diff --git a/app/controllers/explore_controller.rb b/app/controllers/explore_controller.rb
index 2e713213..5c573057 100644
--- a/app/controllers/explore_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/explore_controller.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class ExploreController < ApplicationController
         redirect_to(root_url) && return if authenticated?
         respond_with(@maps, @user)
       end
-      format.json { render json: @maps.to_json }
+      format.json { render json: @maps.as_json }
     end
   end
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class ExploreController < ApplicationController
 
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html { respond_with(@maps, @user) }
-      format.json { render json: @maps.to_json }
+      format.json { render json: @maps.as_json }
     end
   end
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class ExploreController < ApplicationController
 
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html { respond_with(@maps, @user) }
-      format.json { render json: @maps.to_json }
+      format.json { render json: @maps.as_json }
     end
   end
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class ExploreController < ApplicationController
 
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html { respond_with(@maps, @user) }
-      format.json { render json: @maps.to_json }
+      format.json { render json: @maps.as_json }
     end
   end
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class ExploreController < ApplicationController
 
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html { respond_with(@maps, @user) }
-      format.json { render json: @maps.to_json }
+      format.json { render json: @maps.as_json }
     end
   end
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class ExploreController < ApplicationController
 
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html { respond_with(@maps, @user) }
-      format.json { render json: @maps.to_json }
+      format.json { render json: @maps.as_json }
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb b/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb
index cddd4ac3..d66456b8 100644
--- a/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class MapsController < ApplicationController
   # GET maps/:id/contains
   def contains
     respond_to do |format|
-      format.json { render json: @map.contains(current_user).to_json(user: current_user) }
+      format.json { render json: @map.contains(current_user).as_json(user: current_user) }
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/controllers/search_controller.rb b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
index 0fb9c808..dc7e6efb 100644
--- a/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class SearchController < ApplicationController
       @topics = []
     end
 
-    render json: autocomplete_array_json(@topics).to_json
+    render json: autocomplete_array_json(@topics).as_json
   end
 
   # get /search/maps?term=SOMETERM
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class SearchController < ApplicationController
       @maps = []
     end
 
-    render json: autocomplete_map_array_json(@maps).to_json
+    render json: autocomplete_map_array_json(@maps).as_json
   end
 
   # get /search/mappers?term=SOMETERM
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class SearchController < ApplicationController
     else
       @mappers = []
     end
-    render json: autocomplete_user_array_json(@mappers).to_json
+    render json: autocomplete_user_array_json(@mappers).as_json
   end
 
   # get /search/synapses?term=SOMETERM OR
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class SearchController < ApplicationController
     # limit to 5 results
     @synapses = @synapses.to_a.slice(0, 5)
 
-    render json: autocomplete_synapse_array_json(@synapses).to_json
+    render json: autocomplete_synapse_array_json(@synapses).as_json
   end
 
   private
diff --git a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
index 2400163a..844fad99 100644
--- a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
     end
     @all= @topics.to_a.concat(@maps.to_a).sort { |a, b| a.name <=> b.name }
     
-    render json: autocomplete_array_json(@all).to_json
+    render json: autocomplete_array_json(@all).as_json
   end
 
   # GET topics/:id
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
 
         respond_with(@allsynapses, @alltopics, @allcreators, @topic)
       end
-      format.json { render json: @topic.to_json(user: current_user) }
+      format.json { render json: @topic.as_json(user: current_user) }
     end
   end
 
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
     @allcreators += @allsynapses.map(&:user).uniq
 
     @json = {}
-    @json['topic'] = @topic.to_json(user: current_user)
+    @json['topic'] = @topic.as_json(user: current_user)
     @json['creators'] = @allcreators
-    @json['relatives'] = @alltopics.to_json(user: current_user)
+    @json['relatives'] = @alltopics.as_json(user: current_user)
     @json['synapses'] = @allsynapses
 
     respond_to do |format|
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
     end
 
     @json = {}
-    @json['topics'] = alltopics.to_json(user: current_user)
+    @json['topics'] = alltopics.as_json(user: current_user)
     @json['synapses'] = allsynapses
     @json['creators'] = allcreators
 
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
 
     respond_to do |format|
       if @topic.save
-        format.json { render json: @topic.to_json(user: current_user), status: :created }
+        format.json { render json: @topic.as_json(user: current_user), status: :created }
       else
         format.json { render json: @topic.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity }
       end