diff --git a/cli/cmd/version_test.go b/cli/cmd/version_test.go
index ea61e0245..bdcf24359 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/version_test.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/version_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func TestVersionFormat(t *testing.T) {
 	jsonCases := []caze{
 		{
 			Actual:   fixedJSONArgs([]string{}),
-			Expected: nil,
+			Expected: []string{},
 		},
 		{
 			Actual: fixedJSONArgs([]string{
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func TestVersionFormat(t *testing.T) {
 	prettyCases := []caze{
 		{
 			Actual:   fixedPrettyArgs([]string{}),
-			Expected: nil,
+			Expected: []string{},
 		},
 		{
 			Actual: fixedPrettyArgs([]string{
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ func TestVersionFormat(t *testing.T) {
 				"--format",
 				"pretty",
 			}),
-			Expected: nil,
+			Expected: []string{},
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/formatter/json.go b/formatter/json.go
index df174b92d..dc68e50da 100644
--- a/formatter/json.go
+++ b/formatter/json.go
@@ -18,16 +18,12 @@ package formatter
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
-	"reflect"
 )
 
 const standardIndentation = "    "
 
 // ToStandardJSON return a string with the JSON representation of the interface{}
 func ToStandardJSON(i interface{}) (string, error) {
-	if reflect.ValueOf(i).IsNil() {
-		return "{}", nil
-	}
 	b, err := json.MarshalIndent(i, "", standardIndentation)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err