diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/ext_json.py b/rhodecode/lib/ext_json.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/ext_json.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/ext_json.py
@@ -1,12 +1,20 @@
 import datetime
 import decimal
 import functools
-# we keep simplejson for having dump functionality still
-# orjson doesn't support it
-import simplejson as sjson
+import json as stdlib_json
 
-import orjson
-import orjson as json
+try:
+    # we keep simplejson for having dump functionality still
+    # orjson doesn't support it
+    import simplejson as sjson
+except ImportError:
+    sjson = stdlib_json
+
+try:
+    import orjson
+    import orjson as json
+except ImportError:
+    json = stdlib_json
 
 
 from rhodecode.lib.datelib import is_aware
@@ -27,10 +35,11 @@ def _obj_dump(obj):
 
     :param obj:
     """
+
+    if isinstance(obj, set):
+        return list(obj)
     # See "Date Time String Format" in the ECMA-262 specification.
     # some code borrowed from django 1.4
-    if isinstance(obj, set):
-        return list(obj)
     elif isinstance(obj, datetime.datetime):
         r = obj.isoformat()
         if isinstance(obj.microsecond, int):
@@ -40,6 +49,8 @@ def _obj_dump(obj):
         return r
     elif isinstance(obj, datetime.date):
         return obj.isoformat()
+    elif isinstance(obj, decimal.Decimal):
+        return str(obj)
     elif isinstance(obj, datetime.time):
         if is_aware(obj):
             raise TypeError("Time-zone aware times are not JSON serializable")
@@ -52,8 +63,6 @@ def _obj_dump(obj):
             return obj.__json__()
         else:
             return obj.__json__
-    elif isinstance(obj, decimal.Decimal):
-        return str(obj)
     elif isinstance(obj, complex):
         return [obj.real, obj.imag]
     elif rhodecode and isinstance(obj, rhodecode.translation._LazyString):