diff --git a/include/sdbusplus/exception.hpp b/include/sdbusplus/exception.hpp
index a8707f6..347418e 100644
--- a/include/sdbusplus/exception.hpp
+++ b/include/sdbusplus/exception.hpp
@@ -46,10 +46,17 @@
     int get_errno() const noexcept override;
 };
 
+/** Non-templated base for all new errors and events created by the sdbus++
+ * generator */
+struct generated_event_base : public generated_exception
+{
+    virtual auto to_json() const -> nlohmann::json = 0;
+};
+
 /** base exception for all new errors and events created by the sdbus++
  * generator */
 template <typename Event>
-struct generated_event : public generated_exception
+struct generated_event : public generated_event_base
 {
     const char* name() const noexcept override
     {
diff --git a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/event.hpp.mako b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/event.hpp.mako
index 5425d0a..c74efc9 100644
--- a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/event.hpp.mako
+++ b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/event.hpp.mako
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 %endif
     int set_error(sd_bus_error*) const override;
     int set_error(SdBusInterface*, sd_bus_error*) const override;
-    auto to_json() const -> nlohmann::json;
+    auto to_json() const -> nlohmann::json override;
 
     static constexpr auto errName =
         "${events.name}.${event.name}";