The ‘ObjectContent`1' type failed to serialize the response body for content type ‘application/json; charset=utf-8' In MVC Web API

I am trying to build a MVC Web API that uses both Controllers and ApiControllers using entity framework, i got this error when i tried to access api.

I am trying to build a MVC Web API  that uses both Controllers and ApiControllers using entity framework, i got this error when i tried to access api:

“The ‘ObjectContent`1' type failed to serialize the response body for content type ‘application/json; charset=utf-8'

The InnerException is this (I'm returning JSON in that case, same happens with XML):

"InnerException": {
"Message": "An error has occurred.",
"ExceptionMessage": "Error getting value from 'IdentityEqualityComparer' on 'NHibernate.Proxy.DefaultLazyInitializer'.",
"ExceptionType": "Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializationException",
"StackTrace": " at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.DynamicValueProvider.GetValue(Object target)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalWriter.SerializeObject(JsonWriter writer, Object value, JsonObjectContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract collectionContract, JsonProperty containerProperty)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalWriter.SerializeValue(JsonWriter writer, Object value, JsonContract valueContract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerProperty)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalWriter.SerializeISerializable(JsonWriter writer, ISerializable value, JsonISerializableContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract collectionContract, JsonProperty containerProperty)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalWriter.SerializeValue(JsonWriter writer, Object value, JsonContract valueContract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerProperty)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalWriter.SerializeObject(JsonWriter writer, Object value, JsonObjectContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract collectionContract, JsonProperty containerProperty)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalWriter.SerializeValue(JsonWriter writer, Object value, JsonContract valueContract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerProperty)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalWriter.SerializeList(JsonWriter writer, IWrappedCollection values, JsonArrayContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract collectionContract, JsonProperty containerProperty)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalWriter.SerializeValue(JsonWriter writer, Object value, JsonContract valueContract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerProperty)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalWriter.Serialize(JsonWriter jsonWriter, Object value)
at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.SerializeInternal(JsonWriter jsonWriter, Object value) at System.Net.Http.Formatting.JsonMediaTypeFormatter.<>c__DisplayClassd.<WriteToStreamAsync>b__c() at System.Threading.Tasks.TaskHelpers.RunSynchronously(Action action, CancellationToken token)",
"InnerException": {
"Message": "An error has occurred.",
"ExceptionMessage": "Common Language Runtime detected an invalid program.",
"ExceptionType": "System.InvalidProgramException",
"StackTrace": " at GetIdentityEqualityComparer(Object ) at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.DynamicValueProvider.GetValue(Object target)"
}

Solution:

Add this to the WebApiConfig class under the Register Method.

var json = config.Formatters.JsonFormatter;
json.SerializerSettings.PreserveReferencesHandling=Newtonsoft.Json.PreserveReferencesHandling.Objects;
config.Formatters.Remove(config.Formatters.XmlFormatter);