diff --git a/src/util/virjson.c b/src/util/virjson.c
index 29e2c39636..4257b30e69 100644
--- a/src/util/virjson.c
+++ b/src/util/virjson.c
@@ -36,9 +36,12 @@
 
 # ifdef WITH_YAJL2
 #  define yajl_size_t size_t
+#  define VIR_YAJL_STATUS_OK(status) ((status) == yajl_status_ok)
 # else
 #  define yajl_size_t unsigned int
 #  define yajl_complete_parse yajl_parse_complete
+#  define VIR_YAJL_STATUS_OK(status) \
+    ((status) == yajl_status_ok || (status) == yajl_status_insufficient_data)
 # endif
 
 #endif
@@ -1590,6 +1593,8 @@ virJSONValueFromString(const char *jsonstring)
     yajl_handle hand;
     virJSONParser parser = { NULL, NULL, 0 };
     virJSONValuePtr ret = NULL;
+    int rc;
+    size_t len = strlen(jsonstring);
 # ifndef WITH_YAJL2
     yajl_parser_config cfg = { 1, 1 };
 # endif
@@ -1611,9 +1616,8 @@ virJSONValueFromString(const char *jsonstring)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (yajl_parse(hand,
-                   (const unsigned char *)jsonstring,
-                   strlen(jsonstring)) != yajl_status_ok ||
+    rc = yajl_parse(hand, (const unsigned char *)jsonstring, len);
+    if (!VIR_YAJL_STATUS_OK(rc) ||
         yajl_complete_parse(hand) != yajl_status_ok) {
         unsigned char *errstr = yajl_get_error(hand, 1,
                                                (const unsigned char*)jsonstring,
@@ -1622,7 +1626,7 @@ virJSONValueFromString(const char *jsonstring)
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                        _("cannot parse json %s: %s"),
                        jsonstring, (const char*) errstr);
-        VIR_FREE(errstr);
+        yajl_free_error(hand, errstr);
         virJSONValueFree(parser.head);
         goto cleanup;
     }
diff --git a/tests/jsontest.c b/tests/jsontest.c
index 34a07ee264..8ac0970833 100644
--- a/tests/jsontest.c
+++ b/tests/jsontest.c
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST_PARSE("boolean", "true");
     DO_TEST_PARSE("null", "null");
     DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("incomplete keyword", "tr");
-    DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("overdone keyword", "truest");
+    DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("overdone keyword", "[ truest ]");
     DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("unknown keyword", "huh");
 
     DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("object with numeric keys", "{ 1:1, 2:1, 3:2 }");