.into_inner())
-            }),
+            web::post().to(|person: web::Json<Person>| HttpResponse::Ok().json(person)),
         )))
         .await;
 
@@ -1164,9 +1160,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[actix_rt::test]
     async fn test_request_response_form() {
         let mut app = init_service(App::new().service(web::resource("/people").route(
-            web::post().to(|person: web::Form<Person>| {
-                HttpResponse::Ok().json(person.into_inner())
-            }),
+            web::post().to(|person: web::Form<Person>| HttpResponse::Ok().json(person)),
         )))
         .await;
 
@@ -1190,9 +1184,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[actix_rt::test]
     async fn test_request_response_json() {
         let mut app = init_service(App::new().service(web::resource("/people").route(
-            web::post().to(|person: web::Json<Person>| {
-                HttpResponse::Ok().json(person.into_inner())
-            }),
+            web::post().to(|person: web::Json<Person>| HttpResponse::Ok().json(person)),
         )))
         .await;