diff --git a/cJSON.c b/cJSON.c
index 753e136eeaca402820dcdc97314c094fdf01ad32..8d20c8d1ff8fad7780e8550a9319ec64b6ace8c3 100644
--- a/cJSON.c
+++ b/cJSON.c
@@ -1666,7 +1666,23 @@ void   cJSON_AddItemToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item)
     }
 }
 
-void   cJSON_AddItemToObject(cJSON *object,const char *string,cJSON *item)	{if (!item) return; if (item->string) cJSON_free(item->string);item->string=cJSON_strdup(string);cJSON_AddItemToArray(object,item);}
+void   cJSON_AddItemToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item)
+{
+    if (!item)
+    {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /* free old key and set new one */
+    if (item->string)
+    {
+        cJSON_free(item->string);
+    }
+    item->string = cJSON_strdup(string);
+
+    cJSON_AddItemToArray(object,item);
+}
+
 void   cJSON_AddItemToObjectCS(cJSON *object,const char *string,cJSON *item)	{if (!item) return; if (!(item->type&cJSON_StringIsConst) && item->string) cJSON_free(item->string);item->string=(char*)string;item->type|=cJSON_StringIsConst;cJSON_AddItemToArray(object,item);}
 void	cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item)						{cJSON_AddItemToArray(array,create_reference(item));}
 void	cJSON_AddItemReferenceToObject(cJSON *object,const char *string,cJSON *item)	{cJSON_AddItemToObject(object,string,create_reference(item));}