diff --git a/Json.cpp b/Json.cpp
index 5831bc2d..c98e70f1 100644
--- a/Json.cpp
+++ b/Json.cpp
@@ -241,7 +241,8 @@ JsonItem *Json::parseJsonStringIntoJsonItems ( char *json , long niceness ) {
 			// . otherwise, it was field value, so index it
 			// . TODO: later make field names compounded to
 			//   better represent nesting?
-			else {
+			// . added 'else if (NAME){' fix for json=\"too small\"
+			else if ( NAME ) {
 				// make a new one in safebuf. our
 				// parent will be the array type item.
 				ji = addNewItem();
@@ -264,6 +265,11 @@ JsonItem *Json::parseJsonStringIntoJsonItems ( char *json , long niceness ) {
 				// ok, this one is done
 				ji = NULL;
 			}
+			else {
+				log("json: fieldless name in json");
+				g_errno = EBADJSONPARSER;
+				return false;
+			}
 			// skip over the string
 			size = 0;
 			p    = x;
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 04ed8d72..da1a59c1 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -1236,10 +1236,11 @@ int main2 ( int argc , char *argv[] ) {
 	}
 
 	/*
-	  test json parser error with bad json
+	//  test json parser error with bad json
 	Json jp;
 	char xxx[1024];
-	sprintf(xxx,"\"categories\":[\"shop\"");
+	//sprintf(xxx,"\"categories\":[\"shop\"");
+	sprintf(xxx,"\"too small\"");
 	jp.parseJsonStringIntoJsonItems(xxx,0);
 	JsonItem *ji = jp.getFirstItem();
 	for ( ; ji ; ji = ji->m_next ) {