diff --git a/src/main/java/org/openjax/json/JsonReader.java b/src/main/java/org/openjax/json/JsonReader.java
index 0285890..85330af 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/openjax/json/JsonReader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/openjax/json/JsonReader.java
@@ -87,33 +87,57 @@ public static JsonReader of(final Reader reader) {
   private int nextStart = 0;
 
   private final boolean ignoreWhitespace;
+  private final boolean strict;
 
   /**
-   * Construct a new {@link JsonReader} for JSON content to be read from the specified {@link Reader}, <b>that ignores inter-token
-   * whitespace</b>. This constructor is equivalent to calling {@code new JsonReader(reader, true)}.
+   * Construct a new {@link JsonReader} for JSON content to be read from the specified {@link Reader}, that <b>ignores inter-token
+   * whitespace</b>, and <b>enforces strict compliance to the <a href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">JSON
+   * Specification</a></b>.
+   * <p>
+   * This constructor is equivalent to calling {@code new JsonReader(reader, true, true)}.
    *
    * @param reader The {@link Reader} from which JSON is to be read.
    * @throws NullPointerException If {@code reader} is null.
    */
   public JsonReader(final Reader reader) {
-    this(reader, true);
+    this(reader, true, true);
   }
 
   /**
-   * Construct a new {@link JsonReader} for JSON content to be read from the specified {@link Reader}.
+   * Construct a new {@link JsonReader} for JSON content to be read from the specified {@link Reader}, that <b>enforces strict
+   * compliance to the <a href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">JSON Specification</a></b>.
+   * <p>
+   * This constructor is equivalent to calling {@code new JsonReader(reader, ignoreWhitespace, true)}.
    *
    * @param reader The {@link Reader} from which JSON is to be read.
    * @param ignoreWhitespace If {@code ignoreWhitespace == false}, inter-token whitespace will <b>not</b> be skipped.
    * @throws NullPointerException If {@code reader} is null.
    */
   public JsonReader(final Reader reader, final boolean ignoreWhitespace) {
+    this(reader, ignoreWhitespace, true);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Construct a new {@link JsonReader} for JSON content to be read from the specified {@link Reader}.
+   *
+   * @param reader The {@link Reader} from which JSON is to be read.
+   * @param ignoreWhitespace If {@code ignoreWhitespace == false}, inter-token whitespace will <b>not</b> be skipped.
+   * @param strict Whether to enforce strict compliance to the <a href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">JSON Specification</a>
+   *          while parsing the JSON document.
+   * @throws NullPointerException If {@code reader} is null.
+   */
+  public JsonReader(final Reader reader, final boolean ignoreWhitespace, final boolean strict) {
     super(reader, DEFAULT_BUFFER_SIZE);
     this.ignoreWhitespace = ignoreWhitespace;
+    this.strict = strict;
   }
 
