[jsonencoder]: wrote most of the code, haven't even compiled yet, let alone tested.
diff --git a/upb/json_encode.c b/upb/json_encode.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5838bab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/upb/json_encode.c
@@ -0,0 +1,577 @@
+
+#include "upb/jsonencode.h"
+
+#include <ctype.h>
+#include <float.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "upb/decoder.h"
+#include "upb/port_def.inc"
+#include "upb/reflection.h"
+
+typedef struct {
+  char *buf, *ptr, *end;
+  size_t overflow;
+  int indent_depth;
+  int options;
+  const upb_symtab *ext_pool;
+  upb_arena *arena;
+} jsonenc;
+
+static void jsonenc_msg(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg, const upb_msgdef *m);
+
+static void jsonenc_putbytes(jsonenc *e, const void *data, size_t len) {
+  size_t have = e->end - e->ptr;
+  if (UPB_LIKELY(have >= len)) {
+    memcpy(e->ptr, data, len);
+    e->ptr += len;
+  } else {
+    memcpy(e->ptr, data, have);
+    e->ptr += have;
+    e->overflow += (len - have);
+  }
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_putstr(jsonenc *e, const char *str) {
+  jsonenc_putbytes(e, str, strlen(str));
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_printf(jsonenc *e, const char *fmt, ...) {
+  size_t n;
+  size_t have = e->end - e->ptr;
+  va_list args;
+
+  va_start(args, fmt);
+  n = _upb_vsnprintf(e->ptr, have, fmt, args);
+  va_end(args);
+
+  if (UPB_LIKELY(have > n)) {
+    e->ptr += n;
+  } else {
+    e->ptr += have;
+    e->overflow += (n - have);
+  }
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_nanos(jsonenc *e, int32_t nanos) {
+  const char zeros[3] = "000";
+
+  if (nanos == 0) return;
+  if (nanos < 0 || nanos >= 1000000000) {
+    jsonenc_err(e, "error formatting timestamp as JSON: invalid nanos");
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_printf(e, "%09" PRId32, nanos);
+
+  /* Remove trailing zeros, 3 at a time. */
+  while ((e->ptr - e->buf) >= 3 && memcmp(e->ptr, zeros, 3) == 0) {
+    e->ptr -= 3;
+  }
+}
+
+static bool jsonenc_timestamp(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg,
+                              const upb_msgdef *m) {
+  const upb_fielddef *seconds_f = upb_msgdef_itof(m, 1);
+  const upb_fielddef *nanos_f = upb_msgdef_itof(m, 2);
+  int64_t seconds = upb_msg_get(msg, seconds_f).int64_val;
+  int32_t nanos = upb_msg_get(msg, nanos_f).int32_val;
+  int L, N, I, J, K, h, m, s;
+
+  if (seconds < -62135596800) {
+    jsonenc_err(e,
+                "error formatting timestamp as JSON: minimum acceptable value "
+                "is 0001-01-01T00:00:00Z");
+  } else if (seconds > 253402300799) {
+    jsonenc_err(e,
+                "error formatting timestamp as JSON: maximum acceptable value "
+                "is 9999-12-31T23:59:59Z");
+  }
+
+  /* Julian Day -> Y/M/D, Algorithm from:
+   * Fliegel, H. F., and Van Flandern, T. C., "A Machine Algorithm for
+   *   Processing Calendar Dates," Communications of the Association of
+   *   Computing Machines, vol. 11 (1968), p. 657.  */
+  L = days + adjustment;
+  N = 4 * L / 146097;
+  L = L - (146097 * N + 3) / 4;
+  I = 4000 * (L + 1) / 1461001;
+  L = L - 1461 * I / 4 + 31;
+  J = 80 * L / 2447;
+  K = L - 2447 * J / 80;
+  L = J / 11;
+  J = J + 2 - 12 * L;
+  I = 100 * (N - 49) + I + L;
+
+  s = seconds % 60;
+  m = (seconds / 60) % 60;
+  h = (seconds / 3600) % 24;
+
+  jsonenc_printf(e, "\"%04d-%02d-%02dT%02d:%02d:%02d", I, J, K, h, m, s);
+  jsonenc_nanos(nanos);
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "Z\"");
+}
+
+static bool jsonenc_duration(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg, const upb_msgdef *m) {
