diff --git a/applications/app/controllers/CrosswordsController.scala b/applications/app/controllers/CrosswordsController.scala
index dbbe78e15f30..d7808690e630 100644
--- a/applications/app/controllers/CrosswordsController.scala
+++ b/applications/app/controllers/CrosswordsController.scala
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import org.joda.time.{DateTime, LocalDate}
 import pages.{CrosswordHtmlPage, IndexHtmlPage, PrintableCrosswordHtmlPage}
 import play.api.data.Forms._
 import play.api.data._
+import play.api.libs.json.JsValue
 import play.api.libs.ws.WSClient
 import play.api.mvc._
 import renderers.DotcomRenderingService
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ class CrosswordPageController(
   }
   private def getDCRJson(crosswordPage: CrosswordPageWithContent, pageType: PageType)(implicit
       request: RequestHeader,
-  ): String =
+  ): JsValue =
     DotcomRenderingDataModel.toJson(
       DotcomRenderingDataModel.forCrossword(crosswordPage, request, pageType),
     )
diff --git a/applications/app/controllers/GalleryController.scala b/applications/app/controllers/GalleryController.scala
index fc749a3ab4aa..65fa2b76e6c3 100644
--- a/applications/app/controllers/GalleryController.scala
+++ b/applications/app/controllers/GalleryController.scala
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import contentapi.ContentApiClient
 import model._
 import model.dotcomrendering.{DotcomRenderingDataModel, PageType}
 import pages.GalleryHtmlPage
+import play.api.libs.json.JsValue
 import play.api.libs.ws.WSClient
 import play.api.mvc._
 import play.twirl.api.Html
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ class GalleryController(
 
   private def getDCRJson(galleryPage: GalleryPage, pageType: PageType, blocks: Blocks)(implicit
       request: RequestHeader,
-  ): String = {
+  ): JsValue = {
     DotcomRenderingDataModel.toJson(DotcomRenderingDataModel.forGallery(galleryPage, request, pageType, blocks))
   }
 
diff --git a/applications/app/controllers/ImageContentController.scala b/applications/app/controllers/ImageContentController.scala
index daa7310efcf9..278104e22461 100644
--- a/applications/app/controllers/ImageContentController.scala
+++ b/applications/app/controllers/ImageContentController.scala
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class ImageContentController(
 
   private def getDCRJson(content: ImageContentPage, pageType: PageType, mainBlock: Option[Block])(implicit
       request: RequestHeader,
-  ): String = {
+  ): JsValue = {
     DotcomRenderingDataModel.toJson(DotcomRenderingDataModel.forImageContent(content, request, pageType, mainBlock))
   }
 
diff --git a/applications/app/controllers/MediaController.scala b/applications/app/controllers/MediaController.scala
index 6d455b3af789..2e096897844f 100644
--- a/applications/app/controllers/MediaController.scala
+++ b/applications/app/controllers/MediaController.scala
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import implicits.{AppsFormat, JsonFormat}
 import model._
 import model.dotcomrendering.{DotcomRenderingDataModel, PageType}
 import pages.ContentHtmlPage
-import play.api.libs.json.{Format, JsObject, Json}
+import play.api.libs.json.{Format, JsObject, Json, JsValue}
 import play.api.libs.ws.WSClient
 import play.api.mvc._
 import renderers.DotcomRenderingService
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class MediaController(
 
   private def getDCRJson(content: MediaPage, pageType: PageType, blocks: Blocks)(implicit
       request: RequestHeader,
-  ): String = {
+  ): JsValue = {
     DotcomRenderingDataModel.toJson(DotcomRenderingDataModel.forMedia(content, request, pageType, blocks))
   }
 
diff --git a/article/app/controllers/ArticleController.scala b/article/app/controllers/ArticleController.scala
index 1ea08a3eb076..6ac328f52364 100644
--- a/article/app/controllers/ArticleController.scala
+++ b/article/app/controllers/ArticleController.scala
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import model.Cached.{RevalidatableResult, WithoutRevalidationResult}
 import model.dotcomrendering.{DotcomRenderingDataModel, PageType}
 import model._
 import pages.{ArticleEmailHtmlPage, ArticleHtmlPage}
-import play.api.libs.json.Json
+import play.api.libs.json.{Json, JsValue}
 import play.api.libs.ws.WSClient
 import play.api.mvc._
 import renderers.DotcomRenderingService
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class ArticleController(
 
