diff --git a/superset/sql/parse.py b/superset/sql/parse.py
index c4983b6d3ef..4c2be71897e 100644
--- a/superset/sql/parse.py
+++ b/superset/sql/parse.py
@@ -589,6 +589,11 @@ class SQLStatement(BaseSQLStatement[exp.Expression]):
             # and the script contains backticks, retry with MySQL dialect which
             # supports backtick-quoted identifiers
             if (dialect is None or dialect == Dialects.DIALECT) and "`" in script:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Parsing with base dialect failed for engine %r; "
+                    "script contains backticks, falling back to MySQL dialect",
+                    engine,
+                )
                 try:
                     statements = sqlglot.parse(script, dialect=Dialects.MYSQL)
                 except sqlglot.errors.ParseError:
diff --git a/superset/views/api.py b/superset/views/api.py
index 1b2163d6437..c24a102d65e 100644
--- a/superset/views/api.py
+++ b/superset/views/api.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class Api(BaseSupersetView):
         query_context.raise_for_access()
         result = query_context.get_payload()
         payload_json = result["queries"]
-        return json.dumps(payload_json, default=json.json_int_dttm_ser, ignore_nan=True)
+        return self.json_response(payload_json)
 
     @event_logger.log_this
     @api
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/sql/parse_tests.py b/tests/unit_tests/sql/parse_tests.py
index b6d0c558053..0b83dd71dbd 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/sql/parse_tests.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/sql/parse_tests.py
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 # pylint: disable=invalid-name, redefined-outer-name, too-many-lines
 
 
+import logging
+
 import pytest
 from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
 from sqlglot import Dialects, exp, parse_one
@@ -3311,3 +3313,21 @@ def test_backtick_invalid_sql_still_fails() -> None:
     sql = "SELECT * FROM `table` WHERE"
     with pytest.raises(SupersetParseError):
         SQLScript(sql, "base")
+
+
+def test_backtick_fallback_logs_warning(caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture) -> None:
+    """
+    Test that the MySQL dialect fallback emits a warning log.
+
+    When the base dialect fails to parse SQL containing backticks and the
+    parser falls back to the MySQL dialect, the fallback should be observable
+    via a warning log.
+    """
+    sql = "SELECT * FROM `my_table`"
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="superset.sql.parse"):
+        SQLScript(sql, "base")
+
+    assert any(
+        record.levelname == "WARNING" and "MySQL dialect" in record.getMessage()
+        for record in caplog.records
+    )
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/views/test_base.py b/tests/unit_tests/views/test_base.py
index b047f25d027..1d40b06fe93 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/views/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/views/test_base.py
@@ -137,3 +137,37 @@ def test_locale_language_extraction_preserves_region_when_configured(
         "de": {},
     }
     assert _extract_language(locale_str, languages) == expected_language
+
+
+def test_api_query_returns_json_content_type() -> None:
+    """``Api.query`` returns a response with a JSON content type.
+
+    The handler should use ``json_response`` (like its ``query_form_data`` and
+    ``time_range`` siblings) so the ``Content-Type`` header is set consistently
+    instead of returning a raw JSON string.
+    """
+    from flask import current_app
+
+    from superset.views.api import Api
+
+    # Unwrap the decorator stack (event logger, auth, etc.) to exercise the
+    # handler body directly without app/DB auth context.
+    handler = Api.query
+    while hasattr(handler, "__wrapped__"):
+        handler = handler.__wrapped__
+
+    query_context = MagicMock()
+    query_context.get_payload.return_value = {"queries": [{"data": [{"a": 1}]}]}
+    factory = MagicMock()
+    factory.create.return_value = query_context
+
+    api_view = Api()
+
+    with patch.object(api_view, "get_query_context_factory", return_value=factory):
+        with current_app.test_request_context(
+            data={"query_context": '{"datasource": {"id": 1}}'}
+        ):
+            response = handler(api_view)
+
+    assert response.mimetype == "application/json"
+    assert response.content_type.startswith("application/json")