diff --git a/packages/babel-generator/src/generators/types.ts b/packages/babel-generator/src/generators/types.ts
index 30d98f99a2f9..7375e9bd0472 100644
--- a/packages/babel-generator/src/generators/types.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-generator/src/generators/types.ts
@@ -209,15 +209,7 @@ export function StringLiteral(this: Printer, node: t.StringLiteral) {
     return;
   }
 
-  const val = jsesc(
-    node.value,
-    process.env.BABEL_8_BREAKING
-      ? this.format.jsescOption
-      : Object.assign(
-          this.format.jsescOption,
-          this.format.jsonCompatibleStrings && { json: true },
-        ),
-  );
+  const val = jsesc(node.value, this.format.jsescOption);
 
   return this.token(val);
 }
diff --git a/packages/babel-generator/src/index.ts b/packages/babel-generator/src/index.ts
index cc4d7e6d4892..8fa75ebb2e50 100644
--- a/packages/babel-generator/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-generator/src/index.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ function normalizeOptions(
 
   if (!process.env.BABEL_8_BREAKING) {
     format.decoratorsBeforeExport = opts.decoratorsBeforeExport;
-    format.jsonCompatibleStrings = opts.jsonCompatibleStrings;
+    format.jsescOption.json = opts.jsonCompatibleStrings;
   }
 
   if (format.minified) {
diff --git a/packages/babel-generator/src/printer.ts b/packages/babel-generator/src/printer.ts
index 95f237bd6612..16098e5640cd 100644
--- a/packages/babel-generator/src/printer.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-generator/src/printer.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ export type Format = {
   };
   recordAndTupleSyntaxType: RecordAndTuplePluginOptions["syntaxType"];
   jsescOption: jsescOptions;
+  /**
+   * @deprecated Removed in Babel 8, use `jsescOption` instead
+   */
   jsonCompatibleStrings?: boolean;
   /**
    * For use with the Hack-style pipe operator.