diff --git a/.changeset/loud-masks-smash.md b/.changeset/loud-masks-smash.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e1631fa3ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/loud-masks-smash.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/config': patch
+---
+
+Reformulate the json types to break type recursion
diff --git a/packages/config/src/index.ts b/packages/config/src/index.ts
index d873bc93a9..70a6a7a29b 100644
--- a/packages/config/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/config/src/index.ts
@@ -14,11 +14,12 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+export { ConfigReader } from './reader';
 export type {
   AppConfig,
   Config,
   JsonArray,
   JsonObject,
+  JsonPrimitive,
   JsonValue,
 } from './types';
-export { ConfigReader } from './reader';
diff --git a/packages/config/src/types.ts b/packages/config/src/types.ts
index 92293a3f26..76bbc2f9bf 100644
--- a/packages/config/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/config/src/types.ts
@@ -14,15 +14,10 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+export type JsonPrimitive = number | string | boolean | null;
 export type JsonObject = { [key in string]?: JsonValue };
-export type JsonArray = JsonValue[];
-export type JsonValue =
-  | JsonObject
-  | JsonArray
-  | number
-  | string
-  | boolean
-  | null;
+export interface JsonArray extends Array<JsonValue> {}
+export type JsonValue = JsonObject | JsonArray | JsonPrimitive;
 
 export type AppConfig = {
   context: string;