diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
index 6b9154f..b5a2de0 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 ## Changes between 1.2.0-alpha1 and 1.2.0-beta1
 
+### monger.joda-time no longer requires clojure.data.json
+
+`monger.joda-time` no longer requires `clojure.data.json`. If `clojure.data.json` is available, it will be loaded
+and extended. If not, `monger.joda-time` will only extend Clojure reader and BSON dates serialization/deserialization.
+
+
+
 ### MongoDB Java driver 2.9.0
 
 MongoDB Java driver dependency has been updated to 2.9.0[-RC1].
diff --git a/project.clj b/project.clj
index 93b44d0..74422a6 100644
--- a/project.clj
+++ b/project.clj
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@
                                    [ring/ring-core         "1.1.0"]]
                    :plugins [[codox "0.6.1"]]
                    :codox {:sources ["src/clojure"]
-                           :output-dir "doc/api"}}}
+                           :output-dir "doc/api"}}
+             ;; only clj-time/JodaTime available, used to test monger.joda-time w/o clojure.data.json
+             :dev2 {:resource-paths ["test/resources"]
+                    :dependencies  [[clj-time "0.4.2"               :exclusions [org.clojure/clojure]]]}}
   :aliases {"all" ["with-profile" "dev:dev,1.4:dev,1.5"]
             "ci"  ["with-profile" "dev:dev,1.4:dev,1.5"]}
   :repositories {"sonatype" {:url "http://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/releases"
diff --git a/src/clojure/monger/joda_time.clj b/src/clojure/monger/joda_time.clj
index ebb5f92..2d03a06 100644
--- a/src/clojure/monger/joda_time.clj
+++ b/src/clojure/monger/joda_time.clj
@@ -17,9 +17,7 @@
             To use it, make sure you add dependencies on clj-time (or JodaTime) and clojure.data.json."} monger.joda-time
   (:import [org.joda.time DateTime DateTimeZone ReadableInstant]
            [org.joda.time.format ISODateTimeFormat])
-  (:use [monger.conversion])
-  (:require [clojure.data.json :as json]
-            clojurewerkz.support.json))
+  (:use [monger.conversion]))
 
 ;;
 ;; API
@@ -56,3 +54,16 @@
 (defmethod print-dup org.joda.time.base.AbstractInstant
   [^org.joda.time.base.AbstractInstant d out]
   (print-dup (.toDate d) out))
+
+
+;;
+;; JSON serialization
+;;
+
+(try
+  ;; try to load clojure.data.json. If available, load CLJW Support
+  ;; extensions.
+  (require 'clojure.data.json)
+  (require 'clojurewerkz.support.json)
+  (catch Throwable _
+    false))
\ No newline at end of file