diff --git a/src/main/java/com/snowflake/snowpark_java/SessionBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/snowflake/snowpark_java/SessionBuilder.java
index 1e9c2c49..330e9f87 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/snowflake/snowpark_java/SessionBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/snowflake/snowpark_java/SessionBuilder.java
@@ -82,8 +82,21 @@ public Session getOrCreate() {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Adds the app name to set in the query_tag after session creation. The query tag will be set
-   * with this format 'APPNAME=${appName}'.
+   * Adds the app name to set in the query_tag after session creation.
+   *
+   * <p>Since version 1.13.0, the app name is set to the query tag in JSON format. For example:
+   * <pre>{@code
+   * Session session = Session.builder().appName("myApp").configFile(myConfigFile).create();
+   * System.out.println(session.getQueryTag().get());
+   * {"APPNAME":"myApp"}
+   * }</pre>
+   *
+   * <p>In previous versions it is set using a key=value format. For example:
+   * <pre>{@code
+   * Session session = Session.builder().appName("myApp").configFile(myConfigFile).create();
+   * System.out.println(session.getQueryTag().get());
+   * APPNAME=myApp
+   * }</pre>
    *
    * @param appName Name of the app.
    * @return A {@code SessionBuilder} object
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/snowflake/snowpark/Session.scala b/src/main/scala/com/snowflake/snowpark/Session.scala
index 2b6c580d..90f7b83e 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/snowflake/snowpark/Session.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/snowflake/snowpark/Session.scala
@@ -1502,7 +1502,20 @@ object Session extends Logging {
 
     /**
      * Adds the app name to set in the query_tag after session creation.
-     * The query tag will be set with this format 'APPNAME=${appName}'.
+     *
+     * Since version 1.13.0, the app name is set to the query tag in JSON format. For example:
+     * {{{
+     *   val session = Session.builder.appName("myApp").configFile(myConfigFile).create
+     *   print(session.getQueryTag().get)
+     *   {"APPNAME":"myApp"}
+     * }}}
+     *
+     * In previous versions it is set using a key=value format. For example:
+     * {{{
+     *   val session = Session.builder.appName("myApp").configFile(myConfigFile).create
+     *   print(session.getQueryTag().get)
+     *   APPNAME=myApp
+     * }}}
      *
      * @param appName Name of the app.
      * @return A [[SessionBuilder]]
@@ -1576,7 +1589,8 @@ object Session extends Logging {
       val session = createInternal(None)
       val appName = this.appName
       if (appName.isDefined) {
-        session.setQueryTag(s"APPNAME=${appName.get}")
+        val appNameTag = s"""{"APPNAME":"${appName.get}"}"""
+        session.updateQueryTag(appNameTag)
       }
       session
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/snowflake/snowpark_test/JavaSessionNonStoredProcSuite.java b/src/test/java/com/snowflake/snowpark_test/JavaSessionNonStoredProcSuite.java
index e651c948..04cd7822 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/snowflake/snowpark_test/JavaSessionNonStoredProcSuite.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/snowflake/snowpark_test/JavaSessionNonStoredProcSuite.java
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ public void sessionBuilderConfigs() {
   @Test
   public void appName() {
     String appName = "my-app";
-    String expectedAppName = String.format("APPNAME=%s", appName);
+    String expectedAppName = String.format("{\"APPNAME\":\"%s\"}", appName);
     Session session = Session.builder().configFile(defaultProfile).appName(appName).create();
     assert (expectedAppName.equals(session.getQueryTag().get()));
   }
diff --git a/src/test/scala/com/snowflake/snowpark_test/SessionSuite.scala b/src/test/scala/com/snowflake/snowpark_test/SessionSuite.scala
index 3a4a2dbc..4713ea66 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/com/snowflake/snowpark_test/SessionSuite.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/com/snowflake/snowpark_test/SessionSuite.scala
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ class SessionSuite extends SNTestBase {
 
   test("Set an app name in the query tag") {
     val appName = "my_app"
-    val expectedAppName = s"APPNAME=$appName"
+    val expectedAppName = s"""{"APPNAME":"$appName"}"""
     val newSession = Session.builder.appName(appName).configFile(defaultProfile).create
     assert(getParameterValue("query_tag", newSession) == expectedAppName)
   }