diff --git a/apisix/core/etcd.lua b/apisix/core/etcd.lua
index 793ece52bd2d..288fac791079 100644
--- a/apisix/core/etcd.lua
+++ b/apisix/core/etcd.lua
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@
 -- limitations under the License.
 --
 local fetch_local_conf = require("apisix.core.config_local").local_conf
+local array_mt         = require("apisix.core.json").array_mt
 local etcd             = require("resty.etcd")
 local clone_tab        = require("table.clone")
 local health_check     = require("resty.etcd.health_check")
 local ipairs           = ipairs
+local setmetatable     = setmetatable
 local string           = string
 local tonumber         = tonumber
 local _M = {}
@@ -88,7 +90,7 @@ _M.kvs_to_node = kvs_to_node
 
 local function kvs_to_nodes(res)
     res.body.node.dir = true
-    res.body.node.nodes = {}
+    res.body.node.nodes = setmetatable({}, array_mt)
     for i=2, #res.body.kvs do
         res.body.node.nodes[i-1] = kvs_to_node(res.body.kvs[i])
     end
diff --git a/apisix/core/json.lua b/apisix/core/json.lua
index 2a83d71cc152..b464dcc0673a 100644
--- a/apisix/core/json.lua
+++ b/apisix/core/json.lua
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ local cached_tab = {}
 
 local _M = {
     version = 0.1,
+    array_mt = require("cjson.safe").array_mt,
     decode = require("cjson.safe").decode,
     -- This method produces the same encoded string when the input is not changed.
     -- Different calls with cjson.encode will produce different string because
diff --git a/docs/en/latest/getting-started.md b/docs/en/latest/getting-started.md
index 3ee4b461ec12..9eb4d63949ff 100644
--- a/docs/en/latest/getting-started.md
+++ b/docs/en/latest/getting-started.md
@@ -118,11 +118,11 @@ The following data is returned to indicate that Apache APISIX was successfully s
 
 ```json
 {
-  "count":1,
+  "count":0,
   "action":"get",
   "node":{
     "key":"/apisix/services",
-    "nodes":{},
+    "nodes":[],
     "dir":true
   }
 }
diff --git a/docs/en/latest/internal/testing-framework.md b/docs/en/latest/internal/testing-framework.md
index f5c4daf7fded..c9a11f785c34 100644
--- a/docs/en/latest/internal/testing-framework.md
+++ b/docs/en/latest/internal/testing-framework.md
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ ONLY:
 --- config
 ...
 --- response_body
-{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/upstreams","nodes":{}}}
+{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/upstreams","nodes":[]}}
 ```
 
 ### Executing Shell Commands
diff --git a/docs/zh/latest/getting-started.md b/docs/zh/latest/getting-started.md
index 1780d1155afd..cd5e9320ed9d 100644
--- a/docs/zh/latest/getting-started.md
+++ b/docs/zh/latest/getting-started.md
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@ curl "http://127.0.0.1:9080/apisix/admin/services/" -H 'X-API-KEY: edd1c9f034335
 
 ```json
 {
-  "count":1,
+  "count":0,
   "action":"get",
   "node":{
     "key":"/apisix/services",
-    "nodes":{},
+    "nodes":[],
     "dir":true
   }
 }
diff --git a/t/admin/consumers2.t b/t/admin/consumers2.t
index 28bc2fcc31d3..3c296b79339f 100644
--- a/t/admin/consumers2.t
+++ b/t/admin/consumers2.t
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ __DATA__
         }
     }
 --- response_body
-{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/consumers","nodes":{}}}
+{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/consumers","nodes":[]}}
 
 
 
diff --git a/t/admin/global-rules2.t b/t/admin/global-rules2.t
index 3835dcc0f107..6ff033b52f43 100644
--- a/t/admin/global-rules2.t
+++ b/t/admin/global-rules2.t
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ __DATA__
         }
     }
 --- response_body
-{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/global_rules","nodes":{}}}
+{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/global_rules","nodes":[]}}
 
 
 
diff --git a/t/admin/plugin-metadata2.t b/t/admin/plugin-metadata2.t
index def0ba222b68..190b9ae20faf 100644
--- a/t/admin/plugin-metadata2.t
+++ b/t/admin/plugin-metadata2.t
@@ -60,4 +60,4 @@ __DATA__
         }
     }
 --- response_body
-{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/plugin_metadata","nodes":{}}}
+{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/plugin_metadata","nodes":[]}}
diff --git a/t/admin/routes3.t b/t/admin/routes3.t
index d9eb4f9165f9..668ff47a7b18 100644
--- a/t/admin/routes3.t
+++ b/t/admin/routes3.t
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ __DATA__
         }
     }
 --- response_body
-{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/routes","nodes":{}}}
+{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/routes","nodes":[]}}
 
 
 
diff --git a/t/admin/ssl3.t b/t/admin/ssl3.t
index 4fcce6069d66..cb09b5119223 100644
--- a/t/admin/ssl3.t
+++ b/t/admin/ssl3.t
@@ -60,4 +60,4 @@ __DATA__
         }
     }
 --- response_body
-{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/ssl","nodes":{}}}
+{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/ssl","nodes":[]}}
diff --git a/t/admin/upstream3.t b/t/admin/upstream3.t
index 9796a05eb499..070c8b3d2368 100644
--- a/t/admin/upstream3.t
+++ b/t/admin/upstream3.t
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ __DATA__
         }
     }
 --- response_body
-{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/upstreams","nodes":{}}}
+{"action":"get","count":0,"node":{"dir":true,"key":"/apisix/upstreams","nodes":[]}}