diff --git a/docs/advanced-usage/docker-options.md b/docs/advanced-usage/docker-options.md
index ae4039d3a..2fcabcb6e 100644
--- a/docs/advanced-usage/docker-options.md
+++ b/docs/advanced-usage/docker-options.md
@@ -179,6 +179,25 @@ A machine-readable JSON view is available via `--format json`:
 dokku docker-options:report node-js-app --format json
 ```
 
+The JSON report includes the existing string keys (`build`, `deploy`, `run`, and `deploy.<process>` when configured) plus parallel `-list` keys for the same shorthand keys. Each `-list` value is a JSON array with one element per option as originally stored via `docker-options:add`, which allows export tooling to round-trip options that contain spaces without splitting the legacy space-joined strings. Empty phases emit an empty array (`[]`). The deprecated `docker-options-*` prefixed keys are unchanged and do not gain `-list` companions.
+
+```json
+{
+  "build": "",
+  "build-list": [],
+  "deploy": "-v /logs:/logs --memory=512m",
+  "deploy-list": ["-v /logs:/logs", "--memory=512m"],
+  "run": "",
+  "run-list": [],
+  "deploy.web": "-p 8080:5000",
+  "deploy.web-list": ["-p 8080:5000"],
+  "docker-options-build": "",
+  "docker-options-deploy": "-v /logs:/logs --memory=512m",
+  "docker-options-run": "",
+  "docker-options-deploy.web": "-p 8080:5000"
+}
+```
+
 ### Process-Specific Options
 
 > [!IMPORTANT]
diff --git a/plugins/docker-options/report.go b/plugins/docker-options/report.go
index 5640e7d60..b389fb486 100644
--- a/plugins/docker-options/report.go
+++ b/plugins/docker-options/report.go
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 package dockeroptions
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/dokku/dokku/plugins/common"
 )
 
+const dockerOptionsReportType = "docker-options"
+
 // ReportSingleApp displays the docker options report for a single app.
 // Default-scope options are reported under fixed keys for each phase.
 // Process-scoped options surface as dynamic per-process keys, one per
@@ -47,8 +50,32 @@ func ReportSingleApp(appName string, format string, infoFlag string) error {
 	}
 
 	infoFlags := common.CollectReport(appName, infoFlag, flags)
+
+	if format == "" {
+		format = "stdout"
+	}
+	if format != "stdout" && format != "json" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Format must be \"stdout\" or \"json\": %q", format)
+	}
+	if format == "json" && infoFlag != "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("--format flag cannot be specified when specifying an info flag")
+	}
+
+	if format == "json" {
+		data, err := buildJSONReportData(appName, infoFlags)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		out, err := json.Marshal(data)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		common.Log(string(out))
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	return common.ReportSingleApp(common.ReportSingleAppInput{
-		ReportType:              "docker-options",
+		ReportType:              dockerOptionsReportType,
 		AppName:                 appName,
 		InfoFlag:                infoFlag,
 		InfoFlags:               infoFlags,
@@ -60,6 +87,63 @@ func ReportSingleApp(appName string, format string, infoFlag string) error {
 	})
 }
 
+// listReportKey returns the JSON key used for the structured list companion to
+// a shorthand report key (e.g. "deploy" -> "deploy-list").
+func listReportKey(shorthandKey string) string {
+	return shorthandKey + "-list"
+}
+
+// buildJSONReportData assembles the docker-options JSON report. Existing string
+// keys match common.ReportSingleApp output; shorthand keys also gain parallel
+// -list keys whose values are the stored option slices.
