diff --git a/libqpdf/JSON.cc b/libqpdf/JSON.cc
index c881811b..1c3378a7 100644
--- a/libqpdf/JSON.cc
+++ b/libqpdf/JSON.cc
@@ -648,6 +648,7 @@ namespace
             ls_top,
             ls_number,
             ls_number_minus,
+            ls_number_leading_zero,
             ls_alpha,
             ls_string,
             ls_backslash,
@@ -868,13 +869,20 @@ JSONParser::getToken()
                 number_after_e = 0;
                 number_saw_point = false;
                 number_saw_e = false;
-            } else if ((*p >= '0') && (*p <= '9')) {
+            } else if ((*p >= '1') && (*p <= '9')) {
                 lex_state = ls_number;
                 number_before_point = 1;
                 number_after_point = 0;
                 number_after_e = 0;
                 number_saw_point = false;
                 number_saw_e = false;
+            } else if (*p == '0') {
+                lex_state = ls_number_leading_zero;
+                number_before_point = 1;
+                number_after_point = 0;
+                number_after_e = 0;
+                number_saw_point = false;
+                number_saw_e = false;
             } else if (*p == '.') {
                 lex_state = ls_number;
                 number_before_point = 0;
@@ -898,7 +906,7 @@ JSONParser::getToken()
                 lex_state = ls_number;
             } else if (*p == '0') {
                 ++number_before_point;
-                lex_state = ls_number;
+                lex_state = ls_number_leading_zero;
             } else {
                 QTC::TC("libtests", "JSON parse number minus no digits");
                 throw std::runtime_error(
@@ -907,6 +915,25 @@ JSONParser::getToken()
             }
             break;
 
+        case ls_number_leading_zero:
+            if (*p == '.') {
+                lex_state = ls_number;
+            } else if (*p == 'e') {
+                lex_state = ls_number;
+            } else if (QUtil::is_space(*p)) {
+                action = ignore;
+                ready = true;
+            } else if (strchr("{}[]:,", *p)) {
+                action = reread;
+                ready = true;
+            } else {
+                QTC::TC("libtests", "JSON parse leading zero");
+                throw std::runtime_error(
+                    "JSON: offset " + std::to_string(offset) +
+                    ": number with leading zero");
+            }
+            break;
+
         case ls_number:
             if ((*p >= '0') && (*p <= '9')) {
                 if (number_saw_e) {
@@ -1037,6 +1064,7 @@ JSONParser::getToken()
 
             case ls_number:
             case ls_number_minus:
+            case ls_number_leading_zero:
             case ls_alpha:
                 // okay
                 break;
@@ -1111,6 +1139,7 @@ JSONParser::handleToken()
 
     case ls_number:
     case ls_number_minus:
+    case ls_number_leading_zero:
         if (number_saw_point && (number_after_point == 0)) {
             // QTC::TC("libtests", "JSON parse decimal with no digits");
             throw std::runtime_error(
@@ -1120,7 +1149,6 @@ JSONParser::handleToken()
         if ((number_before_point > 1) &&
             ((first_char == '0') ||
              ((first_char == '-') && (token.at(1) == '0')))) {
-            QTC::TC("libtests", "JSON parse leading zero");
             throw std::runtime_error(
                 "JSON: offset " + std::to_string(offset) +
                 ": number with leading zero");
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-32.out b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-32.out
index 4372e0cf..41a681c0 100644
--- a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-32.out
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-32.out
@@ -1 +1 @@
-exception: bad-32.json: JSON: offset 5: number with leading zero
+exception: bad-32.json: JSON: offset 1: number with leading zero
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-33.out b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-33.out
index ae41e48b..98a72942 100644
--- a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-33.out
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-33.out
@@ -1 +1 @@
-exception: bad-33.json: JSON: offset 6: number with leading zero
+exception: bad-33.json: JSON: offset 2: number with leading zero