diff --git a/llama-index-core/llama_index/core/readers/file/base.py b/llama-index-core/llama_index/core/readers/file/base.py
index a93394b8fcc33..476fc0c5b303c 100644
--- a/llama-index-core/llama_index/core/readers/file/base.py
+++ b/llama-index-core/llama_index/core/readers/file/base.py
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ def _try_loading_included_file_formats() -> Dict[str, Type[BaseReader]]:
             PptxReader,
             VideoAudioReader,
         )  # pants: no-infer-dep
+
+        from llama_index.readers import JSONReader
     except ImportError:
         raise ImportError("`llama-index-readers-file` package not found")
 
@@ -87,6 +89,7 @@ def _try_loading_included_file_formats() -> Dict[str, Type[BaseReader]]:
         ".ipynb": IPYNBReader,
         ".xls": PandasExcelReader,
         ".xlsx": PandasExcelReader,
+        ".json": JSONReader,
     }
     return default_file_reader_cls