diff --git a/recipes/recipe_modules/windows_sdk/api.py b/recipes/recipe_modules/windows_sdk/api.py
index 6249c9a7c5..86d2c12365 100644
--- a/recipes/recipe_modules/windows_sdk/api.py
+++ b/recipes/recipe_modules/windows_sdk/api.py
@@ -104,9 +104,13 @@ class WindowsSDKApi(recipe_api.RecipeApi):
 
     data = self.m.step('read SetEnv json', [
         'python3',
-        self.resource('find_env_json.py'), '--sdk_root', sdk_dir,
-        '--target_arch', target_arch,
-        self.m.json.output()
+        self.resource('find_env_json.py'),
+        '--sdk_root',
+        sdk_dir,
+        '--target_arch',
+        target_arch,
+        '--output_json',
+        self.m.json.output(),
     ],
                        step_test_data=lambda: self.m.json.test_api.output({
                            'env': {
diff --git a/recipes/recipe_modules/windows_sdk/examples/full.expected/win.json b/recipes/recipe_modules/windows_sdk/examples/full.expected/win.json
index 4de24c9157..ed1af1bce4 100644
--- a/recipes/recipe_modules/windows_sdk/examples/full.expected/win.json
+++ b/recipes/recipe_modules/windows_sdk/examples/full.expected/win.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
       "[CACHE]\\windows_sdk",
       "--target_arch",
       "x64",
+      "--output_json",
       "/path/to/tmp/json"
     ],
     "name": "read SetEnv json",