diff --git a/serde/json/serializer.nim b/serde/json/serializer.nim
index 2b208e7..bbf86db 100644
--- a/serde/json/serializer.nim
+++ b/serde/json/serializer.nim
@@ -125,7 +125,11 @@ func `%`*[T: distinct](id: T): JsonNode =
   type baseType = T.distinctBase
   % baseType(id)
 
-proc toJson*[T](item: T): string = $(%item)
+proc toJson*[T](item: T, pretty = false): string =
+  if pretty:
+    (%item).pretty
+  else:
+    $(%item)
 
 proc toJsnImpl(x: NimNode): NimNode =
   case x.kind
diff --git a/tests/json/testSerialize.nim b/tests/json/testSerialize.nim
index a97c895..e28aa69 100644
--- a/tests/json/testSerialize.nim
+++ b/tests/json/testSerialize.nim
@@ -93,4 +93,27 @@ suite "json serialization - serialize":
                         "myint": 1
                       }""".flatten
 
-    check $obj == expected
\ No newline at end of file
+    check $obj == expected
+
+  test "serializes to string with toJson":
+    type MyObj = object
+      mystring {.serialize.}: string
+      myint {.serialize.}: int
+
+    let obj = MyObj(mystring: "abc", myint: 1)
+    let expected = """{"mystring":"abc","myint":1}"""
+
+    check obj.toJson == expected
+
+  test "serializes prettied to string with toJson":
+    type MyObj = object
+      mystring {.serialize.}: string
+      myint {.serialize.}: int
+
+    let obj = MyObj(mystring: "abc", myint: 1)
+    let expected = """{
+  "mystring": "abc",
+  "myint": 1
+}"""
+
+    check obj.toJson(pretty=true) == expected
\ No newline at end of file