diff --git a/src/config/src/config.rs b/src/config/src/config.rs
index 6b4e4ce798..6e410c7b23 100644
--- a/src/config/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config/src/config.rs
@@ -1334,6 +1334,12 @@ pub struct Common {
         help = "Enable to show symbol in dashboard"
     )]
     pub dashboard_show_symbol_enabled: bool,
+    #[env_config(
+        name = "ZO_DASHBOARD_SHOW_FIELD_AS_JSON_ENABLED",
+        default = false,
+        help = "Enable to show field as JSON in dashboard table"
+    )]
+    pub dashboard_show_field_as_json_enabled: bool,
     #[env_config(name = "ZO_INGEST_DEFAULT_HEC_STREAM", default = "")]
     pub default_hec_stream: String,
     #[env_config(
diff --git a/src/handler/http/request/status/mod.rs b/src/handler/http/request/status/mod.rs
index 680b62498b..83ff13f2a3 100644
--- a/src/handler/http/request/status/mod.rs
+++ b/src/handler/http/request/status/mod.rs
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ struct ConfigResponse<'a> {
     ai_enabled: bool,
     dashboard_placeholder: String,
     dashboard_show_symbol_enabled: bool,
+    dashboard_show_field_as_json_enabled: bool,
     ingest_flatten_level: u32,
     #[cfg(feature = "enterprise")]
     license_expiry: i64,
@@ -410,6 +411,7 @@ pub async fn zo_config() -> impl IntoResponse {
         ai_enabled,
         dashboard_placeholder: cfg.common.dashboard_placeholder.to_string(),
         dashboard_show_symbol_enabled: cfg.common.dashboard_show_symbol_enabled,
+        dashboard_show_field_as_json_enabled: cfg.common.dashboard_show_field_as_json_enabled,
         ingest_flatten_level: cfg.limit.ingest_flatten_level,
         #[cfg(feature = "enterprise")]
         license_expiry: expiry_time,
diff --git a/web/src/components/dashboards/addPanel/DashboardQueryBuilder.vue b/web/src/components/dashboards/addPanel/DashboardQueryBuilder.vue
index b5af45ce33..ff44fc1672 100644
--- a/web/src/components/dashboards/addPanel/DashboardQueryBuilder.vue
+++ b/web/src/components/dashboards/addPanel/DashboardQueryBuilder.vue
@@ -821,7 +821,11 @@ export default defineComponent({
           field.showFieldAsJson === undefined ||
           field.showFieldAsJson === null
         ) {
-          field.showFieldAsJson = false;
+          field.showFieldAsJson =
+            dashboardPanelDataPageKey === "logs"
+              ? (store?.state?.zoConfig?.dashboard_show_field_as_json_enabled ??
+                false)
+              : false;
         }
       };
 
diff --git a/web/src/components/dashboards/panels/JsonFieldRenderer.vue b/web/src/components/dashboards/panels/JsonFieldRenderer.vue
index 744c2716b3..44401aeb6b 100644
--- a/web/src/components/dashboards/panels/JsonFieldRenderer.vue
+++ b/web/src/components/dashboards/panels/JsonFieldRenderer.vue
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 -->
 
 <template>
-  <div class="json-field-renderer">
+  <div :class="['json-field-renderer', { 'json-structured': isValidJSON }]">
     <div v-if="parsedData === null || parsedData === undefined">
       {{ value }}
     </div>
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
       </template>
       <span class="json-brace">}</span>
     </div>
-    <!-- Primitive value -->
+    <!-- Primitive value: only apply JSON coloring if the value was valid JSON -->
     <div v-else>
-      <span :style="{ color: getValueColor(parsedData) }">{{ formatValue(parsedData) }}</span>
+      <span :style="isValidJSON ? { color: getValueColor(parsedData) } : {}">{{ formatValue(parsedData) }}</span>
     </div>
   </div>
 </template>
@@ -85,17 +85,29 @@ const props = defineProps<Props>();
 const store = useStore();
 
