diff --git a/src/packages/lang_core.rs b/src/packages/lang_core.rs
index 3139254df..99637c2c9 100644
--- a/src/packages/lang_core.rs
+++ b/src/packages/lang_core.rs
@@ -172,12 +172,19 @@ mod core_functions {
     ///
     /// print(m);       // prints #{"a":1, "b":2, "c":3}
     /// ```
-    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_index"))]
     #[cfg(not(feature = "no_object"))]
-    #[cfg(feature = "metadata")]
     #[rhai_fn(return_raw)]
     pub fn parse_json(_ctx: NativeCallContext, json: &str) -> RhaiResultOf<Dynamic> {
-        serde_json::from_str(json).map_err(|err| err.to_string().into())
+        #[cfg(feature = "metadata")]
+        let out = serde_json::from_str(json).map_err(|err| err.to_string().into());
+
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "metadata"))]
+        let out = ctx
+            .engine()
+            .parse_json(json, true)
+            .map(|map_object| Dynamic::from(map_object));
+
+        out
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/eval.rs b/tests/eval.rs
index 91e86ae97..de76d238f 100644
--- a/tests/eval.rs
+++ b/tests/eval.rs
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ fn test_eval_globals() {
                 r#"
                     const XYZ = 123;
 
-                    fn foo() { global::XYZ } 
+                    fn foo() { global::XYZ }
                     {
                         eval("const XYZ = 42;");
                     }
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ fn test_eval_globals() {
                 r#"
                     const XYZ = 123;
 
-                    fn foo() { global::XYZ } 
+                    fn foo() { global::XYZ }
 
                     eval("const XYZ = 42;");
 
diff --git a/tests/parse_json.rs b/tests/parse_json.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d1aeb97c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parse_json.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+use rhai::{Engine, ParseErrorType, Scope, INT};
+
+#[cfg(not(feature = "metadata"))]
+mod without_metadata {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_function"))]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_index"))]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_object"))]
+    fn test_parse_json() {
+        let engine = Engine::new();
+        let mut scope = Scope::new();
+
+        let map = engine
+            .eval_with_scope::<rhai::Map>(
+                &mut scope,
+                r#"
+                parse_json("{\
+                    \"name\": \"John Doe\",\
+                    \"age\": 43,\
+                    \"address\": {\
+                        \"street\": \"10 Downing Street\",\
+                        \"city\": \"London\"\
+                    },\
+                    \"phones\": [\
+                        \"+44 1234567\",\
+                        \"+44 2345678\"\
+                    ]\
+                }")
+            "#,
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(map.len(), 4);
+        assert_eq!(map["name"].clone().into_immutable_string().expect("name should exist"), "John Doe");
+        assert_eq!(map["age"].as_int().expect("age should exist"), 43);
+        assert_eq!(map["phones"].clone().into_typed_array::<String>().expect("phones should exist"), ["+44 1234567", "+44 2345678"]);
+
+        let address = map["address"].read_lock::<rhai::Map>().expect("address should exist");
+        assert_eq!(address["city"].clone().into_immutable_string().expect("address.city should exist"), "London");
+        assert_eq!(address["street"].clone().into_immutable_string().expect("address.street should exist"), "10 Downing Street");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(feature = "no_index")]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_function"))]
+    fn test_parse_json_err_no_index() {
+        let engine = Engine::new();
+        let mut scope = Scope::new();
+
+        let err = engine
+            .eval_with_scope::<rhai::Dynamic>(
+                &mut scope,
+                r#"
+                parse_json("{\
+                    \"v\": [\
+                        1,\
+                        2\
+                    ]\
+                }")
+            "#,
+            )
+            .unwrap_err();
+
+        assert!(matches!(err.as_ref(), rhai::EvalAltResult::ErrorParsing(
+            ParseErrorType::BadInput(LexError::UnexpectedInput(token)), pos)
+                if token == "[" && *pos == rhai::Position::new(1, 7)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(feature = "no_object")]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_function"))]
+    fn test_parse_json_err_no_object() {
+        let engine = Engine::new();
+        let mut scope = Scope::new();
+
+        let err = engine
+            .eval_with_scope::<rhai::Dynamic>(
+                &mut scope,
+                r#"
+                parse_json("{\
+                    \"v\": {\
+                        \"a\": 1,\
+                        \"b\": 2,\
+                    }\
+                }")
+            "#,
+            )
+            .unwrap_err();
+
+        assert!(matches!(err.as_ref(), rhai::EvalAltResult::ErrorFunctionNotFound(msg, pos)
+            if msg == "parse_json (&str | ImmutableString | String)" && *pos == rhai::Position::new(2, 13)));
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "metadata")]
+mod with_metadata {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_function"))]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_index"))]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_object"))]
+    fn test_parse_json() {
+        let engine = Engine::new();
+        let mut scope = Scope::new();
+
+        let map = engine
+            .eval_with_scope::<rhai::Map>(
+                &mut scope,
+                r#"
+                parse_json("{\
+                    \"name\": \"John Doe\",\
+                    \"age\": 43,\
+                    \"address\": {\
+                        \"street\": \"10 Downing Street\",\
+                        \"city\": \"London\"\
+                    },\
+                    \"phones\": [\
+                        \"+44 1234567\",\
+                        \"+44 2345678\"\
+                    ]\
+                }")
+            "#,
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(map.len(), 4);
+        assert_eq!(map["name"].clone().into_immutable_string().expect("name should exist"), "John Doe");
+        assert_eq!(map["age"].as_int().expect("age should exist"), 43);
+        assert_eq!(map["phones"].clone().into_typed_array::<String>().expect("phones should exist"), ["+44 1234567", "+44 2345678"]);
+
+        let address = map["address"].read_lock::<rhai::Map>().expect("address should exist");
+        assert_eq!(address["city"].clone().into_immutable_string().expect("address.city should exist"), "London");
+        assert_eq!(address["street"].clone().into_immutable_string().expect("address.street should exist"), "10 Downing Street");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(feature = "no_index")]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_function"))]
+    fn test_parse_json_err_no_index() {
+        let engine = Engine::new();
+        let mut scope = Scope::new();
+
+        let err = engine
+            .eval_with_scope::<rhai::Dynamic>(
+                &mut scope,
+                r#"
+                parse_json("{\
+                    \"v\": [\
+                        1,\
+                        2\
+                    ]\
+                }")
+            "#,
+            )
+            .unwrap_err();
+
+        assert!(matches!(err.as_ref(), rhai::EvalAltResult::ErrorParsing(
+            ParseErrorType::BadInput(LexError::UnexpectedInput(token)), pos)
+                if token == "[" && *pos == rhai::Position::new(1, 7)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(feature = "no_object")]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "no_function"))]
+    fn test_parse_json_err_no_object() {
+        let engine = Engine::new();
+        let mut scope = Scope::new();
+
+        let err = engine
+            .eval_with_scope::<rhai::Dynamic>(
+                &mut scope,
+                r#"
+                parse_json("{\
+                    \"v\": {\
+                        \"a\": 1,\
+                        \"b\": 2,\
+                    }\
+                }")
+            "#,
+            )
+            .unwrap_err();
+
+        assert!(matches!(err.as_ref(), rhai::EvalAltResult::ErrorFunctionNotFound(msg, pos)
+            if msg == "parse_json (&str | ImmutableString | String)" && *pos == rhai::Position::new(2, 13)));
+    }
+}