diff --git a/include/caosdb/entity.h b/include/caosdb/entity.h
index 13834b71d8467c45df58e199f98fd3c6606d69b4..831200c0ff7fdafbd265bb4778b62f51003b6836 100644
--- a/include/caosdb/entity.h
+++ b/include/caosdb/entity.h
@@ -367,7 +367,8 @@ public:
    * This is intended for debugging.
    */
   inline auto ToString() const -> const std::string {
-    google::protobuf::util::JsonOptions options;
+    google::protobuf::util::JsonPrintOptions options;
+    options.add_whitespace = true;
     std::string out;
     google::protobuf::util::MessageToJsonString(*(this->wrapped), &out, options);
     return out;
@@ -538,10 +539,10 @@ public:
    * This is intended for debugging
    */
   inline auto ToString() const -> const std::string {
-    google::protobuf::util::JsonOptions options;
+    google::protobuf::util::JsonPrintOptions options;
+    options.add_whitespace = true;
     std::string out;
     google::protobuf::util::MessageToJsonString(*(this->wrapped), &out, options);
-
     return out;
   }
 
@@ -649,7 +650,8 @@ public:
   [[nodiscard]] auto GetInfos() const -> const Messages & { return infos; }
 
   inline auto ToString() const -> const std::string {
-    google::protobuf::util::JsonOptions options;
+    google::protobuf::util::JsonPrintOptions options;
+    options.add_whitespace = true;
     std::string out;
     google::protobuf::util::MessageToJsonString(*(this->wrapped), &out, options);
     return out;
diff --git a/include/caosdb/transaction.h b/include/caosdb/transaction.h
index c994ed65131f4236d872fdf1b0af862128d6c284..78524cf007c397c858ae582d8e0097b40c07ae53 100644
--- a/include/caosdb/transaction.h
+++ b/include/caosdb/transaction.h
@@ -391,7 +391,8 @@ public:
    * For debugging.
    */
   inline auto ResponseToString() const -> const std::string {
-    google::protobuf::util::JsonOptions options;
+    google::protobuf::util::JsonPrintOptions options;
+    options.add_whitespace = true;
     std::string out;
     google::protobuf::util::MessageToJsonString(*this->response, &out, options);
     return out;
@@ -403,7 +404,8 @@ public:
    * For debugging.
    */
   inline auto RequestToString() const -> const std::string {
-    google::protobuf::util::JsonOptions options;
+    google::protobuf::util::JsonPrintOptions options;
+    options.add_whitespace = true;
     std::string out;
     google::protobuf::util::MessageToJsonString(*this->request, &out, options);
     return out;