diff --git a/nova/hacking/checks.py b/nova/hacking/checks.py
index 707e629d51..a1dd61419a 100644
--- a/nova/hacking/checks.py
+++ b/nova/hacking/checks.py
@@ -286,6 +286,23 @@ def check_explicit_underscore_import(logical_line, filename):
         yield(0, "N323: Found use of _() without explicit import of _ !")
 
 
+def use_jsonutils(logical_line, filename):
+    # the code below that path is not meant to be executed from neutron
+    # tree where jsonutils module is present, so don't enforce its usage
+    # for this subdirectory
+    if "plugins/xenserver" in filename:
+        return
+
+    msg = "N323: jsonutils.%(fun)s must be used instead of json.%(fun)s"
+
+    if "json." in logical_line:
+        json_funcs = ['dumps', 'dump', 'loads', 'load']
+        for f in json_funcs:
+            pos = logical_line.find('json.%s' % f)
+            if pos != -1:
+                return (pos, msg % {'fun': f})
+
+
 def factory(register):
     register(import_no_db_in_virt)
     register(no_db_session_in_public_api)
@@ -303,3 +320,4 @@ def factory(register):
     register(validate_log_translations)
     register(no_mutable_default_args)
     register(check_explicit_underscore_import)
+    register(use_jsonutils)
diff --git a/nova/tests/test_hacking.py b/nova/tests/test_hacking.py
index 2db0936680..f6f796b138 100644
--- a/nova/tests/test_hacking.py
+++ b/nova/tests/test_hacking.py
@@ -217,3 +217,24 @@ class HackingTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(len(list(checks.check_explicit_underscore_import(
             "msg = _('My message')",
             "cinder/tests/other_files3.py"))), 0)
+
+    def test_use_jsonutils(self):
+        def __get_msg(fun):
+            msg = ("N323: jsonutils.%(fun)s must be used instead of "
+                   "json.%(fun)s" % {'fun': fun})
+            return (0, msg)
+
+        for method in ('dump', 'dumps', 'load', 'loads'):
+            self.assertEqual(
+                __get_msg(method),
+                checks.use_jsonutils("json.%s" % method,
+                                     "./nova/virt/xenapi/driver.py"))
+            self.assertIsNone(
+                checks.use_jsonutils("json.%s" % method,
+                                     "./plugins/xenserver/script.py"))
+            self.assertIsNone(
+                checks.use_jsonutils("jsonx.%s" % method,
+                                     "./nova/virt/xenapi/driver.py"))
+        self.assertIsNone(
+            checks.use_jsonutils("json.dumb",
+                                 "./nova/virt/xenapi/driver.py"))