diff --git a/src/Aggregation/GlobalAggregation.php b/src/Aggregation/GlobalAggregation.php
index 41c3d627f4..611309594c 100644
--- a/src/Aggregation/GlobalAggregation.php
+++ b/src/Aggregation/GlobalAggregation.php
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@
  */
 class GlobalAggregation extends AbstractAggregation
 {
+    public function toArray(): array
+    {
+        $array = parent::toArray();
+        // Force json encoding to object
+        $array[$this->_getBaseName()] = new \ArrayObject();
+
+        return $array;
+    }
+
     protected function _getBaseName()
     {
         return 'global';
diff --git a/tests/Aggregation/GlobalAggregationTest.php b/tests/Aggregation/GlobalAggregationTest.php
index d8b14fe247..595724ce9c 100644
--- a/tests/Aggregation/GlobalAggregationTest.php
+++ b/tests/Aggregation/GlobalAggregationTest.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class GlobalAggregationTest extends BaseAggregationTest
     public function testToArray(): void
     {
         $expected = [
-            'global' => [],
+            'global' => new \ArrayObject(),
             'aggs' => [
                 'avg_price' => ['avg' => ['field' => 'price']],
             ],
@@ -27,5 +27,9 @@ public function testToArray(): void
         $avg->setField('price');
         $agg->addAggregation($avg);
         $this->assertEquals($expected, $agg->toArray());
+        $this->assertSame(
+            '{"global":{},"aggs":{"avg_price":{"avg":{"field":"price"}}}}',
+            \json_encode($agg->toArray())
+        );
     }
 }