diff --git a/lib/logstash/filters/json.rb b/lib/logstash/filters/json.rb
index 569bfe8f9..650b43e73 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/filters/json.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/filters/json.rb
@@ -54,11 +54,17 @@ class LogStash::Filters::Json < LogStash::Filters::Base
 
     return unless event.include?(@source)
 
+    source = event[@source]
     if @target.nil?
       # Default is to write to the root of the event.
       dest = event.to_hash
     else
-      dest = event[@target] ||= {}
+      if @target == @source
+        # Overwrite source
+        dest = event[@target] = {}
+      else
+        dest = event[@target] ||= {}
+      end
     end
 
     begin
@@ -66,13 +72,15 @@ class LogStash::Filters::Json < LogStash::Filters::Base
       # like your text is '[ 1,2,3 ]' JSON.parse gives you an array (correctly)
       # which won't merge into a hash. If someone needs this, we can fix it
       # later.
-      dest.merge!(JSON.parse(event[@source]))
+      dest.merge!(JSON.parse(source))
 
-      # This is a hack to help folks who are mucking with @timestamp during
-      # their json filter. You aren't supposed to do anything with "@timestamp"
-      # outside of the date filter, but nobody listens... ;)
-      if event["@timestamp"].is_a?(String)
-        event["@timestamp"] = Time.parse(event["@timestamp"]).gmtime
+      # If no target, we target the root of the event object. This can allow
+      # you to overwrite @timestamp. If so, let's parse it as a timestamp!
+      if @target && event["@timestamp"].is_a?(String)
+        # This is a hack to help folks who are mucking with @timestamp during
+        # their json filter. You aren't supposed to do anything with
+        # "@timestamp" outside of the date filter, but nobody listens... ;)
+        event["@timestamp"] = Time.parse(event["@timestamp"]).utc
       end
 
       filter_matched(event)
diff --git a/spec/filters/json.rb b/spec/filters/json.rb
index 340bfb79c..5f596ed04 100644
--- a/spec/filters/json.rb
+++ b/spec/filters/json.rb
@@ -69,4 +69,21 @@ describe LogStash::Filters::Json do
       insist { subject["@timestamp"].to_json } == "\"2013-10-19T00:14:32.996Z\""
     end
   end
+
+  describe "source == target" do
+    config <<-CONFIG
+      filter {
+        json {
+          source => "example"
+          target => "example"
+        }
+      }
+    CONFIG
+
+    sample({ "example" => "{ \"hello\": \"world\" }" }) do
+      insist { subject["example"] }.is_a?(Hash)
+      insist { subject["example"]["hello"] } == "world"
+    end
+  end
+
 end