diff --git a/lua/lazyvim/config/init.lua b/lua/lazyvim/config/init.lua
index 07bb1ed6..4a9a0f22 100644
--- a/lua/lazyvim/config/init.lua
+++ b/lua/lazyvim/config/init.lua
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ local defaults = {
 M.json = {
   data = {
     version = nil, ---@type string?
-    hashes = {}, ---@type table<string, string>
+    news = {}, ---@type table<string, string>
     extras = {}, ---@type string[]
   },
 }
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ function M.json.load()
     local ok, json = pcall(vim.json.decode, data, { luanil = { object = true, array = true } })
     if ok then
       M.json.data = vim.tbl_deep_extend("force", M.json.data, json or {})
+      if M.json.data.hashes then
+        ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: no-unknown
+        M.json.data.hashes = nil
+        M.json.save()
+      end
     end
   end
 end
@@ -152,7 +157,7 @@ function M.json.save()
   local path = vim.fn.stdpath("config") .. "/lazyvim.json"
   local f = io.open(path, "w")
   if f then
-    f:write(vim.json.encode(M.json.data))
+    f:write(Util.json.encode(M.json.data))
     f:close()
   end
 end
diff --git a/lua/lazyvim/util/init.lua b/lua/lazyvim/util/init.lua
index 2751e8e6..ac2b4055 100644
--- a/lua/lazyvim/util/init.lua
+++ b/lua/lazyvim/util/init.lua
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ local LazyUtil = require("lazy.core.util")
 ---@field extras lazyvim.util.extras
 ---@field inject lazyvim.util.inject
 ---@field news lazyvim.util.news
+---@field json lazyvim.util.json
 local M = {}
 
 ---@type table<string, string|string[]>
diff --git a/lua/lazyvim/util/json.lua b/lua/lazyvim/util/json.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..73c4fb15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua/lazyvim/util/json.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+local Util = require("lazyvim.util")
+
+---@class lazyvim.util.json
+local M = {}
+
+---@param value any
+---@param indent string
+local function encode(value, indent)
+  local t = type(value)
+
+  if t == "string" then
+    return string.format("%q", value)
+  elseif t == "number" or t == "boolean" then
+    return tostring(value)
+  elseif t == "table" then
+    local is_list = Util.is_list(value)
+    local parts = {}
+    local next_indent = indent .. "  "
+
+    if is_list then
+      ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: no-unknown
+      for _, v in ipairs(value) do
+        local e = encode(v, next_indent)
+        if e then
+          table.insert(parts, next_indent .. e)
+        end
+      end
+      return "[\n" .. table.concat(parts, ",\n") .. "\n" .. indent .. "]"
+    else
+      local keys = vim.tbl_keys(value)
+      table.sort(keys)
+      ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: no-unknown
+      for _, k in ipairs(keys) do
+        local e = encode(value[k], next_indent)
+        if e then
+          table.insert(parts, next_indent .. string.format("%q", k) .. ": " .. e)
+        end
+      end
+      return "{\n" .. table.concat(parts, ",\n") .. "\n" .. indent .. "}"
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+function M.encode(value)
+  return encode(value, "")
+end
+
+return M
diff --git a/lua/lazyvim/util/news.lua b/lua/lazyvim/util/news.lua
index 4e28148b..a4517bf5 100644
--- a/lua/lazyvim/util/news.lua
+++ b/lua/lazyvim/util/news.lua
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ end
 ---@param file string
 ---@param opts? {plugin?:string, rtp?:boolean, when_changed?:boolean}
 function M.open(file, opts)
+  local ref = file
   opts = opts or {}
   if opts.plugin then
     local plugin = require("lazy.core.config").plugins[opts.plugin] --[[@as LazyPlugin?]]
@@ -55,10 +56,10 @@ function M.open(file, opts)
 
   if opts.when_changed then
     local hash = M.hash(file)
-    if hash == Config.json.data.hashes[file] then
+    if hash == Config.json.data.news[ref] then
       return
     end
-    Config.json.data.hashes[file] = hash
+    Config.json.data.news[ref] = hash
     Config.json.save()
   end