diff --git a/src/emqx_json.erl b/src/emqx_json.erl
index c81c9b06b..93243f7ac 100644
--- a/src/emqx_json.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_json.erl
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ safe_decode(Json, Opts) ->
           , from_ejson/1
           ]}).
 
-to_ejson([[{_,_}]|_] = L) ->
+to_ejson([[{_,_}|_]|_] = L) ->
     [to_ejson(E) || E <- L];
 to_ejson([{_, _}|_] = L) ->
     lists:foldl(
diff --git a/test/emqx_json_SUITE.erl b/test/emqx_json_SUITE.erl
index 434180cb9..67f8108c5 100644
--- a/test/emqx_json_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqx_json_SUITE.erl
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ t_decode_encode(_) ->
     [{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}] = decode(encode({[{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}]})),
     [{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}] = decode(encode([{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}])),
     [[{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}]] = decode(encode([[{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}]])),
+    [[{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>},
+      {<<"a">>, <<"b">>}],
+     [{<<"x">>, <<"y">>}]] = decode(encode([[{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>},
+                                             {<<"a">>, <<"b">>}],
+                                            [{<<"x">>, <<"y">>}]])),
     #{<<"foo">> := <<"bar">>} = decode(encode(#{<<"foo">> => <<"bar">>}), [return_maps]),
     JsonText = <<"{\"bool\":true,\"int\":10,\"foo\":\"bar\"}">>,
     JsonMaps = #{<<"bool">> => true,