diff --git a/cli/targets/json-module.js b/cli/targets/json-module.js
index eedf3cbeb..5255cd99c 100644
--- a/cli/targets/json-module.js
+++ b/cli/targets/json-module.js
@@ -7,17 +7,25 @@ var protobuf = require("../..");
 
 json_module.description = "JSON representation as a module";
 
+function jsonSafeProp(json) {
+    return json.replace(/^( +)"(\w+)":/mg, function($0, $1, $2) {
+        return protobuf.util.safeProp($2).charAt(0) === "."
+            ? $1 + $2 + ":"
+            : $0;
+    });
+}
+
 function json_module(root, options, callback) {
     try {
-        var rootProp = util.safeProp(options.root || "default");
+        var rootProp = protobuf.util.safeProp(options.root || "default");
         var output = [
             (options.es6 ? "const" : "var") + " $root = ($protobuf.roots" + rootProp + " || ($protobuf.roots" + rootProp + " = new $protobuf.Root()))\n"
         ];
         if (root.options) {
-            var optionsJson = util.jsonSafeProp(JSON.stringify(root.options, null, 2));
+            var optionsJson = jsonSafeProp(JSON.stringify(root.options, null, 2));
             output.push(".setOptions(" + optionsJson + ")\n");
         }
-        var json = util.jsonSafeProp(JSON.stringify(root.nested, null, 2).trim());
+        var json = jsonSafeProp(JSON.stringify(root.nested, null, 2).trim());
         output.push(".addJSON(" + json + ");");
         output = util.wrap(output.join(""), protobuf.util.merge({ dependency: "protobufjs/light" }, options));
         process.nextTick(function() {
diff --git a/cli/util.js b/cli/util.js
index dc6182eff..ffce1ed7e 100644
--- a/cli/util.js
+++ b/cli/util.js
@@ -181,10 +181,3 @@ exports.pad = function(str, len, l) {
     return str;
 };
 
-exports.jsonSafeProp = function(json) {
-    return json.replace(/^( +)"(\w+)":/mg, function($0, $1, $2) {
-        return exports.safeProp($2).charAt(0) === "."
-            ? $1 + $2 + ":"
-            : $0;
-    });
-};