diff --git a/json.go b/json.go
index e0668f2..18e62f2 100644
--- a/json.go
+++ b/json.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package websocket
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
 )
 
 // WriteJSON is deprecated, use c.WriteJSON instead.
@@ -45,5 +46,12 @@ func (c *Conn) ReadJSON(v interface{}) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return json.NewDecoder(r).Decode(v)
+	err = json.NewDecoder(r).Decode(v)
+	if err == io.EOF {
+		// Decode returns io.EOF when the message is empty or all whitespace.
+		// Convert to io.ErrUnexpectedEOF so that application can distinguish
+		// between an error reading the JSON value and the connection closing.
+		err = io.ErrUnexpectedEOF
+	}
+	return err
 }
diff --git a/json_test.go b/json_test.go
index 2edb28d..1b7a5ec 100644
--- a/json_test.go
+++ b/json_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ package websocket
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 )
@@ -36,6 +38,60 @@ func TestJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPartialJsonRead(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	c := fakeNetConn{&buf, &buf}
+	wc := newConn(c, true, 1024, 1024)
+	rc := newConn(c, false, 1024, 1024)
+
+	var v struct {
+		A int
+		B string
+	}
+	v.A = 1
+	v.B = "hello"
+
+	messageCount := 0
+
+	// Partial JSON values.
+
+	data, err := json.Marshal(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	for i := len(data) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+		if err := wc.WriteMessage(TextMessage, data[:i]); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		messageCount++
+	}
+
+	// Whitespace.
+
+	if err := wc.WriteMessage(TextMessage, []byte(" ")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	messageCount++
+
+	// Close.
+
+	if err := wc.WriteMessage(CloseMessage, FormatCloseMessage(CloseNormalClosure, "")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < messageCount; i++ {
+		err := rc.ReadJSON(&v)
+		if err != io.ErrUnexpectedEOF {
+			t.Error("read", i, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	err = rc.ReadJSON(&v)
+	if err != io.EOF {
+		t.Error("final", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDeprecatedJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 	c := fakeNetConn{&buf, &buf}