+func buildJSONReportData(appName string, infoFlags map[string]string) (map[string]any, error) {
+	data := map[string]any{}
+	pluginPrefix := fmt.Sprintf("--%s-", dockerOptionsReportType)
+	for key, value := range infoFlags {
+		legacyKey := strings.TrimPrefix(key, "--")
+		if strings.HasPrefix(key, pluginPrefix) {
+			data[strings.TrimPrefix(key, pluginPrefix)] = value
+			data[legacyKey] = value
+		} else {
+			data[legacyKey] = value
+		}
+	}
+
+	if appName == "--global" {
+		return data, nil
+	}
+
+	phases := []struct {
+		phase        string
+		shorthandKey string
+	}{
+		{"build", "build"},
+		{"deploy", "deploy"},
+		{"run", "run"},
+	}
+	for _, phase := range phases {
+		options, err := GetDockerOptionsForProcessPhase(appName, DefaultProcessType, phase.phase)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		data[listReportKey(phase.shorthandKey)] = options
+	}
+
+	processTypes, err := ListProcessTypesWithOptions(appName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	for _, processType := range processTypes {
+		options, err := GetDockerOptionsForProcessPhase(appName, processType, "deploy")
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		data[listReportKey(fmt.Sprintf("deploy.%s", processType))] = options
+	}
+
+	return data, nil
+}
+
 func reportBuildOptions(appName string) string {
 	return joinProcessPhaseOptions(appName, DefaultProcessType, "build")
 }
diff --git a/plugins/docker-options/report_test.go b/plugins/docker-options/report_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22fab3691
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/docker-options/report_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+package dockeroptions
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/dokku/dokku/plugins/common"
+)
+
+func setupReportEnv(t *testing.T, appName string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	dokkuRoot := setupMigrationEnv(t)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dokkuRoot, appName), 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("MkdirAll: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestListReportKey(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		in   string
+		want string
+	}{
+		{"build", "build-list"},
+		{"deploy", "deploy-list"},
+		{"run", "run-list"},
+		{"deploy.web", "deploy.web-list"},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		if got := listReportKey(tc.in); got != tc.want {
+			t.Errorf("listReportKey(%q) = %q, want %q", tc.in, got, tc.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildJSONReportData_IncludesListKeysForShorthandOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	const appName = "testapp"
+	setupReportEnv(t, appName)
+
+	if err := common.PropertyListWrite("docker-options", appName, "_default_.deploy", []string{"-v /logs:/logs", "--memory=512m"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("PropertyListWrite deploy: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := common.PropertyListWrite("docker-options", appName, "web.deploy", []string{"-p 8080:5000"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("PropertyListWrite web deploy: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	infoFlags := map[string]string{
+		"--docker-options-build":      "",
+		"--docker-options-deploy":     "-v /logs:/logs --memory=512m",
+		"--docker-options-run":        "",
+		"--docker-options-deploy.web": "-p 8080:5000",
+	}
+
+	data, err := buildJSONReportData(appName, infoFlags)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("buildJSONReportData: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	assertStringValue(t, data, "deploy", "-v /logs:/logs --memory=512m")
+	assertStringValue(t, data, "docker-options-deploy", "-v /logs:/logs --memory=512m")
+	assertStringSliceValue(t, data, "deploy-list", []string{"-v /logs:/logs", "--memory=512m"})
+	assertStringSliceValue(t, data, "build-list", []string{})
+	assertStringSliceValue(t, data, "run-list", []string{})
+	assertStringSliceValue(t, data, "deploy.web-list", []string{"-p 8080:5000"})
+
+	if _, ok := data["docker-options-deploy-list"]; ok {
+		t.Fatal("docker-options-deploy-list should not be present")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildJSONReportData_PreservesOptionsWithSpaces(t *testing.T) {
+	const appName = "testapp"
+	setupReportEnv(t, appName)
+
+	option := `--label 'com.example.description=my app'`
+	if err := common.PropertyListWrite("docker-options", appName, "_default_.deploy", []string{option, "--cpus=2"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("PropertyListWrite deploy: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	infoFlags := map[string]string{
+		"--docker-options-build":  "",
+		"--docker-options-deploy": option + " --cpus=2",
+		"--docker-options-run":    "",
+	}
+
+	data, err := buildJSONReportData(appName, infoFlags)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("buildJSONReportData: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	assertStringSliceValue(t, data, "deploy-list", []string{option, "--cpus=2"})