   /** Returns a JSON representation of the payload that's sent to DCR when rendering the Article.
     */
-  private def getDCRJson(article: ArticlePage, blocks: Blocks)(implicit request: RequestHeader): String = {
+  private def getDCRJson(article: ArticlePage, blocks: Blocks)(implicit request: RequestHeader): JsValue = {
     val pageType: PageType = PageType(article, request, context)
     val newsletter = newsletterService.getNewsletterForArticle(article)
 
diff --git a/common/app/common/package.scala b/common/app/common/package.scala
index 51f51aeb4341..dc4ea81434e4 100644
--- a/common/app/common/package.scala
+++ b/common/app/common/package.scala
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import model.CacheTime.RecentlyUpdated
 import model.Cached.RevalidatableResult
 import model.{ApplicationContext, Cached, NoCache}
 import play.api.Logger
-import play.api.libs.json.{JsObject, JsString}
+import play.api.libs.json.{JsObject, JsString, JsValue}
 import play.api.mvc.{RequestHeader, Result}
 import play.twirl.api.Html
 import model.ApplicationContext
@@ -162,7 +162,10 @@ object `package`
       JsonComponent(page, json)
     }
 
-  def renderJson(json: String, page: model.Page)(implicit request: RequestHeader, context: ApplicationContext): Result =
+  def renderJson(json: JsValue, page: model.Page)(implicit
+      request: RequestHeader,
+      context: ApplicationContext,
+  ): Result =
     Cached(page) {
       RevalidatableResult.Ok(json)
     }
diff --git a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomBlocksRenderingDataModel.scala b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomBlocksRenderingDataModel.scala
index 6edc08e8aa59..edba663ef04a 100644
--- a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomBlocksRenderingDataModel.scala
+++ b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomBlocksRenderingDataModel.scala
@@ -58,9 +58,9 @@ object DotcomBlocksRenderingDataModel {
     }
   }
 
-  def toJson(model: DotcomBlocksRenderingDataModel): String = {
+  def toJson(model: DotcomBlocksRenderingDataModel): JsValue = {
     val jsValue = Json.toJson(model)
-    Json.stringify(DotcomRenderingUtils.withoutNull(jsValue))
+    DotcomRenderingUtils.withoutNull(jsValue)
   }
 
   def apply(
diff --git a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomFrontsRenderingDataModel.scala b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomFrontsRenderingDataModel.scala
index dbec33a6051b..d5fc57c7206d 100644
--- a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomFrontsRenderingDataModel.scala
+++ b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomFrontsRenderingDataModel.scala
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ object DotcomFrontsRenderingDataModel {
     )
   }
 
-  def toJson(model: DotcomFrontsRenderingDataModel): String = {
+  def toJson(model: DotcomFrontsRenderingDataModel): JsValue = {
     val jsValue = Json.toJson(model)
-    Json.stringify(DotcomRenderingUtils.withoutNull(jsValue))
+    DotcomRenderingUtils.withoutNull(jsValue)
   }
 }
diff --git a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomNewslettersPageRenderingDataModel.scala b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomNewslettersPageRenderingDataModel.scala
index 0754e2159071..46256ce4ddae 100644
--- a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomNewslettersPageRenderingDataModel.scala
+++ b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomNewslettersPageRenderingDataModel.scala
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ object DotcomNewslettersPageRenderingDataModel {
     )
   }
 
-  def toJson(model: DotcomNewslettersPageRenderingDataModel): String = {
+  def toJson(model: DotcomNewslettersPageRenderingDataModel): JsValue = {
     val jsValue = Json.toJson(model)
-    Json.stringify(DotcomRenderingUtils.withoutNull(jsValue))
+    DotcomRenderingUtils.withoutNull(jsValue)
   }
 
   private def convertNewsletterResponseToData(response: NewsletterResponseV2): NewsletterData = {
diff --git a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomRenderingDataModel.scala b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomRenderingDataModel.scala
index b8771ad55e77..cce1327fef43 100644
--- a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomRenderingDataModel.scala
+++ b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomRenderingDataModel.scala
@@ -191,9 +191,9 @@ object DotcomRenderingDataModel {
     }
   }
 
-  def toJson(model: DotcomRenderingDataModel): String = {
+  def toJson(model: DotcomRenderingDataModel): JsValue = {
     val jsValue = Json.toJson(model)
-    Json.stringify(withoutNull(jsValue))
+    withoutNull(jsValue)
   }
 
   def forInteractive(
diff --git a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomTagPagesRenderingDataModel.scala b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomTagPagesRenderingDataModel.scala
index 4a76a7bf9761..2cf5dc72cf7d 100644
--- a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomTagPagesRenderingDataModel.scala
+++ b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/DotcomTagPagesRenderingDataModel.scala
@@ -132,8 +132,8 @@ object DotcomTagPagesRenderingDataModel {
     )
   }
 
