diff --git a/packages/babel-generator/src/generators/types.js b/packages/babel-generator/src/generators/types.js
index 12054bad46..c3681cd2e5 100644
--- a/packages/babel-generator/src/generators/types.js
+++ b/packages/babel-generator/src/generators/types.js
@@ -204,11 +204,16 @@ export function StringLiteral(node: Object) {
   }
 
   // ensure the output is ASCII-safe
-  const opts = this.format.jsescOption;
-  if (this.format.jsonCompatibleStrings) {
-    opts.json = true;
-  }
-  const val = jsesc(node.value, opts);
+
+  const val = jsesc(
+    node.value,
+    process.env.BABEL_8_BREAKING
+      ? this.format.jsescOption
+      : Object.assign(
+          this.format.jsescOption,
+          this.format.jsonCompatibleStrings && { json: true },
+        ),
+  );
 
   return this.token(val);
 }
diff --git a/packages/babel-generator/src/index.js b/packages/babel-generator/src/index.js
index 176efa0255..da2eb2b3a1 100644
--- a/packages/babel-generator/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-generator/src/index.js
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ function normalizeOptions(code, opts): Format {
     compact: opts.compact,
     minified: opts.minified,
     concise: opts.concise,
-    jsonCompatibleStrings: opts.jsonCompatibleStrings,
     indent: {
       adjustMultilineComment: true,
       style: "  ",
@@ -61,6 +60,10 @@ function normalizeOptions(code, opts): Format {
     recordAndTupleSyntaxType: opts.recordAndTupleSyntaxType,
   };
 
+  if (!process.env.BABEL_8_BREAKING) {
+    format.jsonCompatibleStrings = opts.jsonCompatibleStrings;
+  }
+
   if (format.minified) {
     format.compact = true;
 
diff --git a/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape-babel-7/input.js b/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape-babel-7/input.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b999a74fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape-babel-7/input.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+0; // Not a directive
+"©";
diff --git a/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape-babel-7/options.json b/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape-babel-7/options.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ba70ab0a06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape-babel-7/options.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "BABEL_8_BREAKING": false,
+  "minified": true,
+  "jsonCompatibleStrings": true
+}
diff --git a/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape-babel-7/output.js b/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape-babel-7/output.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4da42cb397
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape-babel-7/output.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+0;// Not a directive
+"\u00A9";
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape/options.json b/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape/options.json
index 96bc693445..06448491ba 100644
--- a/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape/options.json
+++ b/packages/babel-generator/test/fixtures/escapes/jsonEscape/options.json
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {
+  "BABEL_8_BREAKING": true,
   "minified": true,
-  "jsonCompatibleStrings": true
+  "jsescOption": { "json": true }
 }