diff --git a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONObject.java b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONObject.java
index c6ac47a..72cdff2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONObject.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONObject.java
@@ -208,22 +208,14 @@ public class JSONObject {
             throw x.syntaxError("A JSONObject text must begin with '{'");
         }
         for (;;) {
-            char prev = x.getPrevious();
             c = x.nextClean();
             switch (c) {
             case 0:
                 throw x.syntaxError("A JSONObject text must end with '}'");
             case '}':
                 return;
-            case '{':
-            case '[':
-                if(prev=='{') {
-                    throw x.syntaxError("A JSON Object can not directly nest another JSON Object or JSON Array.");
-                }
-                // fall through
             default:
-                x.back();
-                key = x.nextValue().toString();
+                key = x.nextSimpleValue(c).toString();
             }
 
             // The key is followed by ':'.
@@ -1726,12 +1718,12 @@ public class JSONObject {
                         final Object result = method.invoke(bean);
                         if (result != null) {
                             // check cyclic dependency and throw error if needed
-                            // the wrap and populateMap combination method is 
+                            // the wrap and populateMap combination method is
                             // itself DFS recursive
                             if (objectsRecord.contains(result)) {
                                 throw recursivelyDefinedObjectException(key);
                             }
-                            
+
                             objectsRecord.add(result);
 
                             this.map.put(key, wrap(result, objectsRecord));
@@ -1740,7 +1732,7 @@ public class JSONObject {
 
                             // we don't use the result anywhere outside of wrap
                             // if it's a resource we should be sure to close it
-                            // after calling toString 
+                            // after calling toString
                             if (result instanceof Closeable) {
                                 try {
                                     ((Closeable) result).close();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONTokener.java b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONTokener.java
index 5dc8ae8..4a83a69 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONTokener.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONTokener.java
@@ -402,12 +402,7 @@ public class JSONTokener {
      */
     public Object nextValue() throws JSONException {
         char c = this.nextClean();
-        String string;
-
         switch (c) {
-        case '"':
-        case '\'':
-            return this.nextString(c);
         case '{':
             this.back();
             try {
@@ -423,6 +418,17 @@ public class JSONTokener {
                 throw new JSONException("JSON Array or Object depth too large to process.", e);
             }
         }
+        return nextSimpleValue(c);
+    }
+
+    Object nextSimpleValue(char c) {
+        String string;
+
+        switch (c) {
+        case '"':
+        case '\'':
+            return this.nextString(c);
+        }
 
         /*
          * Handle unquoted text. This could be the values true, false, or
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONArrayTest.java b/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONArrayTest.java
index 85fdd82..e877070 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONArrayTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONArrayTest.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class JSONArrayTest {
      * Expects a JSONException.
      */
     @Test
-    public void emptStr() {
+    public void emptyStr() {
         String str = "";
         try {
             assertNull("Should throw an exception", new JSONArray(str));
@@ -460,6 +460,20 @@ public class JSONArrayTest {
         Util.checkJSONArrayMaps(jsonArray);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The JSON parser is permissive of unambiguous unquoted keys and values.
+     * Such JSON text should be allowed, even if it does not strictly conform
+     * to the spec. However, after being parsed, toString() should emit strictly
+     * conforming JSON text.  
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void unquotedText() {
+        String str = "[value1, something!, (parens), foo@bar.com, 23, 23+45]";
+        JSONArray jsonArray = new JSONArray(str);
+        List<Object> expected = Arrays.asList("value1", "something!", "(parens)", "foo@bar.com", 23, "23+45");
+        assertEquals(expected, jsonArray.toList());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Exercise JSONArray.join() by converting a JSONArray into a 
      * comma-separated string. Since this is very nearly a JSON document,
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONObjectTest.java b/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONObjectTest.java
index 9156bad..01889d5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONObjectTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONObjectTest.java
@@ -205,13 +205,17 @@ public class JSONObjectTest {
      */
     @Test
     public void unquotedText() {
-        String str = "{key1:value1, key2:42}";
+        String str = "{key1:value1, key2:42, 1.2 : 3.4, -7e5 : something!}";
         JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONObject(str);
         String textStr = jsonObject.toString();
         assertTrue("expected key1", textStr.contains("\"key1\""));
         assertTrue("expected value1", textStr.contains("\"value1\""));
         assertTrue("expected key2", textStr.contains("\"key2\""));
         assertTrue("expected 42", textStr.contains("42"));
+        assertTrue("expected 1.2", textStr.contains("\"1.2\""));
+        assertTrue("expected 3.4", textStr.contains("3.4"));
+        assertTrue("expected -7E+5", textStr.contains("\"-7E+5\""));
+        assertTrue("expected something!", textStr.contains("\"something!\""));
         Util.checkJSONObjectMaps(jsonObject);
     }
     
@@ -2224,6 +2228,42 @@ public class JSONObjectTest {
                     "Expected a ',' or '}' at 15 [character 16 line 1]",
                     e.getMessage());
         }
+        try {
+            // key is a nested map
+            String str = "{{\"foo\": \"bar\"}: \"baz\"}";
+            assertNull("Expected an exception",new JSONObject(str));
+        } catch (JSONException e) {
+            assertEquals("Expecting an exception message",
+                "Missing value at 1 [character 2 line 1]",
+                e.getMessage());
+        }
+        try {
+            // key is a nested array containing a map
+            String str = "{\"a\": 1, [{\"foo\": \"bar\"}]: \"baz\"}";
+            assertNull("Expected an exception",new JSONObject(str));
+        } catch (JSONException e) {
+            assertEquals("Expecting an exception message",
+                "Missing value at 9 [character 10 line 1]",
+                e.getMessage());
+        }
+        try {
+            // key contains }
+            String str = "{foo}: 2}";
+            assertNull("Expected an exception",new JSONObject(str));
+        } catch (JSONException e) {
+            assertEquals("Expecting an exception message",
+                "Expected a ':' after a key at 5 [character 6 line 1]",
+                e.getMessage());
+        }
+        try {
+            // key contains ]
+            String str = "{foo]: 2}";
+            assertNull("Expected an exception",new JSONObject(str));
+        } catch (JSONException e) {
+            assertEquals("Expecting an exception message",
+                "Expected a ':' after a key at 5 [character 6 line 1]",
+                e.getMessage());
+        }
         try {
             // \0 after ,
             String str = "{\"myKey\":true, \0\"myOtherKey\":false}";