 // Parse the value if it's a string, otherwise use as-is
-const parsedData = computed(() => {
+// Also tracks whether JSON parsing succeeded so we don't color plain strings as JSON
+const parseResult = computed(() => {
   if (typeof props.value === "string") {
     try {
-      return JSON.parse(props.value);
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(props.value);
+      // Only treat as JSON if the parsed result is an object or array.
+      // Bare primitives ("42", "true", "null") are valid JSON but should
+      // not be colored -> they're just plain field values stored as strings.
+      const isStructuredJSON = parsed !== null && typeof parsed === "object";
+      return { data: parsed, isJSON: isStructuredJSON };
     } catch (e) {
-      return props.value;
+      return { data: props.value, isJSON: false };
     }
   }
-  return props.value;
+  return { data: props.value, isJSON: false };
 });
 
+const parsedData = computed(() => parseResult.value.data);
+
+// True when the original string was valid JSON (or value was not a string).
+// Used to avoid coloring plain non-JSON strings (e.g. timestamps) like JSON values.
+const isValidJSON = computed(() => parseResult.value.isJSON);
+
 // Check if theme is dark - memoized
 const isDarkTheme = computed(() => store.state.theme === "dark");
 
@@ -202,7 +214,7 @@ const isLastDefinedEntry = (obj: any, currentKey: string): boolean => {
 </script>
 
 <style lang="scss" scoped>
-.json-field-renderer {
+.json-structured {
   font-family: monospace;
   font-size: 12px;
   line-height: 1.5;
diff --git a/web/src/composables/dashboard/useDashboardPanel.ts b/web/src/composables/dashboard/useDashboardPanel.ts
index 7a7cfac857..e31cd3a4ce 100644
--- a/web/src/composables/dashboard/useDashboardPanel.ts
+++ b/web/src/composables/dashboard/useDashboardPanel.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ const useDashboardPanelData = (pageKey: string = "dashboard") => {
     removeXYFilters,
     setFieldsBasedOnChartTypeValidation,
     isPivotMode,
-  } = usePanelFields({ dashboardPanelData, store });
+  } = usePanelFields({ dashboardPanelData, store, pageKey });
 
   const { resetAggregationFunction } = usePanelAggregation({
     dashboardPanelData,
diff --git a/web/src/composables/dashboard/usePanelFields.ts b/web/src/composables/dashboard/usePanelFields.ts
index 9b1b5ee493..5248252500 100644
--- a/web/src/composables/dashboard/usePanelFields.ts
+++ b/web/src/composables/dashboard/usePanelFields.ts
@@ -33,9 +33,11 @@ const colors = [
 export const usePanelFields = ({
   dashboardPanelData,
   store,
+  pageKey = "dashboard",
 }: {
   dashboardPanelData: any;
   store: any;
+  pageKey?: string;
 }) => {
   const promqlMode = computed(
     () => dashboardPanelData.data.queryType == "promql",
@@ -259,7 +261,10 @@ export const usePanelFields = ({
       havingConditions: [],
       treatAsNonTimestamp:
         row.name === store.state.zoConfig.timestamp_column ? false : true,
-      showFieldAsJson: false,
+      showFieldAsJson:
+        pageKey === "logs"
+          ? (store?.state?.zoConfig?.dashboard_show_field_as_json_enabled ?? false)
+          : false,
     });
 
     updateArrayAlias();
@@ -399,7 +404,10 @@ export const usePanelFields = ({
       havingConditions: [],
       treatAsNonTimestamp:
         row.name === store.state.zoConfig.timestamp_column ? false : true,
-      showFieldAsJson: false,
+      showFieldAsJson:
+        pageKey === "logs"
+          ? (store?.state?.zoConfig?.dashboard_show_field_as_json_enabled ?? false)
+          : false,
     });
     updateArrayAlias();
   };