diff --git a/libqpdf/JSON.cc b/libqpdf/JSON.cc
index b972d8aa..da0de9eb 100644
--- a/libqpdf/JSON.cc
+++ b/libqpdf/JSON.cc
@@ -780,10 +780,22 @@ JSONParser::getToken()
             }
         }
 
-        if (*p == 0) {
-            QTC::TC("libtests", "JSON parse null character");
-            throw std::runtime_error(
-                "JSON: null character at offset " + std::to_string(offset));
+        if ((*p < 32 && *p >= 0)) {
+            if (*p == '\t' || *p == '\n' || *p == '\r') {
+                // Legal white space not permitted in strings. This will always
+                // end the current token (unless we are still before the start
+                // of the token).
+                if (lex_state == ls_top) {
+                    // Continue with token
+                } else {
+                    // done
+                }
+            } else {
+                QTC::TC("libtests", "JSON parse null character");
+                throw std::runtime_error(
+                    "JSON: control or null character at offset " +
+                    std::to_string(offset));
+            }
         }
         action = append;
         switch (lex_state) {
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse.test b/libtests/qtest/json_parse.test
index d38d70de..8234b755 100644
--- a/libtests/qtest/json_parse.test
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse.test
@@ -125,6 +125,10 @@ my @bad = (
     "e after minus",            # 42
     "missing digit after e",    # 43
     "missing digit after e+/-", # 44
+    # "tab char in string",       # 45
+    # "cr char in string",        # 46
+    # "lf char in string",        # 47
+    # "bs char in string",        # 48
     );
 
 my $i = 0;
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-18.out b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-18.out
index 0428b64f..1e779e41 100644
--- a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-18.out
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-18.out
@@ -1 +1 @@
-exception: bad-18.json: JSON: null character at offset 5
+exception: bad-18.json: JSON: control or null character at offset 5
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-45.json b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-45.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16107dc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-45.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"Tab in str	ing"
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-45.out b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-45.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ba7e4f16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-45.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"Tab in str\ting"
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-46.json b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-46.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..60873bf4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-46.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"cr in str
ing"
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-46.out b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-46.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2baad6a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-46.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"cr in str\ring"
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-47.json b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-47.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c75427a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-47.json
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+"lf in str
+ing"
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-47.out b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-47.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..30549072
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-47.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"lf in str\ning"
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-48.json b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-48.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1e605808
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-48.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"bs in string"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-48.out b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-48.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b20fc7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libtests/qtest/json_parse/bad-48.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exception: bad-48.json: JSON: control or null character at offset 10