--- JSON-XS/XS.xs	2013/10/28 23:23:10	1.120
+++ JSON-XS/XS.xs	2013/10/29 15:55:49	1.122
@@ -19,6 +19,17 @@
 # define UTF8_MAXBYTES 13
 #endif
 
+// compatibility with perl <5.18
+#ifndef HvNAMELEN_get
+# define HvNAMELEN_get(hv) strlen (HvNAME (hv))
+#endif
+#ifndef HvNAMELEN
+# define HvNAMELEN(hv) HvNAMELEN_get (hv)
+#endif
+#ifndef HvNAMEUTF8
+# define HvNAMEUTF8(hv) 0
+#endif
+
 // three extra for rounding, sign, and end of string
 #define IVUV_MAXCHARS (sizeof (UV) * CHAR_BIT * 28 / 93 + 3)
 
@@ -1494,6 +1505,8 @@
 
   ++dec->cur;
 
+  decode_ws (dec);
+
   tag = decode_sv (dec);
   if (!tag)
     goto fail;
@@ -1501,11 +1514,15 @@
   if (!SvPOK (tag))
     ERR ("malformed JSON string, (tag) must be a string");
 
+  decode_ws (dec);
+
   if (*dec->cur != ')')
     ERR (") expected after tag");
 
   ++dec->cur;
 
+  decode_ws (dec);
+
   val = decode_sv (dec);
   if (!val)
     goto fail;