+  const upb_fielddef *seconds_f = upb_msgdef_itof(m, 1);
+  const upb_fielddef *nanos_f = upb_msgdef_itof(m, 2);
+  int64_t seconds = upb_msg_get(msg, seconds_f).int64_val;
+  int32_t nanos = upb_msg_get(msg, nanos_f).int32_val;
+
+  if (seconds > 315576000000 || seconds < -315576000000 ||
+      (seconds < 0) != (nanos < 0)) {
+    jsonenc_err(e, "bad duration");
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_printf(e, "\"%" PRId64, seconds);
+  jsonenc_nanos(e, nanos);
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "s\"");
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_enum(int32_t val, const upb_fielddef *f, jsonenc *e) {
+  const upb_enumdef *e_def = upb_fielddef_enumsubdef(f);
+  const char *name = upb_enumdef_iton(e_def, val);
+
+  if (name) {
+    jsonenc_printf(e, "\"%s\"", name);
+  } else {
+    jsonenc_printf(e, "%" PRId32, val);
+  }
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_bytes(jsonenc *e, upb_strview str) {
+  /* This is the regular base64, not the "web-safe" version. */
+  static const char base64[] =
+      "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/";
+  const char *ptr = str.data;
+  const char *end = ptr + str.size;
+  char buf[4];
+
+  jsonenc_putstr(p, "\"");
+
+  while (end - ptr >= 3) {
+    buf[0] = base64[ptr[0] >> 2];
+    buf[1] = base64[((ptr[0] & 0x3) << 4) | (ptr[1] >> 4)];
+    buf[2] = base64[((ptr[1] & 0xf) << 2) | (ptr[2] >> 6)];
+    buf[3] = base64[ptr[2] & 0x3f];
+    jsonenc_putbytes(buf, 4);
+    ptr += 3;
+  }
+
+  switch (end - ptr) {
+    case 2:
+      buf[0] = base64[from[0] >> 2];
+      buf[1] = base64[((from[0] & 0x3) << 4) | (from[1] >> 4)];
+      buf[2] = base64[(from[1] & 0xf) << 2];
+      buf[3] = '=';
+      jsonenc_putbytes(buf, 4);
+      break;
+    case 1:
+      buf[0] = base64[from[0] >> 2];
+      buf[1] = base64[((from[0] & 0x3) << 4)];
+      buf[2] = '=';
+      buf[3] = '=';
+      jsonenc_putbytes(buf, 4);
+      break;
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putstr(p, "\"");
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_string(jsonenc *e, upb_strview str) {
+  const char *ptr = str.data;
+  const char *end = ptr + str.size;
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "\"");
+
+  while (ptr < end) {
+    switch (*ptr) {
+      case '\n':
+        jsonenc_putstr(e, "\\n");
+        break;
+      case '\r':
+        jsonenc_putstr(e, "\\r");
+        break;
+      case '\t':
+        jsonenc_putstr(e, "\\t");
+        break;
+      case '\"':
+        jsonenc_putstr(e, "\\\"");
+        break;
+      case '\f':
+        jsonenc_putstr(e, "\f'");
+        break;
+      case '\b':
+        jsonenc_putstr(e, "\b'");
+        break;
+      case '\\':
+        jsonenc_putstr(e, "\\\\");
+        break;
+      default:
+        if ((uint8_t)*ptr < 0x20) {
+          jsonenc_printf(e, "\\u%04x", (int)(uint8_t)*ptr);
+        } else {
+          /* This could be a non-ASCII byte.  We rely on the string being valid
+           * UTF-8. */
+          jsonenc_putbytes(ptr, 1);
+        }
+        break;
+    }
+    ptr++;
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "\"");
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_double(jsonenc *e, const char *fmt, double val) {
+  switch (val) {
+    case UPB_INFINITY:
+      jsonenc_putstr(e, "\"Infinity\"");
+      break;
+    case -UPB_INFINITY:
+      jsonenc_putstr(e, "\"-Infinity\"");
+      break;
+    default:
+      jsonenc_printf(e, fmt, val);
+      break;
+  }
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_wrapper(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg,
+                            const upb_msgdef *m) {
