diff --git a/markovify/chain.py b/markovify/chain.py
index 62a9a02..b986954 100644
--- a/markovify/chain.py
+++ b/markovify/chain.py
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 import bisect
 import json
 
+# Python3 compatibility
+try:
+    basestring
+except NameError:
+    basestring = str
+
 BEGIN = "___BEGIN__"
 END = "___END__"
 
@@ -125,11 +131,6 @@ def from_json(cls, json_thing):
         Given a JSON object or JSON string that was created by `self.to_json`,
         return the corresponding markovify.Chain.
         """
-        # Python3 compatibility
-        try:
-          basestring
-        except NameError:
-          basestring = str
 
         if isinstance(json_thing, basestring):
             obj = json.loads(json_thing)
diff --git a/test/test_basic.py b/test/test_basic.py
index c142974..c621551 100644
--- a/test/test_basic.py
+++ b/test/test_basic.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ def test_sherlock(self):
 
     def test_json(self):
         text_model = markovify.Text(self.sherlock)
-
+        json_model = text_model.to_json()
+        new_text_model = markovify.Text.from_json(json_model)
         sent = text_model.make_sentence()
         assert(len(sent) != 0)