diff --git a/gcl.py b/gcl.py
index e6638e461..fb355e586 100755
--- a/gcl.py
+++ b/gcl.py
@@ -20,6 +20,20 @@ import time
 from third_party import upload
 import urllib2
 
+try:
+  import simplejson as json
+except ImportError:
+  try:
+    import json
+    # Some versions of python2.5 have an incomplete json module.  Check to make
+    # sure loads exists.
+    # pylint: disable=W0104
+    json.loads
+  except (ImportError, AttributeError):
+    # Import the one included in depot_tools.
+    sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'third_party'))
+    import simplejson as json
+
 import breakpad
 
 # gcl now depends on gclient.
@@ -317,14 +331,13 @@ class ChangeInfo(object):
 
   def Save(self):
     """Writes the changelist information to disk."""
-    if self.NeedsUpload():
-      needs_upload = "dirty"
-    else:
-      needs_upload = "clean"
-    data = ChangeInfo._SEPARATOR.join([
-        "%d, %d, %s" % (self.issue, self.patchset, needs_upload),
-        "\n".join([f[0] + f[1] for f in self.GetFiles()]),
-        self.description])
+    data = json.dumps({
+          'issue': self.issue,
+          'patchset': self.patchset,
+          'needs_upload': self.NeedsUpload(),
+          'files': self.GetFiles(),
+          'description': self.description,
+        }, sort_keys=True, indent=2)
     gclient_utils.FileWrite(GetChangelistInfoFile(self.name), data)
 
   def Delete(self):
@@ -445,12 +458,16 @@ class ChangeInfo(object):
     content = gclient_utils.FileRead(info_file, 'r')
     save = False
     try:
-      values = ChangeInfo._LoadOldFormat(content)
+      values = ChangeInfo._LoadNewFormat(content)
     except ValueError:
-      ErrorExit(
-          ('Changelist file %s is corrupt.\n'
-           'Either run "gcl delete %s" or manually edit the file') % (
-              info_file, changename))
+      try:
+        values = ChangeInfo._LoadOldFormat(content)
+        save = True
+      except ValueError:
+        ErrorExit(
+            ('Changelist file %s is corrupt.\n'
+            'Either run "gcl delete %s" or manually edit the file') % (
+                info_file, changename))
     files = values['files']
     if update_status:
       for item in files[:]:
@@ -497,6 +514,10 @@ class ChangeInfo(object):
     values['description'] = split_data[2]
     return values
 
+  @staticmethod
+  def _LoadNewFormat(content):
+    return json.loads(content)
+
 
 def GetChangelistInfoFile(changename):
   """Returns the file that stores information about a changelist."""
diff --git a/tests/gcl_unittest.py b/tests/gcl_unittest.py
index fa05cc366..0b62840d9 100755
--- a/tests/gcl_unittest.py
+++ b/tests/gcl_unittest.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class GclUnittest(GclTestsBase):
         'RunShell', 'RunShellWithReturnCode', 'SVN',
         'SendToRietveld', 'TryChange', 'UnknownFiles', 'Warn',
         'attrs', 'breakpad', 'defer_attributes', 'gclient_utils', 'getpass',
-        'main', 'need_change', 'need_change_and_args', 'no_args', 'os',
+        'json', 'main', 'need_change', 'need_change_and_args', 'no_args', 'os',
         'random', 're', 'string', 'subprocess', 'sys', 'tempfile',
         'time', 'upload', 'urllib2',
     ]
@@ -166,6 +166,9 @@ class ChangeInfoUnittest(GclTestsBase):
     gcl.os.path.exists('bleeeh').AndReturn(True)
     gcl.gclient_utils.FileRead('bleeeh', 'r').AndReturn(
       gcl.ChangeInfo._SEPARATOR.join(["42, 53", "G      b.cc"] + description))
+    # Does an upgrade.
+    gcl.GetChangelistInfoFile('bleh').AndReturn('bleeeh')
+    gcl.gclient_utils.FileWrite('bleeeh', mox.IgnoreArg())
     self.mox.ReplayAll()
 
     change_info = gcl.ChangeInfo.Load('bleh', self.fake_root_dir, True, False)
@@ -181,6 +184,9 @@ class ChangeInfoUnittest(GclTestsBase):
     gcl.os.path.exists('bleeeh').AndReturn(True)
     gcl.gclient_utils.FileRead('bleeeh', 'r').AndReturn(
         gcl.ChangeInfo._SEPARATOR.join(["", "", ""]))
+    # Does an upgrade.
+    gcl.GetChangelistInfoFile('bleh').AndReturn('bleeeh')
+    gcl.gclient_utils.FileWrite('bleeeh', mox.IgnoreArg())
     self.mox.ReplayAll()
 
     change_info = gcl.ChangeInfo.Load('bleh', self.fake_root_dir, True, False)
@@ -192,22 +198,26 @@ class ChangeInfoUnittest(GclTestsBase):
 
   def testSaveEmpty(self):
     gcl.GetChangelistInfoFile('').AndReturn('foo')
+    values = {
+        'description': '', 'patchset': 2, 'issue': 1,
+        'files': [], 'needs_upload': False}
     gcl.gclient_utils.FileWrite(
-        'foo',
-        gcl.ChangeInfo._SEPARATOR.join(['0, 0, clean', '', '']))
+        'foo', gcl.json.dumps(values, sort_keys=True, indent=2))
     self.mox.ReplayAll()
 
-    change_info = gcl.ChangeInfo('', 0, 0, '', None, self.fake_root_dir)
+    change_info = gcl.ChangeInfo('', 1, 2, '', None, self.fake_root_dir)
     change_info.Save()
 
   def testSaveDirty(self):
-    gcl.GetChangelistInfoFile('').AndReturn('foo')
+    gcl.GetChangelistInfoFile('n').AndReturn('foo')
+    values = {
+        'description': 'des', 'patchset': 0, 'issue': 0,
+        'files': [], 'needs_upload': True}
     gcl.gclient_utils.FileWrite(
-        'foo',
-        gcl.ChangeInfo._SEPARATOR.join(['0, 0, dirty', '', '']))
+        'foo', gcl.json.dumps(values, sort_keys=True, indent=2))
     self.mox.ReplayAll()
 
-    change_info = gcl.ChangeInfo('', 0, 0, '', None, self.fake_root_dir,
+    change_info = gcl.ChangeInfo('n', 0, 0, 'des', None, self.fake_root_dir,
                                  needs_upload=True)
     change_info.Save()