+  const upb_fielddef *val_f = upb_msgdef_itof(m, 1);
+  upb_msgval val = upb_msg_get(m, val_f);
+  jsonenc_msgval(e, val, val_f);
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_any(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg, const upb_msgdef *m) {
+  const upb_fielddef *type_url_f = upb_msgdef_itof(m, 1);
+  const upb_fielddef *value_f = upb_msgdef_itof(m, 1);
+  upb_strview type_url = upb_msg_get(msg, type_url_f).str_val;
+  upb_strview value = upb_msg_get(msg, value_f).str_val;
+  const upb_msgdef *any_m = jsonenc_getanymsg(e, type_url);
+  const upb_msg *any = upb_msg_new(any_m, e->arena);
+  const upb_msglayout *any_layout = upb_msgdef_layout(any_m);
+
+  if (!upb_decode(value.data, value.size, any, any_layout, e->arena)) {
+    jsonenc_err("Error decoding message in Any");
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "{\"@type\": ");
+  jsonenc_string(e, type_url);
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, ", ");
+
+  if (upb_msgdef_wellknowntype(m) == UPB_WELLKNOWN_UNSPECIFIED) {
+    /* Regular messages: {"@type": "...", "foo": 1, "bar": 2} */
+    jsonenc_msg(e, any, any_m);
+  } else {
+    /* Well-known type: {"@type": "...", "value": <well-known encoding>} */
+    jsonenc_putstr(e, "value: ");
+    jsonenc_msgfield(e, any, any_m);
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "}");
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_putsep(jsonenc *e, bool *first) {
+  if (*first) {
+    *first = false;
+  } else {
+    jsonenc_putstr(", ");
+  }
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_struct(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg,
+                           const upb_msgdef *m) {
+  const upb_fielddef *fields_f = upb_msgdef_itof(m, 1);
+  const upb_map *fields = upb_msg_get(msg, fields_f);
+  const upb_msgdef *entry_m = upb_fielddef_msgsubdef(fields_f);
+  const upb_fielddef *value_f = upb_msgdef_itof(entry_m, 2);
+  size_t iter = UPB_MAP_BEGIN;
+  bool first = true;
+
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "{");
+
+  while (upb_mapiter_next(fields, &iter)) {
+    upb_msgval key = upb_mapiter_key(map, iter);
+    upb_msgval val = upb_mapiter_value(map, iter);
+
+    jsonenc_putsep(e, &first);
+    jsonenc_string(e, key.str_val);
+    jsonenc_putstr(e, ": ");
+    jsonenc_value(e, val.msg_val, upb_fielddef_msgsubdef(value_f));
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "}");
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_listvalue(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg,
+                              const upb_msgdef *m) {
+  const upb_fielddef *values_f = upb_msgdef_itof(m, 1);
+  const upb_msgdef *values_m = upb_fielddef_msgsubdef(values_f);
+  const upb_array *values = upb_msg_get(msg, values_f);
+  const size_t size = upb_array_size(values);
+  const size_t i;
+  bool first = true;
+
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "[");
+
+  for (i = 0; i < size; i++) {
+    upb_msgval elem = upb_array_get(arr, i);
+
+    jsonenc_putsep(e, &first);
+    jsonenc_value(e, elem.msg_val, values_m);
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putstr(e, "]");
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_value(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg, const upb_msgdef *m) {
+  /* TODO(haberman): do we want a reflection method to get oneof case? */
+  size_t iter = UPB_MSG_BEGIN;
+  const upb_fielddef *f;
+  upb_msgval val;
+
+  if (!upb_msg_next(msg, m, NULL,  &f, &val, &iter)) {
+    jsonenc_err(e, "No value set in Value proto");
+  }
+
+  switch (upb_fielddef_number(f)) {
+    case 1:
+      jsonenc_putstr("null");
+      break;
+    case 2:
+      jsonenc_double(e, "%.17g", val.double_val);
