diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7b9782121..99f9703bd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 - (Bugfix) Fix AnyPB Parsing in Meta Service
 - (Feature) Add Arch Tolerations
 - (Bugfix) Enable Platform Operator on EE Chart
+- (Feature) Improve GRPC JSON Handling
 
 ## [1.3.0](https://github.com/arangodb/kube-arangodb/tree/1.3.0) (2025-08-01)
 - (Feature) (Platform) Storage Debug
diff --git a/integrations/inventory/v1/definition/inventory.go b/integrations/inventory/v1/definition/inventory.go
index f19229f4e..684ed0946 100644
--- a/integrations/inventory/v1/definition/inventory.go
+++ b/integrations/inventory/v1/definition/inventory.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func (s *Inventory) JSON() ([]byte, error) {
 		return []byte("{}"), nil
 	}
 
-	return ugrpc.Marshal(s)
+	return ugrpc.Marshal(s, ugrpc.WithUseProtoNames(true))
 }
 
 func NewArangoDBConfiguration(spec api.DeploymentSpec, status api.DeploymentStatus) *ArangoDBConfiguration {
diff --git a/integrations/inventory/v1/definition/inventory_test.go b/integrations/inventory/v1/definition/inventory_test.go
index ce4f18932..60c4aec88 100644
--- a/integrations/inventory/v1/definition/inventory_test.go
+++ b/integrations/inventory/v1/definition/inventory_test.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ func Test_State_Marshal(t *testing.T) {
 
 	data, err := ugrpc.Marshal(&s, func(in *protojson.MarshalOptions) {
 		in.EmitDefaultValues = true
+		in.UseProtoNames = false
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
diff --git a/pkg/deployment/resources/config_map_gateway.go b/pkg/deployment/resources/config_map_gateway.go
index db35c7836..b33266adb 100644
--- a/pkg/deployment/resources/config_map_gateway.go
+++ b/pkg/deployment/resources/config_map_gateway.go
@@ -131,9 +131,8 @@ func (r *Resources) ensureGatewayConfig(ctx context.Context, cachedStatus inspec
 			},
 			Marshaller: ugrpc.Marshal[*pbInventoryV1.Inventory],
 			Options: []util.Mod[protojson.MarshalOptions]{
-				func(in *protojson.MarshalOptions) {
-					in.EmitDefaultValues = true
-				},
+				ugrpc.WithUseProtoNames(true),
+				ugrpc.WithEmitDefaultValues(true),
 			},
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/deployment/resources/gateway/dynamic.go b/pkg/deployment/resources/gateway/dynamic.go
index 5b5ae2aef..6c17ca272 100644
--- a/pkg/deployment/resources/gateway/dynamic.go
+++ b/pkg/deployment/resources/gateway/dynamic.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func NodeDynamicConfig(cluster, id string, cds, lds *DynamicConfig) ([]byte, str
 		b.DynamicResources.LdsConfig = v.AsConfigSource()
 	}
 
-	data, err := ugrpc.MarshalYAML(&b)
+	data, err := ugrpc.MarshalYAML(&b, ugrpc.WithUseProtoNames(true))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, "", nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/deployment/resources/gateway/gateway_config.go b/pkg/deployment/resources/gateway/gateway_config.go
index cdf955656..cc7d22936 100644
--- a/pkg/deployment/resources/gateway/gateway_config.go
+++ b/pkg/deployment/resources/gateway/gateway_config.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func (c Config) RenderYAML() ([]byte, string, *pbEnvoyBootstrapV3.Bootstrap, err
 		return nil, "", nil, err
 	}
 
-	data, err := ugrpc.MarshalYAML(cfg)
+	data, err := ugrpc.MarshalYAML(cfg, ugrpc.WithUseProtoNames(true))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, "", nil, err
 	}
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (c Config) RenderCDSYAML() ([]byte, string, *discoveryApi.DiscoveryResponse
 		return nil, "", nil, err
 	}
 
-	data, err := ugrpc.MarshalYAML(cfg)
+	data, err := ugrpc.MarshalYAML(cfg, ugrpc.WithUseProtoNames(true))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, "", nil, err
 	}
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func (c Config) RenderLDSYAML() ([]byte, string, *discoveryApi.DiscoveryResponse
 		return nil, "", nil, err
 	}
 
-	data, err := ugrpc.MarshalYAML(cfg)
+	data, err := ugrpc.MarshalYAML(cfg, ugrpc.WithUseProtoNames(true))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, "", nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/util/grpc/http.go b/pkg/util/grpc/http.go
index afa2373e4..98f6b5c23 100644
--- a/pkg/util/grpc/http.go
+++ b/pkg/util/grpc/http.go
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func Get[T proto.Message](ctx context.Context, client operatorHTTP.HTTPClient, u
 }
 
 func Post[IN, T proto.Message](ctx context.Context, client operatorHTTP.HTTPClient, in IN, url string, mods ...util.Mod[goHttp.Request]) HTTPResponse[T] {
-	data, err := Marshal(in)
+	data, err := Marshal(in, WithUseProtoNames(true))
 	if err != nil {
 		return httpErrorResponse[T]{err: err}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/util/grpc/marshal.go b/pkg/util/grpc/marshal.go
index b8abd3e68..0be0a59f1 100644
--- a/pkg/util/grpc/marshal.go
+++ b/pkg/util/grpc/marshal.go
@@ -28,10 +28,20 @@ import (
 	"github.com/arangodb/kube-arangodb/pkg/util"
 )
 
-func Marshal[T proto.Message](in T, opts ...util.Mod[protojson.MarshalOptions]) ([]byte, error) {
-	options := protojson.MarshalOptions{
-		UseProtoNames: true,
+func WithUseProtoNames(value bool) util.Mod[protojson.MarshalOptions] {
+	return func(in *protojson.MarshalOptions) {
+		in.UseProtoNames = value
+	}
+}
+
+func WithEmitDefaultValues(value bool) util.Mod[protojson.MarshalOptions] {
+	return func(in *protojson.MarshalOptions) {
+		in.EmitDefaultValues = value
 	}
+}
+
+func Marshal[T proto.Message](in T, opts ...util.Mod[protojson.MarshalOptions]) ([]byte, error) {
+	options := protojson.MarshalOptions{}
 
 	util.ApplyMods(&options, opts...)