diff --git a/tracing-serde/src/fields.rs b/tracing-serde/src/fields.rs
index f6bab1ab53..eedc72d6b1 100644
--- a/tracing-serde/src/fields.rs
+++ b/tracing-serde/src/fields.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ impl<'a> Serialize for SerializeFieldMap<'a, Event<'_>> {
     where
         S: Serializer,
     {
-        let len = self.0.metadata().fields().len();
+        let len = self.0.fields().count();
         let serializer = serializer.serialize_map(Some(len))?;
         let mut visitor = SerdeMapVisitor::new(serializer);
         self.0.record(&mut visitor);
diff --git a/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/format/json.rs b/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/format/json.rs
index d26c822df0..1718d64104 100644
--- a/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/format/json.rs
+++ b/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/format/json.rs
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ impl<'a> fmt::Debug for WriteAdaptor<'a> {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
-    use crate::fmt::{test::MockWriter, time::FormatTime};
+    use crate::fmt::{format::FmtSpan, test::MockWriter, time::FormatTime};
     use lazy_static::lazy_static;
     use tracing::{self, subscriber::with_default};
 
@@ -672,6 +672,39 @@ mod test {
         });
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn json_span_event() {
+        // Check span events serialize correctly.
+        // Discussion: /~https://github.com/tokio-rs/tracing/issues/829#issuecomment-661984255
+        //
+        lazy_static! {
+            static ref BUF: Mutex<Vec<u8>> = Mutex::new(vec![]);
+        }
+        let expected = r#"{"timestamp":"fake time","level":"INFO","fields":{"message":"enter"},"target":"tracing_subscriber::fmt::format::json::test"}"#;
+
+        let make_writer = || MockWriter::new(&BUF);
+        let subscriber = crate::fmt::Subscriber::builder()
+            .json()
+            .flatten_event(false)
+            .with_current_span(false)
+            .with_span_list(false)
+            .with_span_events(FmtSpan::ENTER)
+            .with_writer(make_writer)
+            .with_timer(MockTime)
+            .finish();
+
+        with_default(subscriber, || {
+            tracing::info_span!("valid_json").in_scope(|| {});
+        });
+
+        let actual = String::from_utf8(BUF.try_lock().unwrap().to_vec()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            serde_json::from_str::<std::collections::HashMap<&str, serde_json::Value>>(expected)
+                .unwrap(),
+            serde_json::from_str(actual.as_str()).unwrap()
+        );
+    }
+
     #[cfg(feature = "json")]
     fn test_json<T, U>(
         make_writer: T,