   /**
    * Construct a new {@link JsonReader} for JSON content to be read from the specified string, <b>that ignores inter-token
-   * whitespace</b>. This constructor is equivalent to calling {@code new JsonReader(str, true)}.
+   * whitespace</b>, and <b>enforces strict compliance to the <a href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">JSON
+   * Specification</a></b>.
+   * <p>
+   * This constructor is equivalent to calling {@code new JsonReader(str, true, true)}.
    *
    * @param str The string with the JSON document to be read.
    * @throws NullPointerException If {@code str} is null.
@@ -123,15 +147,52 @@ public JsonReader(final String str) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Construct a new {@link JsonReader} for JSON content to be read from the specified string.
+   * Construct a new {@link JsonReader} for JSON content to be read from the specified string, that <b>enforces strict compliance to
+   * the <a href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">JSON Specification</a></b>.
+   * <p>
+   * This constructor is equivalent to calling {@code new JsonReader(str, ignoreWhitespace, true)}.
    *
    * @param str The string with the JSON document to be read.
    * @param ignoreWhitespace If {@code ignoreWhitespace == false}, inter-token whitespace will <b>not</b> be skipped.
    * @throws NullPointerException If {@code str} is null.
    */
   public JsonReader(final String str, final boolean ignoreWhitespace) {
+    this(str, ignoreWhitespace, true);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Construct a new {@link JsonReader} for JSON content to be read from the specified string.
+   *
+   * @param str The string with the JSON document to be read.
+   * @param strict Whether to enforce strict compliance to the <a href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">JSON Specification</a>
+   *          while parsing the JSON document.
+   * @param ignoreWhitespace If {@code ignoreWhitespace == false}, inter-token whitespace will <b>not</b> be skipped.
+   * @throws NullPointerException If {@code str} is null.
+   */
+  public JsonReader(final String str, final boolean ignoreWhitespace, final boolean strict) {
     super(new UnsynchronizedStringReader(str), DEFAULT_BUFFER_SIZE);
     this.ignoreWhitespace = ignoreWhitespace;
+    this.strict = strict;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns whether this {@link JsonReader} skips inter-token whitespace.
+   *
+   * @return Whether this {@link JsonReader} skips inter-token whitespace.
+   */
+  public boolean isIgnoreWhitespace() {
+    return ignoreWhitespace;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns whether this {@link JsonReader} enforces strict compliance to the <a href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">JSON
+   * Specification</a>.
+   *
+   * @return Whether this {@link JsonReader} enforces strict compliance to the <a href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">JSON
+   *         Specification</a>.
+   */
+  public boolean isStrict() {
+    return strict;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -826,7 +887,8 @@ else if (ch < '0' || '9' < ch) {
             break;
           }
           else if (prev == '0' && i == (first == '~' ? 2 : 1)) {
-            throw new JsonParseException("Leading zeros are not allowed", getPosition() - 2);
+            if (strict)
+              throw new JsonParseException("Leading zeros are not allowed", getPosition() - 2);
           }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/openjax/json/JsonUtil.java b/src/main/java/org/openjax/json/JsonUtil.java
index 199d29c..c449f56 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/openjax/json/JsonUtil.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/openjax/json/JsonUtil.java
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ public static boolean isWhitespace(final int ch) {
    * @param <T> The type parameter for the return instance.
    * @param type The class of the return instance.
    * @param str The {@link CharSequence} to parse.
+   * @param strict Whether to enforce strict compliance to the <a href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">JSON Specification</a>
+   *          while parsing the JSON document.
    * @return An instance of class {@code type} representing the parsed string.
    * @throws JsonParseException If a parsing error has occurred.
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException If the specified string is empty, or if an instance of the specific class type does not define
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ public static boolean isWhitespace(final int ch) {
    * @throws NullPointerException If {@code str} is null.
    */
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-  public static <T extends Number>T parseNumber(final Class<T> type, CharSequence str) throws JsonParseException {
+  public static <T extends Number>T parseNumber(final Class<T> type, CharSequence str, final boolean strict) throws JsonParseException {
     if (str.length() == 0)
       throw new IllegalArgumentException("Empty string");
 
@@ -122,7 +124,8 @@ else if (ch < '0' || '9' < ch) {
           break;
         }
         else if (last == '0' && i == expStart + (first == '~' ? 2 : 1)) {
-          throw new JsonParseException("Leading zeros are not allowed", i - 1);
+          if (strict)
+            throw new JsonParseException("Leading zeros are not allowed", i - 1);
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/openjax/json/JsonTypesTest.java b/src/test/java/org/openjax/json/JsonTypesTest.java
index c80be67..7bca833 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/openjax/json/JsonTypesTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/openjax/json/JsonTypesTest.java
@@ -37,12 +37,12 @@ public void testIsWhitespace() {
   }
 
   private static void testPass(final String number, final Class<? extends Number> type) {
-    JsonUtil.parseNumber(type, number);
+    JsonUtil.parseNumber(type, number, true);
   }
 
   private static void testFail(final Class<? extends Exception> cls, final String number) {
     try {
-      JsonUtil.parseNumber(BigDecimal.class, number);
+      JsonUtil.parseNumber(BigDecimal.class, number, true);
       fail("Expected " + cls.getSimpleName());
     }
     catch (final Exception e) {