diff --git a/src/util/virjson.c b/src/util/virjson.c
index 4257b30e69d0de7a6c9ac7df8c5dd1ee507ae041..8d12fadb3f59637087522f30e194fb591992087e 100644
--- a/src/util/virjson.c
+++ b/src/util/virjson.c
@@ -1596,7 +1596,7 @@ virJSONValueFromString(const char *jsonstring)
     int rc;
     size_t len = strlen(jsonstring);
 # ifndef WITH_YAJL2
-    yajl_parser_config cfg = { 1, 1 };
+    yajl_parser_config cfg = { 0, 1 };
 # endif
 
     VIR_DEBUG("string=%s", jsonstring);
@@ -1604,7 +1604,7 @@ virJSONValueFromString(const char *jsonstring)
 # ifdef WITH_YAJL2
     hand = yajl_alloc(&parserCallbacks, NULL, &parser);
     if (hand) {
-        yajl_config(hand, yajl_allow_comments, 1);
+        yajl_config(hand, yajl_allow_comments, 0);
         yajl_config(hand, yajl_dont_validate_strings, 0);
     }
 # else
diff --git a/tests/jsontest.c b/tests/jsontest.c
index 8ac09708337a2683b6491e7820ac8b6320fca859..f6c2d84095d2206e111311e691f6ecaa72782da4 100644
--- a/tests/jsontest.c
+++ b/tests/jsontest.c
@@ -418,6 +418,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("incomplete keyword", "tr");
     DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("overdone keyword", "[ truest ]");
     DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("unknown keyword", "huh");
+    DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("comments", "[ /* nope */\n1 // not this either\n]");
 
     DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("object with numeric keys", "{ 1:1, 2:1, 3:2 }");
     DO_TEST_PARSE_FAIL("unterminated object", "{ \"1\":1, \"2\":1, \"3\":2");