+}
+
+func TestBuildJSONReportData_GlobalReportHasNoListKeys(t *testing.T) {
+	data, err := buildJSONReportData("--global", map[string]string{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("buildJSONReportData: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(data) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("global report data = %#v, want empty map", data)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildJSONReportData_MarshalsEmptyListsAsArrays(t *testing.T) {
+	const appName = "testapp"
+	setupReportEnv(t, appName)
+
+	infoFlags := map[string]string{
+		"--docker-options-build":  "",
+		"--docker-options-deploy": "",
+		"--docker-options-run":    "",
+	}
+
+	data, err := buildJSONReportData(appName, infoFlags)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("buildJSONReportData: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	out, err := json.Marshal(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("json.Marshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	jsonText := string(out)
+	for _, key := range []string{"build-list", "deploy-list", "run-list"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(jsonText, `"`+key+`":[]`) {
+			t.Errorf("json output missing empty array for %q: %s", key, jsonText)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func assertStringValue(t *testing.T, data map[string]any, key, want string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	got, ok := data[key]
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("key %q missing from report data", key)
+	}
+	gotString, ok := got.(string)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("key %q = %#v, want string %q", key, got, want)
+	}
+	if gotString != want {
+		t.Errorf("key %q = %q, want %q", key, gotString, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func assertStringSliceValue(t *testing.T, data map[string]any, key string, want []string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	got, ok := data[key]
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("key %q missing from report data", key)
+	}
+	gotSlice, ok := got.([]string)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("key %q = %#v, want []string %#v", key, got, want)
+	}
+	if !equalStringSlice(gotSlice, want) {
+		t.Errorf("key %q = %#v, want %#v", key, gotSlice, want)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/docker-options-2.bats b/tests/unit/docker-options-2.bats
index 1f9f558b1..620a8a105 100644
--- a/tests/unit/docker-options-2.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/docker-options-2.bats
@@ -185,10 +185,68 @@ teardown() {
   assert_success
   assert_output_contains '"docker-options-deploy.web"'
   assert_output_contains '"deploy.web"'
-  assert_output_contains "-p 8080:5000" 2
+  assert_output_contains '"deploy.web-list"'
+  assert_output_contains "-p 8080:5000" 3
   assert_output_contains '"docker-options-deploy"'
   assert_output_contains '"deploy"'
-  assert_output_contains "-v /logs:/logs" 2
+  assert_output_contains '"deploy-list"'
+  assert_output_contains "-v /logs:/logs" 3
+}
+
+@test "(docker-options:report) --format json exposes structured -list keys" {
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:add $TEST_APP build --build-arg X=Y --link foo --link bar"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:add --process web $TEST_APP deploy '-p 8080:5000'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:add $TEST_APP deploy '-v /logs:/logs' '--memory=512m'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:add $TEST_APP deploy --label 'com.example.description=my app'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:report $TEST_APP --format json | jq -e '.\"build-list\" | length == 3'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:report $TEST_APP --format json | jq -e '.\"deploy-list\" | length == 3'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:report $TEST_APP --format json | jq -e '.\"deploy-list\" | index(\"--memory=512m\") != null'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:report $TEST_APP --format json | jq -e '.\"deploy-list\"[] | select(test(\"my app\"))'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:report $TEST_APP --format json | jq -e '.\"deploy.web-list\"[]'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output_contains "-p 8080:5000"
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:report $TEST_APP --format json | jq -e 'has(\"docker-options-deploy-list\") | not'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+}
+
+@test "(docker-options:report) --format json emits empty -list arrays for unset phases" {
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:report $TEST_APP --format json | jq -e '.\"build-list\" == [] and .\"deploy-list\" == [] and .\"run-list\" == []'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
 }
 
 @test "(docker-options) clone copies default and per-process options" {