diff --git a/src/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py b/src/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py
index c5d8bcd03fc..7f612e02bc0 100644
--- a/src/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py
+++ b/src/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import io
 import itertools
 from dataclasses import dataclass
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Optional, List
 
 import pandas as pd
 import pyarrow as pa
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ class JsonConfig(datasets.BuilderConfig):
     block_size: Optional[int] = None  # deprecated
     chunksize: int = 10 << 20  # 10MB
     newlines_in_values: Optional[bool] = None
+    columns: Optional[List[str]] = None
 
     def __post_init__(self):
         super().__post_init__()
@@ -121,6 +122,12 @@ def _generate_tables(self, files):
                 if df.columns.tolist() == [0]:
                     df.columns = list(self.config.features) if self.config.features else ["text"]
                 pa_table = pa.Table.from_pandas(df, preserve_index=False)
+                if self.config.columns is not None:
+                    missing_cols = [col for col in self.config.columns if col not in pa_table.column_names]
+                    if missing_cols:
+                        for col in missing_cols:
+                            pa_table = pa_table.append_column(col, pa.array([None] * len(pa_table)))
+                    pa_table = pa_table.select(self.config.columns)
                 yield file_idx, self._cast_table(pa_table)
 
             # If the file has one json object per line
@@ -186,7 +193,21 @@ def _generate_tables(self, files):
                                 raise ValueError(
                                     f"Failed to convert pandas DataFrame to Arrow Table from file {file}."
                                 ) from None
+                            # Column filtering (pandas fallback)
+                            if self.config.columns is not None:
+                                missing_cols = [col for col in self.config.columns if col not in pa_table.column_names]
+                                if missing_cols:
+                                    for col in missing_cols:
+                                        pa_table = pa_table.append_column(col, pa.array([None] * len(pa_table)))
+                                pa_table = pa_table.select(self.config.columns)
                             yield file_idx, self._cast_table(pa_table)
                             break
+                        # Column filtering (Arrow JSON path)
+                        if self.config.columns is not None:
+                            missing_cols = [col for col in self.config.columns if col not in pa_table.column_names]
+                            if missing_cols:
+                                for col in missing_cols:
+                                    pa_table = pa_table.append_column(col, pa.array([None] * len(pa_table)))
+                            pa_table = pa_table.select(self.config.columns)
                         yield (file_idx, batch_idx), self._cast_table(pa_table)
                         batch_idx += 1
diff --git a/tests/packaged_modules/test_json.py b/tests/packaged_modules/test_json.py
index 18f066b5e68..15a1c8df90a 100644
--- a/tests/packaged_modules/test_json.py
+++ b/tests/packaged_modules/test_json.py
@@ -265,3 +265,30 @@ def test_json_generate_tables_with_sorted_columns(file_fixture, config_kwargs, r
     generator = builder._generate_tables([[request.getfixturevalue(file_fixture)]])
     pa_table = pa.concat_tables([table for _, table in generator])
     assert pa_table.column_names == ["ID", "Language", "Topic"]
+
+
+def test_json_generate_tables_with_columns_subset(jsonl_file):
+    # Keep only col_1
+    builder = Json(columns=["col_1"])
+    generator = builder._generate_tables([[jsonl_file]])
+    pa_table = pa.concat_tables([table for _, table in generator])
+    assert pa_table.column_names == ["col_1"]
+    assert pa_table.to_pydict() == {"col_1": [-1, 1, 10]}
+
+
+def test_json_generate_tables_with_columns_and_missing(jsonl_file):
+    # Ask for col_1 and a non-existent column -> should be filled with None
+    builder = Json(columns=["col_1", "missing_col"])
+    generator = builder._generate_tables([[jsonl_file]])
+    pa_table = pa.concat_tables([table for _, table in generator])
+    assert pa_table.column_names == ["col_1", "missing_col"]
+    assert pa_table.to_pydict() == {"col_1": [-1, 1, 10], "missing_col": [None, None, None]}
+
+
+def test_json_generate_tables_with_columns_on_list_of_strings(json_file_with_list_of_strings):
+    # list-of-strings becomes a single "text" column; ensure selection works
+    builder = Json(columns=["text"])
+    generator = builder._generate_tables([[json_file_with_list_of_strings]])
+    pa_table = pa.concat_tables([table for _, table in generator])
+    assert pa_table.column_names == ["text"]
+    assert pa_table.to_pydict() == {"text": ["First text.", "Second text.", "Third text."]}