diff --git a/compiler/cpp/src/thrift/generate/t_go_generator.cc b/compiler/cpp/src/thrift/generate/t_go_generator.cc
index 9e1865f95e..49415cb12a 100644
--- a/compiler/cpp/src/thrift/generate/t_go_generator.cc
+++ b/compiler/cpp/src/thrift/generate/t_go_generator.cc
@@ -1425,8 +1425,15 @@ void t_go_generator::generate_go_struct_definition(ostream& out,
   out << indent() << "return \"<nil>\"" << '\n';
   indent_down();
   out << indent() << "}" << '\n';
-  out << indent() << "return fmt.Sprintf(\"" << escape_string(tstruct_name) << "(%+v)\", *p)"
-      << '\n';
+  if (stringer_mode_ == STRINGER_MODE_FMT) {
+    out << indent() << "return fmt.Sprintf(\"" << escape_string(tstruct_name) << "(%+v)\", *p)"
+        << '\n';
+  } else if (stringer_mode_ == STRINGER_MODE_JSON) {
+    out << indent() << "v, _ := json.Marshal(p)" << '\n';
+    out << indent() << "return \"" << escape_string(tstruct_name) << "\" + string(v)" << '\n';
+  } else {
+    throw "invalid stringer mode: " + stringer_mode_;
+  }
   indent_down();
   out << indent() << "}" << '\n' << '\n';
 
@@ -4397,4 +4404,6 @@ THRIFT_REGISTER_GENERATOR(go, "Go",
                           "    read_write_private\n"
                           "                     Make read/write methods private, default is public Read/Write\n"
                           "    skip_remote\n"
-                          "                     Skip the generating of -remote folders for the client binaries for services\n")
+                          "                     Skip the generating of -remote folders for the client binaries for services\n"
+                          "    stringer_mode=\n"
+                          "                     Stringer implementation mode: " + STRINGER_MODE_FMT + ", " + STRINGER_MODE_JSON + ". Default:" + STRINGER_MODE_DEFAULT + "\n")
diff --git a/compiler/cpp/src/thrift/generate/t_go_generator.h b/compiler/cpp/src/thrift/generate/t_go_generator.h
index 72825bc9ca..251a0b33e7 100644
--- a/compiler/cpp/src/thrift/generate/t_go_generator.h
+++ b/compiler/cpp/src/thrift/generate/t_go_generator.h
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ using std::vector;
 
 const string DEFAULT_THRIFT_IMPORT = "github.com/apache/thrift/lib/go/thrift";
 static std::string package_flag;
+const string STRINGER_MODE_FMT = "fmt";
+const string STRINGER_MODE_JSON = "json";
+const string STRINGER_MODE_DEFAULT = STRINGER_MODE_FMT;
 
 /**
  * Go code generator.
@@ -65,6 +68,7 @@ class t_go_generator : public t_generator {
     read_write_private_ = false;
     ignore_initialisms_ = false;
     skip_remote_ = false;
+    stringer_mode_ = STRINGER_MODE_DEFAULT;
     for (iter = parsed_options.begin(); iter != parsed_options.end(); ++iter) {
       if (iter->first.compare("package_prefix") == 0) {
         gen_package_prefix_ = (iter->second);
@@ -78,6 +82,12 @@ class t_go_generator : public t_generator {
         ignore_initialisms_ = true;
       } else if( iter->first.compare("skip_remote") == 0) {
         skip_remote_ =  true;
+      } else if (iter->first.compare("stringer_mode") == 0) {
+        if (iter->second.compare(STRINGER_MODE_FMT) != 0 &&
+            iter->second.compare(STRINGER_MODE_JSON) != 0) {
+          throw "bad stringer_mode:" + iter->second;
+        }
+        stringer_mode_ = iter->second;
       } else {
         throw "unknown option go:" + iter->first;
       }
@@ -298,6 +308,7 @@ class t_go_generator : public t_generator {
   bool read_write_private_;
   bool ignore_initialisms_;
   bool skip_remote_;
+  std::string stringer_mode_;
 
   /**
    * File streams