Despite starting the 2009–10 season well, scoring a hat-trick against Northampton Town in a pre-season friendly, he lost his first team place in November. In January 2010, MK Dons announced that Johnson was to join League One Stockport County on loan for the remaining six months of the season, alongside teammates Jabo Ibehre, Danny Swailes and Richie Partridge. All four MK Dons players, plus Colchester United's David Perkins started for County against Swindon Town on January 19. He went on to score two goals in sixteen appearances for Stockport during his loan spell, as the club dropped out of the league in bottom place – a whole 25 points from safety.
