diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 0c05f732..85a8be73 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ jobs:
       # The 3.3.0 release of molecule introduced a breaking change. See
       # https://github.com/ansible-community/molecule/issues/3083
       - name: Install molecule and openshift dependencies
-        run: pip install ansible "molecule<3.3.0" yamllint openshift flake8
+        run: pip install ansible "molecule<3.3.0" yamllint openshift flake8 jsonpatch
 
       # The latest release doesn't work with Molecule currently.
       # See: https://github.com/ansible-community/molecule/issues/2757
diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/83-k8s-fix-merge_type-json.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/83-k8s-fix-merge_type-json.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b7f7cd8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/83-k8s-fix-merge_type-json.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+bugfixes:
+  - k8s - fix merge_type option when set to json (https://github.com/ansible-collections/kubernetes.core/issues/54).
diff --git a/molecule/default/converge.yml b/molecule/default/converge.yml
index 6e9387a1..8a2d2f57 100644
--- a/molecule/default/converge.yml
+++ b/molecule/default/converge.yml
@@ -133,6 +133,14 @@
       tags:
         - always
 
+    - name: Include merge_type.yml
+      include_tasks:
+        file: tasks/merge_type.yml
+        apply:
+          tags: [ merge_type, k8s ]
+      tags:
+        - always
+
   roles:
     - role: helm
       tags:
diff --git a/molecule/default/tasks/merge_type.yml b/molecule/default/tasks/merge_type.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4a8f31e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/molecule/default/tasks/merge_type.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+- block:
+  - name: Define common facts
+    set_fact:
+      k8s_patch_namespace: "patch"
+      k8s_strategic_merge: "strategic-merge"
+      k8s_merge: "json-merge"
+      k8s_json: "json-patch"
+
+  - name: Ensure the namespace exist
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      kind: namespace
+      name: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+
+
+  # Strategic merge
+  - name: create a simple nginx deployment
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+      definition:
+        apiVersion: apps/v1
+        kind: Deployment
+        metadata:
+          name: "{{ k8s_strategic_merge }}"
+        spec:
+          replicas: 2
+          selector:
+            matchLabels:
+              app: nginx
+          template:
+            metadata:
+              labels:
+                app: nginx
+            spec:
+              containers:
+              - name: "{{ k8s_strategic_merge }}-ctr"
+                image: nginx
+              tolerations:
+              - effect: NoSchedule
+                key: dedicated
+                value: "test-strategic-merge"
+
+
+  - name: patch service using strategic merge
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      kind: Deployment
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+      name: "{{ k8s_strategic_merge }}"
+      definition:
+        spec:
+          template:
+            spec:
+              containers:
+              - name: "{{ k8s_strategic_merge }}-ctr-2"
+                image: redis
+    register: depl_patch
+
+  - name: validate that resource was patched
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - depl_patch.changed
+
+  - name: describe "{{ k8s_strategic_merge }}" deployment
+    kubernetes.core.k8s_info:
+      kind: Deployment
+      name: "{{ k8s_strategic_merge }}"
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+    register: deployment_out
+
+  - name: assert that deployment contains expected images
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - deployment_out.resources[0].spec.template.spec.containers | selectattr('image','equalto','nginx') | list | length == 1
+      - deployment_out.resources[0].spec.template.spec.containers | selectattr('image','equalto','redis') | list | length == 1
+
+  # Json merge
+  - name: create a simple nginx deployment (testing merge patch)
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+      definition:
+        apiVersion: apps/v1
+        kind: Deployment
+        metadata:
+          name: "{{ k8s_merge }}"
+        spec:
+          replicas: 2
+          selector:
+            matchLabels:
+              app: nginx
+          template:
+            metadata:
+              labels:
+                app: nginx
+            spec:
+              containers:
+              - name: "{{ k8s_merge }}-ctr"
+                image: nginx
+              tolerations:
+              - effect: NoSchedule
+                key: dedicated
+                value: "test-strategic-merge"
+
+
+  - name: patch service using json merge patch
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      kind: Deployment
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+      name: "{{ k8s_merge }}"
+      merge_type:
+      - merge
+      definition:
+        spec:
+          template:
+            spec:
+              containers:
+              - name: "{{ k8s_merge }}-ctr-2"
+                image: python
+    register: merge_patch
+
+  - name: validate that resource was patched
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - merge_patch.changed
+
+  - name: describe "{{ k8s_merge }}" deployment
+    kubernetes.core.k8s_info:
+      kind: Deployment
+      name: "{{ k8s_merge }}"
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+    register: merge_out
+
+  - name: assert that deployment contains expected images
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - merge_out.resources[0].spec.template.spec.containers | list | length == 1
+      - merge_out.resources[0].spec.template.spec.containers[0].image == 'python'
+
+  # Json
+  - name: create simple pod
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+      definition:
+        apiVersion: v1
+        kind: Pod
+        metadata:
+          name: "{{ k8s_json }}-pod"
+          labels:
+            name: "{{ k8s_json }}-pod"
+        spec:
+          containers:
+          - args:
+            - /bin/sh
+            - -c
+            - while true; do echo $(date); sleep 10; done
+            image: python:3.7-alpine
+            imagePullPolicy: Always
+            name: alpine
+
+  - name: Patch pod - update container image
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      kind: Pod
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+      name: "{{ k8s_json }}-pod"
+      merge_type:
+      - json
+      definition:
+      - op: replace
+        path: /spec/containers/0/image
+        value: python:3.8-alpine
+    register: pod_patch
+
+  - name: assert that patch was performed
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - pod_patch.changed
+
+  - name: describe Pod after patching
+    kubernetes.core.k8s_info:
+      kind: Pod
+      name: "{{ k8s_json }}-pod"
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+    register: describe_pod
+
+  - name: assert that image name has changed
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - describe_pod.resources[0].spec.containers[0].image == 'python:3.8-alpine'
+
+  - name: create a simple nginx deployment
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+      definition:
+        apiVersion: apps/v1
+        kind: Deployment
+        metadata:
+          name: "{{ k8s_json }}-depl"
+          labels:
+            name: "{{ k8s_json }}-depl"
+        spec:
+          replicas: 2
+          selector:
+            matchLabels:
+              app: nginx
+          template:
+            metadata:
+              labels:
+                app: nginx
+            spec:
+              containers:
+              - name: nginx-container
+                image: nginx
+                args:
+                - /bin/sh
+                - -c
+                - while true; do echo $(date); sleep 10; done
+
+  - name: Patch Nginx deployment command
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      kind: Deployment
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+      name: "{{ k8s_json }}-depl"
+      merge_type:
+      - json
+      definition:
+      - op: add
+        path: '/spec/template/spec/containers/0/args/-'
+        value: 'touch /var/log'
+    register: patch_out
+
+  - name: assert that patch succeed
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - patch_out.changed
+
+  - name: describe deployment after patching
+    kubernetes.core.k8s_info:
+      kind: Deployment
+      name: "{{ k8s_json }}-depl"
+      namespace: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+    register: describe_depl
+
+  - name: assert that args changed on deployment
+    assert:
+      that:
+      - describe_depl.resources[0].spec.template.spec.containers[0].args | length == 4
+
+  always:
+  - name: Ensure namespace has been deleted
+    kubernetes.core.k8s:
+      kind: namespace
+      name: "{{ k8s_patch_namespace }}"
+      state: absent
+    ignore_errors: yes
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/common.py b/plugins/module_utils/common.py
index 14d13e5c..203fa4a9 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/common.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/common.py
@@ -106,6 +106,17 @@ except ImportError as e:
     K8S_IMP_ERR = traceback.format_exc()
 