-  def toJson(model: DotcomTagPagesRenderingDataModel): String = {
+  def toJson(model: DotcomTagPagesRenderingDataModel): JsValue = {
     val jsValue = Json.toJson(model)
-    Json.stringify(DotcomRenderingUtils.withoutNull(jsValue))
+    DotcomRenderingUtils.withoutNull(jsValue)
   }
 }
diff --git a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/pageElements/EditionsCrosswordRenderingDataModel.scala b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/pageElements/EditionsCrosswordRenderingDataModel.scala
index 180e91803acd..3b6c92c1d835 100644
--- a/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/pageElements/EditionsCrosswordRenderingDataModel.scala
+++ b/common/app/model/dotcomrendering/pageElements/EditionsCrosswordRenderingDataModel.scala
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ package model.dotcomrendering.pageElements
 
 import com.gu.contentapi.client.model.v1.Crossword
 import com.gu.contentapi.json.CirceEncoders._
-import io.circe.JsonObject
 import io.circe.syntax._
 import implicits.Dates.CapiRichDateTime
+import model.dotcomrendering.DotcomRenderingUtils
+import play.api.libs.json.{JsObject, Json, JsValue}
 
 case class EditionsCrosswordRenderingDataModel(
     crosswords: Iterable[Crossword],
@@ -25,9 +26,10 @@ object EditionsCrosswordRenderingDataModel {
       }
     }))
 
-  def toJson(model: EditionsCrosswordRenderingDataModel): String = {
-    JsonObject(
-      "crosswords" -> model.crosswords.asJson.deepDropNullValues,
-    ).asJson.noSpaces
-  }
+  def toJson(model: EditionsCrosswordRenderingDataModel): JsValue =
+    DotcomRenderingUtils.withoutNull(
+      Json.obj(
+        "crosswords" -> Json.parse(model.crosswords.asJson.toString()),
+      ),
+    )
 }
diff --git a/common/app/renderers/DotcomRenderingService.scala b/common/app/renderers/DotcomRenderingService.scala
index 32d7e067a59a..14d2ed7c87d3 100644
--- a/common/app/renderers/DotcomRenderingService.scala
+++ b/common/app/renderers/DotcomRenderingService.scala
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import model.{
   RelatedContentItem,
   SimplePage,
 }
+import play.api.libs.json.JsValue
 import play.api.libs.ws.{WSClient, WSResponse}
 import play.api.mvc.Results.{InternalServerError, NotFound}
 import play.api.mvc.{RequestHeader, Result}
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ class DotcomRenderingService extends GuLogging with ResultWithPreconnectPreload
 
   private[this] def postWithoutHandler(
       ws: WSClient,
-      payload: String,
+      payload: JsValue,
       endpoint: String,
       timeout: Duration = Configuration.rendering.timeout,
   )(implicit request: RequestHeader): Future[WSResponse] = {
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ class DotcomRenderingService extends GuLogging with ResultWithPreconnectPreload
 
   private[this] def post(
       ws: WSClient,
-      payload: String,
+      payload: JsValue,
       endpoint: String,
       cacheTime: CacheTime,
       timeout: Duration = Configuration.rendering.timeout,
diff --git a/common/test/renderers/DotcomRenderingServiceTest.scala b/common/test/renderers/DotcomRenderingServiceTest.scala
index 7e3d2f4477c9..6f4fd2158cbe 100644
--- a/common/test/renderers/DotcomRenderingServiceTest.scala
+++ b/common/test/renderers/DotcomRenderingServiceTest.scala
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import org.scalatest.{BeforeAndAfterAll, DoNotDiscover, PrivateMethodTester}
 import org.scalatest.matchers.should.Matchers
 import test.{ConfiguredTestSuite, TestRequest, WithMaterializer, WithTestWsClient}
 import play.api.libs.ws.{WSClient, WSRequest, WSResponse}
+import play.api.libs.json.{JsString}
 import play.api.mvc.{Result}
 import conf.Configuration
 import org.mockito.Matchers.any
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ import org.scalatest.flatspec.AnyFlatSpec
   private val wsRequestMock = mock[WSRequest]
 
   "post" should "return a 404 for DCR 415 errors" in {
-    val payload = "payload"
+    val payload = JsString("payload")
     when(wsMock.url(any[String])).thenReturn(wsRequestMock)
     when(wsRequestMock.withRequestTimeout(any())).thenReturn(wsRequestMock)
     when(wsRequestMock.addHttpHeaders(any())).thenReturn(wsRequestMock)