diff --git a/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/App/DeploymentConfig/Writer/PhpFormatter.php b/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/App/DeploymentConfig/Writer/PhpFormatter.php
index b419b3827e5ff..09f2bc888e347 100644
--- a/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/App/DeploymentConfig/Writer/PhpFormatter.php
+++ b/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/App/DeploymentConfig/Writer/PhpFormatter.php
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@
  */
 class PhpFormatter implements FormatterInterface
 {
+    /**
+     * 2 space indentation for array formatting
+     */
+    const INDENT = '  ';
+
     /**
      * Format deployment configuration.
      * If $comments is present, each item will be added
@@ -21,9 +26,9 @@ class PhpFormatter implements FormatterInterface
     public function format($data, array $comments = [])
     {
         if (!empty($comments) && is_array($data)) {
-            return "<?php\nreturn array (\n" . $this->formatData($data, $comments) . "\n);\n";
+            return "<?php\nreturn [\n" . $this->formatData($data, $comments) . "\n];\n";
         }
-        return "<?php\nreturn " . var_export($data, true) . ";\n";
+        return "<?php\nreturn " . $this->varExportShort($data, true) . ";\n";
     }
 
     /**
@@ -51,13 +56,13 @@ private function formatData($data, $comments = [], $prefix = '  ')
                     $elements[] = $prefix . " */";
                 }
 
-                $elements[] = $prefix . var_export($key, true) . ' => ' .
-                    (!is_array($value) ? var_export($value, true) . ',' : '');
+                $elements[] = $prefix . $this->varExportShort($key) . ' => ' .
+                    (!is_array($value) ? $this->varExportShort($value) . ',' : '');
 
                 if (is_array($value)) {
-                    $elements[] = $prefix . 'array (';
+                    $elements[] = $prefix . '[';
                     $elements[] = $this->formatData($value, [], '  ' . $prefix);
-                    $elements[] = $prefix . '),';
+                    $elements[] = $prefix . '],';
                 }
             }
             return implode("\n", $elements);
@@ -65,4 +70,29 @@ private function formatData($data, $comments = [], $prefix = '  ')
 
         return var_export($data, true);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * If variable to export is an array, format with the php >= 5.4 short array syntax. Otherwise use
+     * default var_export functionality.
+     *
+     * @param mixed   $var
+     * @param integer $depth
+     * @return string
+     */
+    private function varExportShort($var, int $depth = 0): string
+    {
+        if (!is_array($var)) {
+            return var_export($var, true);
+        }
+
+        $indexed = array_keys($var) === range(0, count($var) - 1);
+        $expanded = [];
+        foreach ($var as $key => $value) {
+            $expanded[] = str_repeat(self::INDENT, $depth)
+                . ($indexed ? '' : $this->varExportShort($key) . ' => ')
+                . $this->varExportShort($value, $depth + 1);
+        }
+
+        return sprintf("[\n%s\n%s]", implode(",\n", $expanded), str_repeat(self::INDENT, $depth - 1));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/App/Test/Unit/DeploymentConfig/Writer/PhpFormatterTest.php b/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/App/Test/Unit/DeploymentConfig/Writer/PhpFormatterTest.php
index a1fdedc701e8c..cc673e084c3b2 100644
--- a/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/App/Test/Unit/DeploymentConfig/Writer/PhpFormatterTest.php
+++ b/lib/internal/Magento/Framework/App/Test/Unit/DeploymentConfig/Writer/PhpFormatterTest.php
@@ -55,68 +55,68 @@ public function formatWithCommentDataProvider()
         ];
         $expectedResult1 = <<<TEXT
 <?php
-return array (
+return [
   'ns1' => 
-  array (
+  [
     's1' => 
-    array (
+    [
       0 => 's11',
       1 => 's12',
-    ),
+    ],
     's2' => 
-    array (
+    [
       0 => 's21',
       1 => 's22',
-    ),
-  ),
+    ],
+  ],
   /**
    * For the section: ns2
    * comment for namespace 2
    */
   'ns2' => 
-  array (
+  [
     's1' => 
-    array (
+    [
       0 => 's11',
-    ),
-  ),
+    ],
+  ],
   'ns3' => 'just text',
   'ns4' => 'just text',
-);
+];
 
 TEXT;
         $expectedResult2 = <<<TEXT
 <?php
-return array (
+return [
   /**
    * For the section: ns1
    * comment for' namespace 1
    */
   'ns1' => 
-  array (
+  [
     's1' => 
-    array (
+    [
       0 => 's11',
       1 => 's12',
-    ),
+    ],
     's2' => 
-    array (
+    [
       0 => 's21',
       1 => 's22',
-    ),
-  ),
+    ],
+  ],
   /**
    * For the section: ns2
    * comment for namespace 2.
    * Next comment for' namespace 2
    */
   'ns2' => 
-  array (
+  [
     's1' => 
-    array (
+    [
       0 => 's11',
-    ),
-  ),
+    ],
+  ],
   /**
    * For the section: ns3
    * comment for" namespace 3
@@ -127,15 +127,39 @@ public function formatWithCommentDataProvider()
    * comment for namespace 4
    */
   'ns4' => 'just text',
-);
+];
+
+TEXT;
+
+        $expectedResult3 = <<<TEXT
+<?php
+return [
+  'ns1' => [
+    's1' => [
+      's11',
+      's12'
+    ],
+    's2' => [
+      's21',
+      's22'
+    ]
+  ],
+  'ns2' => [
+    's1' => [
+      's11'
+    ]
+  ],
+  'ns3' => 'just text',
+  'ns4' => 'just text'
+];
 
 TEXT;
         return [
             ['string', [], "<?php\nreturn 'string';\n"],
             ['string', ['comment'], "<?php\nreturn 'string';\n"],
-            [$array, [], "<?php\nreturn " . var_export($array, true) . ";\n"],
             [$array, $comments1, $expectedResult1],
             [$array, $comments2, $expectedResult2],
+            [$array, [], $expectedResult3],
         ];
     }
 }