diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index e66c520c77..20f2d9e400 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@ buildscript {
 }
 
 allprojects {
+    val allowLocalDeps: String by project
     repositories {
-        // mavenLocal()
+        if (allowLocalDeps.toBoolean()) {
+         mavenLocal()
+        }
         mavenCentral()
         google()
     }
diff --git a/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts b/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
index 0171fabac5..c032bfc8f8 100644
--- a/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ plugins {
 repositories {
     mavenCentral()
     google()
-    /* mavenLocal() */
 }
 
 // Load properties manually to avoid hard coding smithy version
diff --git a/codegen-client-test/build.gradle.kts b/codegen-client-test/build.gradle.kts
index 7b39dd1e38..de4b54d5b3 100644
--- a/codegen-client-test/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/codegen-client-test/build.gradle.kts
@@ -114,8 +114,6 @@ val allCodegenTests = listOf(
     ),
     ClientTest("aws.protocoltests.misc#QueryCompatService", "query-compat-test", dependsOn = listOf("aws-json-query-compat.smithy")),
 ).map(ClientTest::toCodegenTest)
-// use this line to run just one test
-// .filter { it.module == "query-compat-test" }
 
 project.registerGenerateSmithyBuildTask(rootProject, pluginName, allCodegenTests)
 project.registerGenerateCargoWorkspaceTask(rootProject, pluginName, allCodegenTests, workingDirUnderBuildDir)
diff --git a/codegen-core/src/main/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/core/smithy/protocols/parse/JsonParserGenerator.kt b/codegen-core/src/main/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/core/smithy/protocols/parse/JsonParserGenerator.kt
index 31a1b0c7b5..4a8b8a1054 100644
--- a/codegen-core/src/main/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/core/smithy/protocols/parse/JsonParserGenerator.kt
+++ b/codegen-core/src/main/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/core/smithy/protocols/parse/JsonParserGenerator.kt
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import software.amazon.smithy.rust.codegen.core.rustlang.withBlockTemplate
 import software.amazon.smithy.rust.codegen.core.smithy.CodegenContext
 import software.amazon.smithy.rust.codegen.core.smithy.CodegenTarget
 import software.amazon.smithy.rust.codegen.core.smithy.RuntimeType
+import software.amazon.smithy.rust.codegen.core.smithy.RuntimeType.Companion.preludeScope
 import software.amazon.smithy.rust.codegen.core.smithy.canUseDefault
 import software.amazon.smithy.rust.codegen.core.smithy.customize.NamedCustomization
 import software.amazon.smithy.rust.codegen.core.smithy.customize.Section
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ class JsonParserGenerator(
             "skip_to_end" to smithyJson.resolve("deserialize::token::skip_to_end"),
             "Token" to smithyJson.resolve("deserialize::Token"),
             "or_empty" to orEmptyJson(),
+            *preludeScope,
         )
 
     /**
@@ -560,6 +562,15 @@ class JsonParserGenerator(
                             *codegenScope,
                         ) {
                             objectKeyLoop(hasMembers = shape.members().isNotEmpty()) {
+                                rustTemplate(
+                                    """
+                                    if let #{Some}(#{Ok}(#{Token}::ValueNull { .. })) = tokens.peek() {
+                                        let _ = tokens.next().expect("peek returned a token")?;
+                                        continue;
+                                    }
+                                    """,
+                                    *codegenScope,
+                                )
                                 rustTemplate(
                                     """
                                     let key = key.to_unescaped()?;
@@ -622,6 +633,16 @@ class JsonParserGenerator(
                             *codegenScope,
                         )
                     }
+                    // If we've gotten to the point where the union had a `{ ... }` section, we can't return None
+                    // anymore. If we didn't parse a union at this point, this is an error.
+                    rustTemplate(
+                        """
+                        if variant.is_none() {
+                            return Err(#{Error}::custom("Union did not contain a valid variant."))
+                        }
+                        """,
+                        *codegenScope,
+                    )
                     rust("Ok(variant)")
                 }
             }
diff --git a/codegen-core/src/test/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/core/smithy/protocols/parse/JsonParserGeneratorTest.kt b/codegen-core/src/test/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/core/smithy/protocols/parse/JsonParserGeneratorTest.kt
index ed416545b1..8e7985a27a 100644
--- a/codegen-core/src/test/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/core/smithy/protocols/parse/JsonParserGeneratorTest.kt
+++ b/codegen-core/src/test/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/core/smithy/protocols/parse/JsonParserGeneratorTest.kt
@@ -183,6 +183,26 @@ class JsonParserGeneratorTest {
                 """,
             )
 
+            unitTest(
+                "allow_null_for_variants",
+                """
+                // __type field should be ignored during deserialization
+                let input = br#"{ "top": { "choice": { "blob": null, "boolean": null, "int": 5, "long": null, "__type": "value-should-be-ignored-anyway" } } }"#;
+                let output = ${format(operationGenerator)}(input, test_output::OpOutput::builder()).unwrap().build();
+                use test_model::Choice;
+                assert_eq!(Choice::Int(5), output.top.unwrap().choice);
+                """,
+            )
+
+            unitTest(
+                "all_variants_null",
+                """
+                // __type field should be ignored during deserialization
+                let input = br#"{ "top": { "choice": { "blob": null, "boolean": null, "int": null, "long": null, "__type": "value-should-be-ignored-anyway" } } }"#;
+                let _err = ${format(operationGenerator)}(input, test_output::OpOutput::builder()).expect_err("invalid union");
+                """,
+            )
+
             unitTest(
                 "empty_error",
                 """
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index d5e5184bdb..e198984afd 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ kotlin.code.style=official
 # codegen
 smithyGradlePluginVersion=0.9.0
 smithyVersion=1.45.0
+allowLocalDeps=false
 
 # kotlin
 kotlinVersion=1.9.20