diff --git a/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/parse_utils.py b/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/parse_utils.py
index d967330cea..4f55a7b2c4 100644
--- a/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/parse_utils.py
+++ b/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/parse_utils.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 import sqlparse
 from google.cloud import spanner_v1 as spanner
+from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import JsonObject
 
 from .exceptions import Error, ProgrammingError
 from .parser import parse_values
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@
     DateStr: spanner.param_types.DATE,
     TimestampStr: spanner.param_types.TIMESTAMP,
     decimal.Decimal: spanner.param_types.NUMERIC,
+    JsonObject: spanner.param_types.JSON,
 }
 
 SPANNER_RESERVED_KEYWORDS = {
diff --git a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/__init__.py b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/__init__.py
index 4ece165503..4aa08d2c29 100644
--- a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/__init__.py
+++ b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/__init__.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 from .types.type import StructType
 from .types.type import Type
 from .types.type import TypeCode
+from .data_types import JsonObject
 
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import param_types
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1.client import Client
@@ -132,6 +133,8 @@
     "TransactionSelector",
     "Type",
     "TypeCode",
+    # Custom spanner related data types
+    "JsonObject",
     # google.cloud.spanner_v1.services
     "SpannerClient",
 )
diff --git a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/_helpers.py b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/_helpers.py
index c7cdf7aedc..fc3512f0ec 100644
--- a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/_helpers.py
+++ b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/_helpers.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import datetime
 import decimal
 import math
+import json
 
 import six
 
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@
 from google.cloud._helpers import _datetime_to_rfc3339
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import TypeCode
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import ExecuteSqlRequest
-
+from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import JsonObject
 
 # Validation error messages
 NUMERIC_MAX_SCALE_ERR_MSG = (
@@ -166,6 +167,10 @@ def _make_value_pb(value):
     if isinstance(value, decimal.Decimal):
         _assert_numeric_precision_and_scale(value)
         return Value(string_value=str(value))
+    if isinstance(value, JsonObject):
+        return Value(
+            string_value=json.dumps(value, sort_keys=True, separators=(",", ":"),)
+        )
     raise ValueError("Unknown type: %s" % (value,))
 
 
diff --git a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/data_types.py b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/data_types.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..305c0cb2a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/data_types.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Copyright 2021 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+"""Custom data types for spanner."""
+
+
+class JsonObject(dict):
+    """
+    JsonObject type help format Django JSONField to compatible Cloud Spanner's
+    JSON type. Before making queries, it'll help differentiate between
+    normal parameters and JSON parameters.
+    """
+
+    pass
diff --git a/tests/system/test_backup_api.py b/tests/system/test_backup_api.py
index 59237113e6..d9fded9c0b 100644
--- a/tests/system/test_backup_api.py
+++ b/tests/system/test_backup_api.py
@@ -400,6 +400,11 @@ def test_instance_list_backups(
     )
     expire_time_1_stamp = expire_time_1.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%fZ")
 
+    # Backup tests are failing because of timeout. As a temporary fix
+    # we are increasing db version time to current time.
+    # Read more: https://github.com/googleapis/python-spanner/issues/496
+    database_version_time = datetime.datetime.now(datetime.timezone.utc)
+
     backup1 = shared_instance.backup(
         backup_id_1,
         database=shared_database,
diff --git a/tests/system/test_dbapi.py b/tests/system/test_dbapi.py
index f6af3c3763..2d1b4097dc 100644
--- a/tests/system/test_dbapi.py
+++ b/tests/system/test_dbapi.py
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@
 import hashlib
 import pickle
 import pkg_resources
-
 import pytest
 
 from google.cloud import spanner_v1
 from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.connection import connect, Connection
+from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import JsonObject
 from . import _helpers
 
 DATABASE_NAME = "dbapi-txn"
@@ -328,6 +328,45 @@ def test_DDL_autocommit(shared_instance, dbapi_database):
     conn.commit()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(_helpers.USE_EMULATOR, reason="Emulator does not support json.")
+def test_autocommit_with_json_data(shared_instance, dbapi_database):
+    """Check that DDLs in autocommit mode are immediately executed for
+    json fields."""
+    # Create table
+    conn = Connection(shared_instance, dbapi_database)
+    conn.autocommit = True
+
+    cur = conn.cursor()
+    cur.execute(
+        """
+        CREATE TABLE JsonDetails (
+            DataId     INT64 NOT NULL,
+            Details    JSON,
+        ) PRIMARY KEY (DataId)
+    """
+    )
+
+    # Insert data to table
+    cur.execute(
+        sql="INSERT INTO JsonDetails (DataId, Details) VALUES (%s, %s)",
+        args=(123, JsonObject({"name": "Jakob", "age": "26"})),
+    )
+
+    # Read back the data.
+    cur.execute("""select * from JsonDetails;""")
+    got_rows = cur.fetchall()
+
+    # Assert the response
+    assert len(got_rows) == 1
+    assert got_rows[0][0] == 123
+    assert got_rows[0][1] == '{"age":"26","name":"Jakob"}'
+
+    # Drop the table
+    cur.execute("DROP TABLE JsonDetails")
+    conn.commit()
+    conn.close()
+
+
 def test_DDL_commit(shared_instance, dbapi_database):
     """Check that DDLs in commit mode are executed on calling `commit()`."""
     conn = Connection(shared_instance, dbapi_database)
diff --git a/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_parse_utils.py b/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_parse_utils.py
index 4de429076e..994b02d615 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_parse_utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_parse_utils.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import unittest
 
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import param_types
+from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import JsonObject
 
 
 class TestParseUtils(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -333,9 +334,11 @@ def test_get_param_types(self):
         import datetime
         import decimal
 
-        from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.parse_utils import DateStr
-        from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.parse_utils import TimestampStr
-        from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.parse_utils import get_param_types
+        from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.parse_utils import (
+            DateStr,
+            TimestampStr,
+            get_param_types,
+        )
 
         params = {
             "a1": 10,
@@ -349,6 +352,7 @@ def test_get_param_types(self):
             "i1": b"bytes",
             "j1": None,
             "k1": decimal.Decimal("3.194387483193242e+19"),
+            "l1": JsonObject({"key": "value"}),
         }
         want_types = {
             "a1": param_types.INT64,
@@ -361,6 +365,7 @@ def test_get_param_types(self):
             "h1": param_types.DATE,
             "i1": param_types.BYTES,
             "k1": param_types.NUMERIC,
+            "l1": param_types.JSON,
         }
         got_types = get_param_types(params)
         self.assertEqual(got_types, want_types)