 
+JSON_PATCH_IMP_ERR = None
+try:
+    import jsonpatch
+    HAS_JSON_PATCH = True
+    jsonpatch_import_exception = None
+except ImportError as e:
+    HAS_JSON_PATCH = False
+    jsonpatch_import_exception = e
+    JSON_PATCH_IMP_ERR = traceback.format_exc()
+
+
 def configuration_digest(configuration):
     m = hashlib.sha256()
     for k in AUTH_ARG_MAP:
@@ -851,12 +862,42 @@ class K8sAnsibleMixin(object):
                     self.fail_json(msg=msg, **result)
             return result
 
+    def json_patch(self, existing, definition, merge_type):
+        if merge_type == "json":
+            if not HAS_JSON_PATCH:
+                error = {
+                    "msg": missing_required_lib('jsonpatch'),
+                    "exception": JSON_PATCH_IMP_ERR,
+                    "error": to_native(jsonpatch_import_exception)
+                }
+                return None, error
+            try:
+                patch = jsonpatch.JsonPatch([definition])
+                result_patch = patch.apply(existing.to_dict())
+                return result_patch, None
+            except jsonpatch.InvalidJsonPatch as e:
+                error = {
+                    "msg": "invalid json patch",
+                    "error": to_native(e)
+                }
+                return None, error
+            except jsonpatch.JsonPatchConflict as e:
+                error = {
+                    "msg": "patch could not be applied due to conflict situation",
+                    "error": to_native(e)
+                }
+                return None, error
+        return definition, None
+
     def patch_resource(self, resource, definition, existing, name, namespace, merge_type=None):
         try:
             params = dict(name=name, namespace=namespace)
             if merge_type:
                 params['content_type'] = 'application/{0}-patch+json'.format(merge_type)
-            k8s_obj = resource.patch(definition, **params).to_dict()
+            patch_data, error = self.json_patch(existing, definition, merge_type)
+            if error is not None:
+                return None, error
+            k8s_obj = resource.patch(patch_data, **params).to_dict()
             match, diffs = self.diff_objects(existing.to_dict(), k8s_obj)
             error = {}
             return k8s_obj, {}
diff --git a/plugins/modules/k8s.py b/plugins/modules/k8s.py
index 0672aa93..65152040 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/k8s.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/k8s.py
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ requirements:
   - "python >= 2.7"
   - "openshift >= 0.6"
   - "PyYAML >= 3.11"
+  - "jsonpatch"
 '''
 
 EXAMPLES = r'''
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 6ed70a79..9b495b2b 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 openshift>=0.6.2
 requests-oauthlib
+jsonpatch