diff --git a/basis/json/reader/reader-tests.factor b/basis/json/reader/reader-tests.factor
index dcd45f1876..f33a127762 100644
--- a/basis/json/reader/reader-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/json/reader/reader-tests.factor
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ IN: json.reader.tests
 { "ß∂¬ƒ˚∆" } [ """  "ß∂¬ƒ˚∆""""  json> ] unit-test
 { 8 9 10 12 13 34 47 92 } >string 1array [ """ "\\b\\t\\n\\f\\r\\"\\/\\\\" """ json> ] unit-test
 { 0xabcd } >string 1array [ """ "\\uaBCd" """ json> ] unit-test
+{ "𝄞" } [ "\"\\ud834\\udd1e\"" json> ] unit-test
 
 { H{ { "a" { } } { "b" 123 } } } [ "{\"a\":[],\"b\":123}" json> ] unit-test
 { { } } [ "[]" json> ] unit-test 
diff --git a/basis/json/reader/reader.factor b/basis/json/reader/reader.factor
index d6af2c49d2..91419399e0 100644
--- a/basis/json/reader/reader.factor
+++ b/basis/json/reader/reader.factor
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 
 USING: arrays assocs combinators fry hashtables io
 io.streams.string json kernel kernel.private math math.parser
-namespaces sbufs sequences sequences.private strings vectors ;
+namespaces sbufs sequences sequences.private strings vectors
+math.order ;
 
 IN: json.reader
 
@@ -13,8 +14,26 @@ IN: json.reader
     [ 1string ] [ "\s\t\r\n,:}]" swap stream-read-until ] bi*
     [ append string>number ] dip ;
 
+: json-expect ( token stream -- )
+    [ dup length ] [ stream-read ] bi* = [ json-error ] unless ; inline
+
 DEFER: (read-json-string)
 
+: decode-utf16-surrogate-pair ( hex1 hex2 -- char )
+    [ 0x3ff bitand ] bi@ [ 10 shift ] dip bitor 0x10000 + ;
+
+: stream-read-4hex ( stream -- hex ) 4 swap stream-read hex> ;
+
+: first-surrogate? ( hex -- ? ) 0xd800 0xdbff between? ;
+
+: read-second-surrogate ( stream -- hex )
+    "\\u" over json-expect stream-read-4hex ;
+
+: read-json-escape-unicode ( stream -- char )
+    [ stream-read-4hex ] keep over first-surrogate? [
+        read-second-surrogate decode-utf16-surrogate-pair
+    ] [ drop ] if ;
+
 : (read-json-escape) ( stream accum -- accum )
     { sbuf } declare
     over stream-read1 {
@@ -26,7 +45,7 @@ DEFER: (read-json-string)
         { CHAR: n [ CHAR: \n ] }
         { CHAR: r [ CHAR: \r ] }
         { CHAR: t [ CHAR: \t ] }
-        { CHAR: u [ 4 pick stream-read hex> ] }
+        { CHAR: u [ over read-json-escape-unicode ] }
         [ ]
     } case [ suffix! (read-json-string) ] [ json-error ] if* ;
 
@@ -78,9 +97,6 @@ DEFER: (read-json-string)
 : json-close-hash ( accum -- accum )
     v-close dup dup [ v-pop ] bi@ swap H{ } zip-as suffix! ;
 
-: json-expect ( token stream -- )
-    [ dup length ] [ stream-read ] bi* = [ json-error ] unless ; inline
-
 : scan ( stream accum char -- stream accum )
     ! 2dup 1string swap . . ! Great for debug...
     { object vector object } declare