+      break;
+    case 3:
+      jsonenc_string(e, val.str_val);
+      break;
+    case 4:
+      jsonenc_putstr(e, val.bool_val ? "true" : "false");
+      break;
+    case 5:
+      jsonenc_struct(e, val.msg_val, upb_fielddef_msgsubdef(f));
+      break;
+    case 6:
+      jsonenc_listvalue(e, val.msg_val, upb_fielddef_msgsubdef(f));
+      break;
+  }
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_msgfield(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg,
+                             const upb_msgdef *m) {
+  switch (upb_msgdef_wellknowntype(m)) {
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_UNSPECIFIED:
+      jsonenc_putstr(e, "{");
+      jsonenc_msg(e, val.msg_val, upb_fielddef_msgsubdef(f));
+      break;
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_ANY:
+      jsonenc_any(e, msg, m);
+      break;
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_FIELDMASK:
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_DURATION:
+      jsonenc_duration(e, msg, m);
+      break;
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_TIMESTAMP:
+      jsonenc_timestamp(e, msg, m);
+      break;
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_DOUBLEVALUE:
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_FLOATVALUE:
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_INT64VALUE:
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_UINT64VALUE:
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_INT32VALUE:
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_UINT32VALUE:
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_STRINGVALUE:
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_BYTESVALUE:
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_BOOLVALUE:
+      jsonenc_wrapper(e, msg, m);
+      break;
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_VALUE:
+      jsonenc_value(e, msg, m);
+      break;
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_LISTVALUE,
+      jsonenc_listvalue(e, msg, m);
+      break;
+    case UPB_WELLKNOWN_STRUCT
+      jsonenc_listvalue(e, msg, m);
+      break;
+  }
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_msgval(jsonenc *e, upb_msgval val, const upb_fielddef *f) {
+  switch (upb_fielddef_type(f)) {
+    case UPB_TYPE_BOOL:
+      jsonenc_putstr(e, val.bool_val ? "true" : "false");
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_FLOAT:
+      jsonenc_double(e, "%.8g", val.float_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_DOUBLE:
+      jsonenc_double(e, "%.17g", val.double_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_INT32:
+      jsonenc_printf(e, "%" PRId32, val.int32_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_UINT32:
+      jsonenc_printf(e, "%" PRIu32, val.uint32_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_INT64:
+      jsonenc_printf(e, "\"%" PRId64 "\"", val.int64_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_UINT64:
+      jsonenc_printf(e, "\"%" PRIu64 "\"", val.uint64_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_STRING:
+      jsonenc_string(e, val.str_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_BYTES:
+      jsonenc_bytes(e, val.str_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_ENUM:
+      jsonenc_enum(val.int32_val, f, e);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_MESSAGE:
+      jsonenc_msgfield(e, val.msg_val, upb_fielddef_msgsubdef(f));
+      break;
+  }
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_mapkey(jsonenc *e, upb_msgval val, const upb_fielddef *f) {
+  jsonend_putstr("\"");
+
+  switch (upb_fielddef_type(f)) {
+    case UPB_TYPE_BOOL:
+      jsonenc_putstr(e, val.bool_val ? "true" : "false");
