diff --git a/gjson.go b/gjson.go
index 813c71e..6b873bd 100644
--- a/gjson.go
+++ b/gjson.go
@@ -1865,8 +1865,14 @@ func validobject(data []byte, i int) (outi int, ok bool) {
 			if data[i] == '}' {
 				return i + 1, true
 			}
+			i++
 			for ; i < len(data); i++ {
-				if data[i] == '"' {
+				switch data[i] {
+				default:
+					return i, false
+				case ' ', '\t', '\n', '\r':
+					continue
+				case '"':
 					goto key
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/gjson_test.go b/gjson_test.go
index 9258e1b..105ffbd 100644
--- a/gjson_test.go
+++ b/gjson_test.go
@@ -970,80 +970,82 @@ func TestUnmarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	assert(t, str == Get(complicatedJSON, "LeftOut").String())
 }
 
-func testvalid(json string, expect bool) {
+func testvalid(t *testing.T, json string, expect bool) {
+	t.Helper()
 	_, ok := validpayload([]byte(json), 0)
 	if ok != expect {
-		panic("mismatch")
+		t.Fatal("mismatch")
 	}
 }
 
 func TestValidBasic(t *testing.T) {
-	testvalid("0", true)
-	testvalid("00", false)
-	testvalid("-00", false)
-	testvalid("-.", false)
-	testvalid("0.0", true)
-	testvalid("10.0", true)
-	testvalid("10e1", true)
-	testvalid("10EE", false)
-	testvalid("10E-", false)
-	testvalid("10E+", false)
-	testvalid("10E123", true)
-	testvalid("10E-123", true)
-	testvalid("10E-0123", true)
-	testvalid("", false)
-	testvalid(" ", false)
-	testvalid("{}", true)
-	testvalid("{", false)
-	testvalid("-", false)
-	testvalid("-1", true)
-	testvalid("-1.", false)
-	testvalid("-1.0", true)
-	testvalid(" -1.0", true)
-	testvalid(" -1.0 ", true)
-	testvalid("-1.0 ", true)
-	testvalid("-1.0 i", false)
-	testvalid("-1.0 i", false)
-	testvalid("true", true)
-	testvalid(" true", true)
-	testvalid(" true ", true)
-	testvalid(" True ", false)
-	testvalid(" tru", false)
-	testvalid("false", true)
-	testvalid(" false", true)
-	testvalid(" false ", true)
-	testvalid(" False ", false)
-	testvalid(" fals", false)
-	testvalid("null", true)
-	testvalid(" null", true)
-	testvalid(" null ", true)
-	testvalid(" Null ", false)
-	testvalid(" nul", false)
-	testvalid(" []", true)
-	testvalid(" [true]", true)
-	testvalid(" [ true, null ]", true)
-	testvalid(" [ true,]", false)
-	testvalid(`{"hello":"world"}`, true)
-	testvalid(`{ "hello": "world" }`, true)
-	testvalid(`{ "hello": "world", }`, false)
-	testvalid(`{"a":"b",}`, false)
-	testvalid(`{"a":"b","a"}`, false)
-	testvalid(`{"a":"b","a":}`, false)
-	testvalid(`{"a":"b","a":1}`, true)
-	testvalid(`{"a":"b","a": 1, "c":{"hi":"there"} }`, true)
-	testvalid(`{"a":"b","a": 1, "c":{"hi":"there", "easy":["going",{"mixed":"bag"}]} }`, true)
-	testvalid(`""`, true)
-	testvalid(`"`, false)
-	testvalid(`"\n"`, true)
-	testvalid(`"\"`, false)
-	testvalid(`"\\"`, true)
-	testvalid(`"a\\b"`, true)
-	testvalid(`"a\\b\\\"a"`, true)
-	testvalid(`"a\\b\\\uFFAAa"`, true)
-	testvalid(`"a\\b\\\uFFAZa"`, false)
-	testvalid(`"a\\b\\\uFFA"`, false)
-	testvalid(string(complicatedJSON), true)
-	testvalid(string(exampleJSON), true)
+	testvalid(t, "0", true)
+	testvalid(t, "00", false)
+	testvalid(t, "-00", false)
+	testvalid(t, "-.", false)
+	testvalid(t, "0.0", true)
+	testvalid(t, "10.0", true)
+	testvalid(t, "10e1", true)
+	testvalid(t, "10EE", false)
+	testvalid(t, "10E-", false)
+	testvalid(t, "10E+", false)
+	testvalid(t, "10E123", true)
+	testvalid(t, "10E-123", true)
+	testvalid(t, "10E-0123", true)
+	testvalid(t, "", false)
+	testvalid(t, " ", false)
+	testvalid(t, "{}", true)
+	testvalid(t, "{", false)
+	testvalid(t, "-", false)
+	testvalid(t, "-1", true)
+	testvalid(t, "-1.", false)
+	testvalid(t, "-1.0", true)
+	testvalid(t, " -1.0", true)
+	testvalid(t, " -1.0 ", true)
+	testvalid(t, "-1.0 ", true)
+	testvalid(t, "-1.0 i", false)
+	testvalid(t, "-1.0 i", false)
+	testvalid(t, "true", true)
+	testvalid(t, " true", true)
+	testvalid(t, " true ", true)
+	testvalid(t, " True ", false)
+	testvalid(t, " tru", false)
+	testvalid(t, "false", true)
+	testvalid(t, " false", true)
+	testvalid(t, " false ", true)
+	testvalid(t, " False ", false)
+	testvalid(t, " fals", false)
+	testvalid(t, "null", true)
+	testvalid(t, " null", true)
+	testvalid(t, " null ", true)
+	testvalid(t, " Null ", false)
+	testvalid(t, " nul", false)
+	testvalid(t, " []", true)
+	testvalid(t, " [true]", true)
+	testvalid(t, " [ true, null ]", true)
+	testvalid(t, " [ true,]", false)
+	testvalid(t, `{"hello":"world"}`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `{ "hello": "world" }`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `{ "hello": "world", }`, false)
+	testvalid(t, `{"a":"b",}`, false)
+	testvalid(t, `{"a":"b","a"}`, false)
+	testvalid(t, `{"a":"b","a":}`, false)
+	testvalid(t, `{"a":"b","a":1}`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `{"a":"b",2"1":2}`, false)
+	testvalid(t, `{"a":"b","a": 1, "c":{"hi":"there"} }`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `{"a":"b","a": 1, "c":{"hi":"there", "easy":["going",{"mixed":"bag"}]} }`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `""`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `"`, false)
+	testvalid(t, `"\n"`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `"\"`, false)
+	testvalid(t, `"\\"`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `"a\\b"`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `"a\\b\\\"a"`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `"a\\b\\\uFFAAa"`, true)
+	testvalid(t, `"a\\b\\\uFFAZa"`, false)
+	testvalid(t, `"a\\b\\\uFFA"`, false)
+	testvalid(t, string(complicatedJSON), true)
+	testvalid(t, string(exampleJSON), true)
 }
 
 var jsonchars = []string{"{", "[", ",", ":", "}", "]", "1", "0", "true", "false", "null", `""`, `"\""`, `"a"`}