diff --git a/lib/pure/parsejson.nim b/lib/pure/parsejson.nim
index 9292a859641b7..657f8cc697f50 100644
--- a/lib/pure/parsejson.nim
+++ b/lib/pure/parsejson.nim
@@ -175,23 +175,48 @@ proc parseEscapedUTF16*(buf: cstring, pos: var int): int =
     else:
       return -1
 
+proc addSpan(dst: var string; src: string; startPos, endPos: int) {.inline.} =
+  let n = endPos - startPos
+  if n <= 0:
+    return
+
+  let old = dst.len
+  dst.setLen old + n
+
+  template impl =
+    for i in 0..<n:
+      dst[old + i] = src[startPos + i]
+
+  when nimvm:
+    impl
+  else:
+    when defined(js) or defined(nimscript):
+      impl
+    else:
+      {.noSideEffect.}:
+        copyMem dst[old].addr, src[startPos].unsafeAddr, n
+
 proc parseString(my: var JsonParser): TokKind =
   result = tkString
   var pos = my.bufpos + 1
+  var spanStart = pos
   if my.rawStringLiterals:
     add(my.a, '"')
   while true:
     case my.buf[pos]
     of '\0':
-      my.err = errQuoteExpected
+      my.err = errInvalidToken
+      addSpan(my.a, my.buf, spanStart, pos)
       result = tkError
       break
     of '"':
+      addSpan(my.a, my.buf, spanStart, pos)
       if my.rawStringLiterals:
         add(my.a, '"')
       inc(pos)
       break
     of '\\':
+      addSpan(my.a, my.buf, spanStart, pos)
       if my.rawStringLiterals:
         add(my.a, '\\')
       case my.buf[pos+1]
@@ -251,14 +276,18 @@ proc parseString(my: var JsonParser): TokKind =
         # don't bother with the error
         add(my.a, my.buf[pos])
         inc(pos)
+      spanStart = pos
     of '\c':
+      addSpan(my.a, my.buf, spanStart, pos)
       pos = lexbase.handleCR(my, pos)
       add(my.a, '\c')
+      spanStart = pos
     of '\L':
+      addSpan(my.a, my.buf, spanStart, pos)
       pos = lexbase.handleLF(my, pos)
       add(my.a, '\L')
+      spanStart = pos
     else:
-      add(my.a, my.buf[pos])
       inc(pos)
   my.bufpos = pos # store back