diff --git a/pyerrors/input/json.py b/pyerrors/input/json.py
index c7f8cf7f..a4fab75e 100644
--- a/pyerrors/input/json.py
+++ b/pyerrors/input/json.py
@@ -291,8 +291,9 @@ def dump_to_json(ol, fname, description='', indent=1, gz=True):
     fp.close()
 
 
-def import_json_string(json_string, verbose=True, full_output=False):
-    """Reconstruct a list of Obs or structures containing Obs from a json string.
+def _parse_json_dict(json_dict, verbose=True, full_output=False):
+    """Reconstruct a list of Obs or structures containing Obs from a dict that
+    was built out of a json string.
 
     The following structures are supported: Obs, list, numpy.ndarray, Corr
     If the list contains only one element, it is unpacked from the list.
@@ -446,8 +447,6 @@ def import_json_string(json_string, verbose=True, full_output=False):
         my_corr.prange = temp_prange
         return my_corr
 
-    json_dict = json.loads(json_string)
-
     prog = json_dict.get('program', '')
     version = json_dict.get('version', '')
     who = json_dict.get('who', '')
@@ -495,6 +494,26 @@ def import_json_string(json_string, verbose=True, full_output=False):
         return ol
 
 
+def import_json_string(json_string, verbose=True, full_output=False):
+    """Reconstruct a list of Obs or structures containing Obs from a json string.
+
+    The following structures are supported: Obs, list, numpy.ndarray, Corr
+    If the list contains only one element, it is unpacked from the list.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    json_string : str
+        json string containing the data.
+    verbose : bool
+        Print additional information that was written to the file.
+    full_output : bool
+        If True, a dict containing auxiliary information and the data is returned.
+        If False, only the data is returned.
+    """
+
+    return _parse_json_dict(json.loads(json_string), verbose, full_output)
+
+
 def load_json(fname, verbose=True, gz=True, full_output=False):
     """Import a list of Obs or structures containing Obs from a .json(.gz) file.
 
@@ -519,14 +538,14 @@ def load_json(fname, verbose=True, gz=True, full_output=False):
         if not fname.endswith('.gz'):
             fname += '.gz'
         with gzip.open(fname, 'r') as fin:
-            d = fin.read().decode('utf-8')
+            d = json.load(fin)
     else:
         if fname.endswith('.gz'):
             warnings.warn("Trying to read from %s without unzipping!" % fname, UserWarning)
         with open(fname, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as fin:
-            d = fin.read()
+            d = json.loads(fin.read())
 
-    return import_json_string(d, verbose, full_output)
+    return _parse_json_dict(d, verbose, full_output)
 
 
 def _ol_from_dict(ind, reps='DICTOBS'):