diff --git a/chainweb.cabal b/chainweb.cabal
index d711aa6a6..4aa928828 100644
--- a/chainweb.cabal
+++ b/chainweb.cabal
@@ -351,7 +351,6 @@ library
     build-depends:
         , Decimal >= 0.4.2
         , aeson >= 2.2
-        , aeson-pretty >= 0.8
         , asn1-encoding >=0.9
         , asn1-types >=0.3
         , async >= 2.2
diff --git a/src/Chainweb/Pact/PactService.hs b/src/Chainweb/Pact/PactService.hs
index 60fd8c607..ab7ca2123 100644
--- a/src/Chainweb/Pact/PactService.hs
+++ b/src/Chainweb/Pact/PactService.hs
@@ -812,7 +812,7 @@ execReadOnlyReplay lowerBound maybeUpperBound = pactLabel "execReadOnlyReplay" $
             let
                 printValidationError (BlockValidationFailure (BlockValidationFailureMsg m)) = do
                     writeIORef validationFailedRef True
-                    logFunctionText logger Error m
+                    logFunctionText logger Error (J.getJsonText m)
                 printValidationError e = throwM e
                 handleMissingBlock NoHistory = throwM $ BlockHeaderLookupFailure $
                   "execReadOnlyReplay: missing block: " <> sshow bh
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ execReadOnlyReplay lowerBound maybeUpperBound = pactLabel "execReadOnlyReplay" $
             )
         validationFailed <- readIORef validationFailedRef
         when validationFailed $
-            throwM $ BlockValidationFailure $ BlockValidationFailureMsg "Prior block validation errors"
+            throwM $ BlockValidationFailure $ BlockValidationFailureMsg $ J.encodeJsonText ("Prior block validation errors" :: Text)
         return r
 
     heightProgress :: BlockHeight -> BlockHeight -> IORef BlockHeight -> (Text -> IO ()) -> IO ()
diff --git a/src/Chainweb/Pact/PactService/ExecBlock.hs b/src/Chainweb/Pact/PactService/ExecBlock.hs
index 78b3ef88f..adb6b35d5 100644
--- a/src/Chainweb/Pact/PactService/ExecBlock.hs
+++ b/src/Chainweb/Pact/PactService/ExecBlock.hs
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ import Control.Monad.Reader
 import Control.Monad.State.Strict
 
 import qualified Data.Aeson as A
-import qualified Data.Aeson.Encode.Pretty as A
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Short as SB
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as BL
 import Data.Decimal
@@ -565,16 +564,12 @@ validateHashes bHeader payload miner transactions =
     if newHash == prevHash
       then Right actualPwo
       else Left $ BlockValidationFailure $ BlockValidationFailureMsg $
-        prettyJson $ J.encodeText $ J.object
+        J.encodeJsonText $ J.object
             [ "header" J..= J.encodeWithAeson (ObjectEncoded bHeader)
             , "mismatch" J..= errorMsg "Payload hash" prevHash newHash
             , "details" J..= difference
             ]
   where
-    prettyJson txt = case A.eitherDecodeStrict @A.Value (T.encodeUtf8 txt) of
-      Right obj -> T.cons '\n' $ T.decodeUtf8 $ BL.toStrict $ A.encodePretty obj
-      Left err -> error $ "validateHashes: impossible JSON decode failure: " <> show err
-
     actualPwo = toPayloadWithOutputs miner transactions
 
     newHash = _payloadWithOutputsPayloadHash actualPwo
diff --git a/src/Chainweb/Pact/Service/Types.hs b/src/Chainweb/Pact/Service/Types.hs
index ea5edb8f9..0b483510d 100644
--- a/src/Chainweb/Pact/Service/Types.hs
+++ b/src/Chainweb/Pact/Service/Types.hs
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ data LocalPreflightSimulation
     | LegacySimulation
     deriving stock (Eq, Show, Generic)
 
-newtype BlockValidationFailureMsg = BlockValidationFailureMsg Text
+newtype BlockValidationFailureMsg = BlockValidationFailureMsg J.JsonText
     deriving (Eq, Ord, Generic)
     deriving newtype (J.Encode)