diff --git a/conf/includes/cluster.json b/conf/includes/cluster.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..38b1ab37a87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf/includes/cluster.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "routes": [
+    "nats://nats-A:6222",
+    "nats://nats-C:6222",
+    "nats://nats-B:6222"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/conf/includes/multiple.json b/conf/includes/multiple.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4981618eb45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf/includes/multiple.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "debug": true,
+  "include": "simple.json",
+  "cluster": {
+    "include": "cluster.json"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/conf/includes/multiple2.conf b/conf/includes/multiple2.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3461cd09f9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf/includes/multiple2.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+
+'debug': true
+
+'include': 'simple.json'
+
+'cluster': {
+    'include': 'cluster.json'
+}
diff --git a/conf/includes/simple.json b/conf/includes/simple.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f1d40f9fc52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf/includes/simple.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "listen": "127.0.0.1:4223"
+}
diff --git a/conf/lex.go b/conf/lex.go
index f3050331bc8..5da8a73243a 100644
--- a/conf/lex.go
+++ b/conf/lex.go
@@ -343,7 +343,10 @@ func lexKeyStart(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 func lexDubQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	r := lx.peek()
 	if r == dqStringEnd {
-		lx.emit(itemKey)
+		include := lx.keyCheckKeyword(nil, nil)
+		if include != nil {
+			return include
+		}
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexKeyEnd)
 	} else if r == eof {
@@ -361,7 +364,10 @@ func lexDubQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 func lexQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	r := lx.peek()
 	if r == sqStringEnd {
-		lx.emit(itemKey)
+		include := lx.keyCheckKeyword(nil, nil)
+		if include != nil {
+			return include
+		}
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexKeyEnd)
 	} else if r == eof {
@@ -394,7 +400,7 @@ func (lx *lexer) keyCheckKeyword(fallThrough, push stateFn) stateFn {
 // lexIncludeStart will consume the whitespace til the start of the value.
 func lexIncludeStart(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	r := lx.next()
-	if isWhitespace(r) {
+	if isWhitespace(r) || r == dqStringEnd || r == sqStringEnd || isKeySeparator(r) {
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexIncludeStart)
 	}
 	lx.backup()
@@ -441,7 +447,7 @@ func lexIncludeString(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 		lx.backup()
 		lx.emit(itemInclude)
 		return lx.pop()
-	case r == sqStringEnd:
+	case r == sqStringEnd || r == dqStringEnd:
 		lx.backup()
 		lx.emit(itemInclude)
 		lx.next()
@@ -668,7 +674,10 @@ func lexMapKeyStart(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 func lexMapQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	r := lx.peek()
 	if r == sqStringEnd {
-		lx.emit(itemKey)
+		include := lx.keyCheckKeyword(nil, lexMapValueEnd)
+		if include != nil {
+			return include
+		}
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexMapKeyEnd)
 	}
@@ -680,7 +689,10 @@ func lexMapQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 func lexMapDubQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	r := lx.peek()
 	if r == dqStringEnd {
-		lx.emit(itemKey)
+		include := lx.keyCheckKeyword(nil, lexMapValueEnd)
+		if include != nil {
+			return include
+		}
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexMapKeyEnd)
 	}
diff --git a/conf/parse_test.go b/conf/parse_test.go
index 64e4c6f5802..7706c0b3c2e 100644
--- a/conf/parse_test.go
+++ b/conf/parse_test.go
@@ -328,3 +328,38 @@ func TestIncludeVariablesWithChecks(t *testing.T) {
 	expectKeyVal(t, m, "BOB_PASS", "$2a$11$dZM98SpGeI7dCFFGSpt.JObQcix8YHml4TBUZoge9R1uxnMIln5ly", 3, 1)
 	expectKeyVal(t, m, "CAROL_PASS", "foo", 6, 3)
 }
+
+func TestIncludesJSONSyntax(t *testing.T) {
+	ex := map[string]interface{}{
+		"listen": "127.0.0.1:4223",
+		"debug":  true,
+		"cluster": map[string]interface{}{
+			"routes": []interface{}{
+				"nats://nats-A:6222",
+				"nats://nats-C:6222",
+				"nats://nats-B:6222",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	m, err := ParseFile("includes/multiple.json")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Received err: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	if m == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Received nil map")
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(m, ex) {
+		t.Fatalf("Not Equal:\nReceived: '%+v'\nExpected: '%+v'\n", m, ex)
+	}
+
+	m2, err := ParseFile("includes/multiple2.conf")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Received err: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	if m2 == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Received nil map")
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(m2, ex) {
+		t.Fatalf("Not Equal:\nReceived: '%+v'\nExpected: '%+v'\n", m2, ex)
+	}
+}