diff --git a/spa/include/spa/utils/json-core.h b/spa/include/spa/utils/json-core.h
index 10c87e68c..46435dfb9 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/utils/json-core.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/utils/json-core.h
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ SPA_API_JSON int spa_json_next(struct spa_json * iter, const char **value)
 			switch (cur) {
 			case '\0':
 			case '\t': case ' ': case '\r': case '\n':
-			case '"': case '#':
+			case '"': case '#': case '{': case '[':
 			case ':': case ',': case '=': case ']': case '}':
 				iter->state = __STRUCT | flag;
 				if (iter->depth > 0)
diff --git a/test/test-spa-json.c b/test/test-spa-json.c
index b07acc00d..7bd39ed33 100644
--- a/test/test-spa-json.c
+++ b/test/test-spa-json.c
@@ -350,6 +350,12 @@ PWTEST(json_parse)
 	expect_string(&it[0], "hello");
 	expect_end(&it[0]);
 
+	json = "xy{}";
+	spa_json_init(&it[0], json, strlen(json));
+	expect_string_or_bare(&it[0], "xy");
+	expect_object(&it[0], &it[1]);
+	expect_end(&it[0]);
+
 	/* top-level context */
 	json = "x y x y";
 	spa_json_init(&it[0], json, strlen(json));
@@ -936,6 +942,7 @@ PWTEST(json_data)
 		"n_array_missing_value.json",
 		"n_array_number_and_comma.json",
 		"n_array_number_and_several_commas.json",
+		"n_array_inner_array_no_comma.json",
 		"n_object_comma_instead_of_colon.json",
 		"n_object_double_colon.json",
 		"n_object_missing_semicolon.json",