diff --git a/Messages/JSON.hs b/Messages/JSON.hs
index 7d9704e503..8960dd04a2 100644
--- a/Messages/JSON.hs
+++ b/Messages/JSON.hs
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ import qualified Data.Map as M
 import qualified Data.Vector as V
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as L
 #if MIN_VERSION_aeson(2,0,0)
-import qualified Data.Aeson.Key as AK
 import qualified Data.Aeson.KeyMap as HM
 #else
 import qualified Data.HashMap.Strict as HM
@@ -132,13 +131,7 @@ add v (Just (o, e)) = case j of
 	j = case v of
 		AesonObject ao -> Object ao
 		JSONChunk l -> object $ map mkPair l
-	mkPair (s, d) =
-		(
-#if MIN_VERSION_aeson(2,0,0)
-		  AK.fromText $
-#endif
-		  packString s
-		, toJSON' d)
+	mkPair (s, d) = (textKey (packString s), toJSON' d)
 add _ Nothing = Nothing
 
 complete :: JSONChunk v -> JSONBuilder
@@ -184,13 +177,7 @@ data ObjectMap a = ObjectMap { fromObjectMap :: M.Map String a }
 instance ToJSON' a => ToJSON' (ObjectMap a) where
 	toJSON' (ObjectMap m) = object $ map go $ M.toList m
 	  where
-		go (k, v) =
-			(
-#if MIN_VERSION_aeson(2,0,0)
-			  AK.fromText $
-#endif
-			  packString k
-			, toJSON' v)
+		go (k, v) = (textKey (packString k), toJSON' v)
 
 -- An item that a git-annex command acts on, and displays a JSON object about.
 data JSONActionItem a = JSONActionItem
diff --git a/Remote.hs b/Remote.hs
index 5e6658690f..71181790e6 100644
--- a/Remote.hs
+++ b/Remote.hs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  - Licensed under the GNU AGPL version 3 or higher.
  -}
 
-{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings, CPP #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 
 module Remote (
 	Remote,
@@ -63,9 +63,6 @@ module Remote (
 
 import Data.Ord
 import Data.String
-#if MIN_VERSION_aeson(2,0,0)
-import qualified Data.Aeson.Key as AK
-#endif
 import qualified Data.Map as M
 import qualified Data.Vector as V
 
@@ -247,12 +244,7 @@ prettyPrintUUIDsWith optfield header descm showval uuidvals = do
 		, Just ("here", toJSON' $ hereu == u)
 		, case (optfield, optval) of
 			(Just field, Just val) -> Just
-				(
-#if MIN_VERSION_aeson(2,0,0)
-				  AK.fromText $
-#endif
-				  packString field
-				, toJSON' val)
+				(textKey (packString field), toJSON' val)
 			_ -> Nothing
 		]
 
diff --git a/Types/MetaData.hs b/Types/MetaData.hs
index 7199763d73..7df07a87eb 100644
--- a/Types/MetaData.hs
+++ b/Types/MetaData.hs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 
 {-# LANGUAGE GeneralizedNewtypeDeriving #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
 
 module Types.MetaData (
 	MetaData(..),
@@ -52,9 +51,6 @@ import Utility.QuickCheck
 import Utility.Aeson
 import Types.UUID
 
-#if MIN_VERSION_aeson(2,0,0)
-import qualified Data.Aeson.Key as AK
-#endif
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import qualified Data.Text.Encoding as E
 import qualified Data.Set as S
@@ -71,13 +67,7 @@ newtype MetaData = MetaData (M.Map MetaField (S.Set MetaValue))
 instance ToJSON' MetaData where
 	toJSON' (MetaData m) = object $ map go (M.toList m)
 	  where
-		go (MetaField f, s) =
-			(
-#if MIN_VERSION_aeson(2,0,0)
-			  AK.fromText $
-#endif
-			  CI.original f
-			, toJSON' s)
+		go (MetaField f, s) = (textKey (CI.original f), toJSON' s)
 
 instance FromJSON MetaData where
 	parseJSON (Object o) = do
diff --git a/Utility/Aeson.hs b/Utility/Aeson.hs
index c82bf35833..462eed1683 100644
--- a/Utility/Aeson.hs
+++ b/Utility/Aeson.hs
@@ -15,11 +15,15 @@ module Utility.Aeson (
 	encode,
 	packString,
 	packByteString,
+	textKey,
 ) where
 
 import Data.Aeson as X hiding (ToJSON, toJSON, encode, Key)
 import Data.Aeson hiding (encode)
 import qualified Data.Aeson
+#if MIN_VERSION_aeson(2,0,0)
+import qualified Data.Aeson.Key as AK
+#endif
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import qualified Data.Text.Encoding as T
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as L
@@ -68,6 +72,14 @@ packString s = case T.decodeUtf8' (encodeBS s) of
 	Right t -> t
 	Left _ -> T.pack s
 
+#if MIN_VERSION_aeson(2,0,0)
+textKey :: T.Text -> AK.Key
+textKey = AK.fromText
+#else
+textKey :: T.Text -> T.Text
+textKey = id
+#endif
+
 -- | The same as packString . decodeBS, but more efficient in the usual
 -- case.
 packByteString :: S.ByteString -> T.Text