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_INT32:
+      jsonenc_printf(e, "%" PRId32, val.int32_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_UINT32:
+      jsonenc_printf(e, "%" PRIu32, val.uint32_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_INT64:
+      jsonenc_printf(e, "%" PRId64, val.int64_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_UINT64:
+      jsonenc_printf(e, "%" PRIu64, val.uint64_val);
+      break;
+    case UPB_TYPE_STRING:
+      jsonenc_string(e, val.str_val, false);
+      break;
+  }
+
+  jsonend_putstr("\": ");
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_array(jsonenc *e, const upb_array *arr,
+                         const upb_fielddef *f) {
+  size_t i;
+  size_t size = upb_array_size(arr);
+  bool first = true;
+
+  jsonenc_putstr("[");
+
+  for (i = 0; i < size; i++) {
+    jsonenc_putsep(e, &first);
+    jsonenc_msgval(e, upb_array_get(arr, i), f);
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putstr("]");
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_map(jsonenc *e, const upb_map *map, const upb_fielddef *f) {
+  const upb_msgdef *entry = upb_fielddef_msgsubdef(f);
+  const upb_fielddef *key_f = upb_msgdef_itof(entry, 1);
+  const upb_fielddef *val_f = upb_msgdef_itof(entry, 2);
+  size_t iter = UPB_MAP_BEGIN;
+  bool first = true;
+
+  jsonenc_putstr("{");
+
+  while (upb_mapiter_next(map, &iter)) {
+    jsonenc_putsep(e, &first);
+    jsonenc_mapkey(e, upb_mapiter_key(map, iter), key_f);
+    jsonenc_msgval(e, upb_mapiter_value(map, iter), val_f);
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putstr("}");
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_fieldval(jsonenc *e, const upb_fielddef *f,
+                             upb_msgval val, bool *first) {
+  char buf[128];
+  const char *name;
+
+  if (e->options & UPB_JSONENC_PROTONAMES) {
+    name = upb_fielddef_name(f);
+  } else {
+    /* TODO(haberman): we need a better JSON name API. */
+    upb_fielddef_getjsonname(f, buf, sizeof(buf));
+    name = buf;
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putsep(e, first);
+  jsonenc_printf(e, "\"%s\": ", name)
+
+  if (upb_fielddef_ismap(f)) {
+    jsonenc_map(e, val.map_val, f);
+  } else if (upb_fielddef_isseq(f)) {
+    jsonenc_array(e, val.array_val, f);
+  } else {
+    jsonenc_field(e, val, f);
+  }
+}
+
+static void jsonenc_msg(jsonenc *e, const upb_msg *msg, const upb_msgdef *m) {
+  upb_msgval val;
+  const upb_fielddef *f;
+  bool first = true;
+
+  jsonenc_putstr("{");
+
+  if (e->options & UPB_JSONENC_EMITDEFAULTS) {
+    /* Iterate over all fields. */
+    upb_msg_field_iter i;
+    for (upb_msg_field_begin(&i, m); !upb_msg_field_done(&i);
+         upb_msg_field_next(&i)) {
+      f = upb_msg_iter_field(&i);
+      jsonenc_fieldval(e, f, upb_msg_get(msg, f), &first);
+    }
+  } else {
+    /* Iterate over non-empty fields. */
+    size_t iter = UPB_MSG_BEGIN;
+    while (upb_msg_next(msg, m, e->ext_pool, &f, &val, &iter)) {
+      jsonenc_fieldval(e, f, val, &first);
+    }
+  }
+
+  jsonenc_putstr("}");
+}
+
+size_t jsonenc_nullz(jsonenc *e, size_t size) {
+  size_t ret = e->ptr - e->buf + e->overflow;
+
+  if (size > 0) {
+    if (e->ptr == e->end) e->ptr--;
+    *e->ptr = '\0';
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+size_t upb_jsonencode(const upb_msg *msg, const upb_msgdef *m,
+                      const upb_symtab *ext_pool, int options, char *buf,
+                      size_t size) {
+  jsonenc e;
+
+  e.buf = buf;
+  e.ptr = buf;
+  e.end = buf + size;
+  e.overflow = 0;
+  e.options = options;
+  e.ext_pool = ext_pool;
+
+  jsonenc_msg(&e, msg, m);
+  return jsonenc_nullz(&e, size);
+}