diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 293b17bdc..508a05a06 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ You can also get a string representation (serialize):
 
 ```cpp
 // explicit conversion to string
-std::string s = j.dump();    // {\"happy\": true, \"pi\": 3.141}
+std::string s = j.dump();    // {\"happy\":true,\"pi\":3.141}
 
 // serialization with pretty printing
 std::cout << j.dump(4) << std::endl;
@@ -142,8 +142,6 @@ std::cout << j.dump(4) << std::endl;
 // }
 ```
 
-The value of s could be `{"pi": 3.141, "happy": true}`, but the order of the entries in the object is not fixed.
-
 You can also use streams to serialize and deserialize:
 
 ```cpp
diff --git a/header_only/json.h b/header_only/json.h
index 78a368204..857e93761 100644
--- a/header_only/json.h
+++ b/header_only/json.h
@@ -982,7 +982,7 @@ std::string json::dump(const bool prettyPrint, const unsigned int indentStep,
             {
                 if (i != value_.array->begin())
                 {
-                    result += prettyPrint ? ",\n" : ", ";
+                    result += prettyPrint ? ",\n" : ",";
                 }
                 result += indent() + i->dump(prettyPrint, indentStep, currentIndent);
             }
@@ -1017,10 +1017,11 @@ std::string json::dump(const bool prettyPrint, const unsigned int indentStep,
             {
                 if (i != value_.object->begin())
                 {
-                    result += prettyPrint ? ",\n" : ", ";
+                    result += prettyPrint ? ",\n" : ",";
                 }
-                result += indent() + "\"" + i->first + "\": " + i->second.dump(prettyPrint, indentStep,
-                          currentIndent);
+                result += indent() + "\"" + i->first + "\":" + (prettyPrint ? " " : "") + i->second.dump(
+                              prettyPrint, indentStep,
+                              currentIndent);
             }
 
             // decrease indentation
diff --git a/src/json.cc b/src/json.cc
index 8370a7356..30c378776 100644
--- a/src/json.cc
+++ b/src/json.cc
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ std::string json::dump(const bool prettyPrint, const unsigned int indentStep,
             {
                 if (i != value_.array->begin())
                 {
-                    result += prettyPrint ? ",\n" : ", ";
+                    result += prettyPrint ? ",\n" : ",";
                 }
                 result += indent() + i->dump(prettyPrint, indentStep, currentIndent);
             }
@@ -565,10 +565,11 @@ std::string json::dump(const bool prettyPrint, const unsigned int indentStep,
             {
                 if (i != value_.object->begin())
                 {
-                    result += prettyPrint ? ",\n" : ", ";
+                    result += prettyPrint ? ",\n" : ",";
                 }
-                result += indent() + "\"" + i->first + "\": " + i->second.dump(prettyPrint, indentStep,
-                          currentIndent);
+                result += indent() + "\"" + i->first + "\":" + (prettyPrint ? " " : "") + i->second.dump(
+                              prettyPrint, indentStep,
+                              currentIndent);
             }
 
             // decrease indentation
diff --git a/test/json_unit.cc b/test/json_unit.cc
index c011e0050..fb3abbeba 100644
--- a/test/json_unit.cc
+++ b/test/json_unit.cc
@@ -1921,8 +1921,8 @@ TEST_CASE("Parser")
     {
         auto j23 = "{ \"a\": null, \"b\": true, \"c\": [1,2,3], \"d\": {\"a\": 0} }"_json;
 
-        CHECK(j23.dump() == "{\"a\": null, \"b\": true, \"c\": [1, 2, 3], \"d\": {\"a\": 0}}");
-        CHECK(j23.dump(-1) == "{\"a\": null, \"b\": true, \"c\": [1, 2, 3], \"d\": {\"a\": 0}}");
+        CHECK(j23.dump() == "{\"a\":null,\"b\":true,\"c\":[1,2,3],\"d\":{\"a\":0}}");
+        CHECK(j23.dump(-1) == "{\"a\":null,\"b\":true,\"c\":[1,2,3],\"d\":{\"a\":0}}");
         CHECK(j23.dump(0) ==
               "{\n\"a\": null,\n\"b\": true,\n\"c\": [\n1,\n2,\n3\n],\n\"d\": {\n\"a\": 0\n}\n}");
         CHECK(j23.dump(4) ==