diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1759--json-import-abort.md b/changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1759--json-import-abort.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eb3843327d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1759--json-import-abort.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+VAST does not abort an import of JSON data anymore when encountering
+something other than a JSON object (ie. a number or a string).
+Instead, the offending line is skipped.
diff --git a/libvast/vast/format/json.hpp b/libvast/vast/format/json.hpp
index 9ac243ddd6e..7ce42fa5480 100644
--- a/libvast/vast/format/json.hpp
+++ b/libvast/vast/format/json.hpp
@@ -192,8 +192,13 @@ caf::error reader<Selector>::read_impl(size_t max_events, size_t max_slice_size,
       continue;
     }
     auto get_object_result = parse_result.get_object();
-    if (get_object_result.error() != ::simdjson::error_code::SUCCESS)
-      return caf::make_error(ec::type_clash, "not a json object");
+    if (get_object_result.error() != ::simdjson::error_code::SUCCESS) {
+      if (num_invalid_lines_ == 0)
+        VAST_WARN("{} failed to parse line as JSON object {}: {}",
+                  detail::pretty_type_name(this), lines_->line_number(), line);
+      ++num_invalid_lines_;
+      continue;
+    }
     auto&& layout = selector_(get_object_result.value());
     if (!layout) {
       if (num_unknown_layouts_ == 0)