diff --git a/stores/json/store.go b/stores/json/store.go
index 23bd54161..afd2e7e51 100644
--- a/stores/json/store.go
+++ b/stores/json/store.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ var errEndOfObject = fmt.Errorf("End of object")
 func (store Store) treeItemFromJSONDecoder(dec *json.Decoder) (sops.TreeItem, error) {
 	var item sops.TreeItem
 	key, err := dec.Token()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
 		return item, err
 	}
 	if k, ok := key.(string); ok {
diff --git a/stores/json/store_test.go b/stores/json/store_test.go
index 99405161a..2e246de98 100644
--- a/stores/json/store_test.go
+++ b/stores/json/store_test.go
@@ -126,6 +126,12 @@ func TestDecodeSimpleJSONObject(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, branch)
 }
 
+func TestDecodeNumber(t *testing.T) {
+	in := `42`
+	_, err := Store{}.treeBranchFromJSON([]byte(in))
+	assert.NotNil(t, err)
+}
+
 func TestDecodeNestedJSONObject(t *testing.T) {
 	in := `{"foo": {"foo": "bar"}}`
 	expected := sops.TreeBranch{