diff --git a/src/com/adobe/serialization/json/JSONTokenizer.as b/src/com/adobe/serialization/json/JSONTokenizer.as
index 46d2fd4..8ec2c96 100644
--- a/src/com/adobe/serialization/json/JSONTokenizer.as
+++ b/src/com/adobe/serialization/json/JSONTokenizer.as
@@ -618,7 +618,18 @@ package com.adobe.serialization.json {
 		 */
 		private function isWhiteSpace( ch:String ):Boolean
 		{
-			return ( ch == ' ' || ch == '\t' || ch == '\n' || ch == '\r' );
+			// Check for the whitespace defined in the spec
+			if ( ch == ' ' || ch == '\t' || ch == '\n' || ch == '\r' )
+			{
+				return true;
+			}
+			// If we're not in strict mode, we also accept non-breaking space
+			else if ( !strict && ch.charCodeAt( 0 ) == 160 )
+			{
+				return true;
+			}
+			
+			return false;
 		}
 		
 		/**
diff --git a/tests/src/com/adobe/serialization/json/JSONTest.as b/tests/src/com/adobe/serialization/json/JSONTest.as
index 4e64e89..43b8e15 100644
--- a/tests/src/com/adobe/serialization/json/JSONTest.as
+++ b/tests/src/com/adobe/serialization/json/JSONTest.as
@@ -350,6 +350,7 @@ package com.adobe.serialization.json
 		public function testDecodeWhiteSpace():void
 		{
 			var n:Number;
+			var nbsp:String = String.fromCharCode( 160 ); // non-breaking space
 			
 			n = JSON.decode( " 1 " );
 			assertEquals( 1, n );
@@ -366,6 +367,17 @@ package com.adobe.serialization.json
 			// Verify combined before/after spacing
 			n = JSON.decode( "\t \n\n\r \r\n\t 100 \r\n\t\r\r\r\n  \n" ) as Number
 			assertEquals( 100, n );
+			
+			// In non-strict mode, we should also accept non breaking space
+			n = JSON.decode( "\t \n" 
+							+ nbsp 
+							+ "\n\r \r\n\t 100 \r\n\t\r\r\r\n" 
+							+ nbsp 
+							+ "  \n", false ) as Number
+			assertEquals( 100, n );
+			
+			// In strict mode, we do NOT accept non breaking space, so expect a parse error
+			expectParseError( "\t \n" + nbsp + "\n\r \r\n\t 100 \r\n\t\r\r\r\n" + nbsp + "  \n" );
 		}
 		
 		public function testDecodeWithCharactersLeftInInputString():void