diff --git a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONTokener.java b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONTokener.java
index 63effc5f7..e4d4e166b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONTokener.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONTokener.java
@@ -334,63 +334,71 @@ public char nextClean() throws JSONException {
      * @return A String.
      * @throws JSONException Unterminated string or unbalanced quotes if strictMode == true.
      */
-    public String nextString(char quote) throws JSONException {
-        char c;
-        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
-        for (;;) {
-            c = this.next();
-            switch (c) {
-                case 0:
-                case '\n':
-                case '\r':
-                    throw this.syntaxError("Unterminated string. " +
-                        "Character with int code " + (int) c + " is not allowed within a quoted string.");
-                case '\\':
-                    c = this.next();
-                    switch (c) {
-                        case 'b':
-                            sb.append('\b');
-                            break;
-                        case 't':
-                            sb.append('\t');
-                            break;
-                        case 'n':
-                            sb.append('\n');
-                            break;
-                        case 'f':
-                            sb.append('\f');
-                            break;
-                        case 'r':
-                            sb.append('\r');
-                            break;
-                        case 'u':
-                            String next = this.next(4);
-                            try {
-                                sb.append((char) Integer.parseInt(next, 16));
-                            } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
-                                throw this.syntaxError("Illegal escape. " +
-                                        "\\u must be followed by a 4 digit hexadecimal number. \\" + next
-                                        + " is not valid.",
-                                    e);
-                            }
-                            break;
-                        case '"':
-                        case '\'':
-                        case '\\':
-                        case '/':
-                            sb.append(c);
-                            break;
-                        default:
-                            throw this.syntaxError("Illegal escape. Escape sequence  \\" + c + " is not valid.");
-                    }
-                    break;
-                default:
-                    if (c == quote) {
-                        return sb.toString();
-                    }
-                    sb.append(c);
+    public Object nextString(char quote, boolean strictMode) throws JSONException {
+        if (strictMode && quote == '\'') {
+            throw this.syntaxError("Single quote wrap not allowed in strict mode");
+        }
+
+        if (quote == '"' || quote == '\'') {
+            char c;
+            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+            for (; ; ) {
+                c = this.next();
+                switch (c) {
+                    case 0:
+                    case '\n':
+                    case '\r':
+                        throw this.syntaxError("Unterminated string. " +
+                            "Character with int code " + (int) c + " is not allowed within a quoted string.");
+                    case '\\':
+                        c = this.next();
+                        switch (c) {
+                            case 'b':
+                                sb.append('\b');
+                                break;
+                            case 't':
+                                sb.append('\t');
+                                break;
+                            case 'n':
+                                sb.append('\n');
+                                break;
+                            case 'f':
+                                sb.append('\f');
+                                break;
+                            case 'r':
+                                sb.append('\r');
+                                break;
+                            case 'u':
+                                String next = this.next(4);
+                                try {
+                                    sb.append((char) Integer.parseInt(next, 16));
+                                } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
+                                    throw this.syntaxError("Illegal escape. " +
+                                            "\\u must be followed by a 4 digit hexadecimal number. \\" + next
+                                            + " is not valid.",
+                                        e);
+                                }
+                                break;
+                            case '"':
+                            case '\'':
+                            case '\\':
+                            case '/':
+                                sb.append(c);
+                                break;
+                            default:
+                                throw this.syntaxError("Illegal escape. Escape sequence  \\" + c + " is not valid.");
+                        }
+                        break;
+                    default:
+                        if (c == quote) {
+                            return sb.toString();
+                        }
+                        sb.append(c);
+                }
             }
         }
+
+        return parsedUnquotedText(quote, strictMode);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -528,15 +536,7 @@ private JSONArray getJsonArray() {
     Object nextSimpleValue(char c, JSONParserConfiguration jsonParserConfiguration) {
         boolean strictMode = jsonParserConfiguration.isStrictMode();
 
-        if (strictMode && c == '\'') {
-            throw this.syntaxError("Single quote wrap not allowed in strict mode");
-        }
-
-        if (c == '"' || c == '\'') {
-            return this.nextString(c);
-        }
-
-        return parsedUnquotedText(c, strictMode);
+        return this.nextString(c, strictMode);
     }
 
     /**