diff --git a/src/rpcclient.cpp b/src/rpcclient.cpp
index d175db09e..f254da5de 100644
--- a/src/rpcclient.cpp
+++ b/src/rpcclient.cpp
@@ -121,6 +121,18 @@ CRPCConvertTable::CRPCConvertTable()
 
 static CRPCConvertTable rpcCvtTable;
 
+/** Non-RFC4627 JSON parser, accepts internal values (such as numbers, true, false, null)
+ * as well as objects and arrays.
+ */
+UniValue ParseNonRFCJSONValue(const std::string& strVal)
+{
+    UniValue jVal;
+    if (!jVal.read(std::string("[")+strVal+std::string("]")) ||
+        !jVal.isArray() || jVal.size()!=1)
+        throw runtime_error(string("Error parsing JSON:")+strVal);
+    return jVal[0];
+}
+
 /** Convert strings to command-specific RPC representation */
 UniValue RPCConvertValues(const std::string &strMethod, const std::vector<std::string> &strParams)
 {
@@ -129,28 +141,12 @@ UniValue RPCConvertValues(const std::string &strMethod, const std::vector<std::s
     for (unsigned int idx = 0; idx < strParams.size(); idx++) {
         const std::string& strVal = strParams[idx];
 
-        // insert string value directly
         if (!rpcCvtTable.convert(strMethod, idx)) {
+            // insert string value directly
             params.push_back(strVal);
-        }
-
-        // parse string as JSON, insert bool/number/object/etc. value
-        else {
-            //according to rfc4627 null, true, false are not valid json strings
-            UniValue jVal;
-            if(strVal == "null")
-                jVal.setNull();
-            else if(strVal == "true")
-                jVal.setBool(true);
-            else if(strVal == "false")
-                jVal.setBool(false);
-            else
-            {
-                if (!jVal.read(strVal) || (jVal.isNull() && strVal.size() > 0))
-                    if(!jVal.setNumStr(strVal) || jVal.isNull())
-                        throw runtime_error(string("Error parsing JSON:")+strVal);
-            }
-            params.push_back(jVal);
+        } else {
+            // parse string as JSON, insert bool/number/object/etc. value
+            params.push_back(ParseNonRFCJSONValue(strVal));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/rpcclient.h b/src/rpcclient.h
index 52270aec7..d68b4ed6a 100644
--- a/src/rpcclient.h
+++ b/src/rpcclient.h
@@ -9,5 +9,9 @@
 #include "univalue/univalue.h"
 
 UniValue RPCConvertValues(const std::string& strMethod, const std::vector<std::string>& strParams);
+/** Non-RFC4627 JSON parser, accepts internal values (such as numbers, true, false, null)
+ * as well as objects and arrays.
+ */
+UniValue ParseNonRFCJSONValue(const std::string& strVal);
 
 #endif // BITCOIN_RPCCLIENT_H
diff --git a/src/test/rpc_tests.cpp b/src/test/rpc_tests.cpp
index 576e62a0b..0b33ddb08 100644
--- a/src/test/rpc_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/rpc_tests.cpp
@@ -143,23 +143,20 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(rpc_parse_monetary_values)
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(json_parse_errors)
 {
-    UniValue value;
     // Valid
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("1.0")), false);
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("[1.0]")), true);
-    // Valid, with trailing whitespace
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("1.0 ")), false);
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("[1.0 ] ")), true);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(ParseNonRFCJSONValue("1.0").get_real(), 1.0);
+    // Valid, with leading or trailing whitespace
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(ParseNonRFCJSONValue(" 1.0").get_real(), 1.0);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(ParseNonRFCJSONValue("1.0 ").get_real(), 1.0);
     // Invalid, initial garbage
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("[1.0")), false);
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("[a1.0]")), false);
-     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("[\"a1.0\"]")), true);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(ParseNonRFCJSONValue("[1.0"), std::runtime_error);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(ParseNonRFCJSONValue("a1.0"), std::runtime_error);
     // Invalid, trailing garbage
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("1.0sds")), false);
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("1.0]")), false);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(ParseNonRFCJSONValue("1.0sds"), std::runtime_error);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(ParseNonRFCJSONValue("1.0]"), std::runtime_error);
     // BTC addresses should fail parsing
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("175tWpb8K1S7NmH4Zx6rewF9WQrcZv245W")), false);
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(value.read(std::string("3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNL")), false);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(ParseNonRFCJSONValue("175tWpb8K1S7NmH4Zx6rewF9WQrcZv245W"), std::runtime_error);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(ParseNonRFCJSONValue("3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNL"), std::runtime_error);
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(rpc_boostasiotocnetaddr)