diff --git a/src/json.cc b/src/json.cc
index 1666b23c8..982251677 100644
--- a/src/json.cc
+++ b/src/json.cc
@@ -2073,6 +2073,9 @@ std::string json::parser::parseString()
                     result += '\n';
                 } else if (currentChar == 'r') {
                     result += '\r';
+                } else if (currentChar == 'u') {
+                    pos_++;
+                    result += parseUnicodeEscape();
                 } else {
                     error("expected one of \\,/,b,f,n,r,t behind backslash.");
                 }
@@ -2118,6 +2121,76 @@ std::string json::parser::parseString()
     error("expected '\"'");
 }
 
+std::string json::parser::unicodeToUTF8(unsigned int codepoint) {
+
+    // it's just a ASCII compatible codepoint,
+    // so we just interpret the point as a character
+    if (codepoint <= 0x7f) {
+        return std::string(1, static_cast<char>(codepoint));
+    }
+    else if (codepoint <= 0x7ff)
+    {
+        std::string result(2, static_cast<char>(0xc0 | ((codepoint >> 6) & 0x1f)));
+        result[1] = static_cast<char>(0x80 | (codepoint & 0x3f));
+        return result;
+    }
+    else if (codepoint <= 0xffff)
+    {
+        std::string result(3, static_cast<char>(0xe0 | ((codepoint >> 12) & 0x0f)));
+        result[1] = static_cast<char>(0x80 | ((codepoint >> 6) & 0x3f));
+        result[2] = static_cast<char>(0x80 | (codepoint & 0x3f));
+        return result;
+    }
+    else if (codepoint <= 0x1fffff)
+    {
+        std::string result(4, static_cast<char>(0xf0 | ((codepoint >> 18) & 0x07)));
+        result[1] = static_cast<char>(0x80 | ((codepoint >> 12) & 0x3f));
+        result[2] = static_cast<char>(0x80 | ((codepoint >> 6) & 0x3f));
+        result[3] = static_cast<char>(0x80 | (codepoint & 0x3f));
+        return result;
+    } else {
+        std::string errorMessage = "Invalid codepoint: ";
+        errorMessage += codepoint;
+        error(errorMessage);
+    }
+}
+
+/*!
+Parses the JSON style unicode escape sequence (\uXXXX).
+
+@return the utf-8 character the escape sequence escaped
+
+@pre  An opening quote \p " was read in the main parse function @ref parse.
+      pos_ is the position after the opening quote.
+
+@post The character after the closing quote \p " is the current character @ref
+      current_. Whitespace is skipped.
+*/
+std::string json::parser::parseUnicodeEscape() {
+    const auto startPos = pos_;
+    if (pos_ + 3 >= buffer_.size()) {
+        error("Got end of input while parsing unicode escape sequence \\uXXXX");
+    }
+    std::string hexCode(4, ' ');
+    for(; pos_ < startPos + 4; pos_++) {
+        char currentChar = buffer_[pos_];
+        if (   (currentChar >= '0' && currentChar <= '9')
+            || (currentChar >= 'a' && currentChar <= 'f')
+            || (currentChar >= 'A' && currentChar <= 'F')) {
+            // all is well, we have valid hexadecimal chars
+            // so we copy that char into our string
+            hexCode[pos_ - startPos] = currentChar;
+        } else {
+            error("Found non-hexadecimal character in unicode escape sequence!");
+        }
+    }
+    pos_--;
+    // case is safe as 4 hex characters can't present more than 16 bits
+    return unicodeToUTF8(static_cast<unsigned int>(std::stoul(hexCode, nullptr, 16)));
+}
+
+
+
 /*!
 This function is called in case a \p "t" is read in the main parse function
 @ref parse. In the standard, the \p "true" token is the only candidate, so the
diff --git a/src/json.h b/src/json.h
index 2dd993487..1b5e8fcf2 100644
--- a/src/json.h
+++ b/src/json.h
@@ -418,6 +418,10 @@ class json
         inline void error(const std::string&) __attribute__((noreturn));
         /// parse a quoted string
         inline std::string parseString();
+        /// transforms a unicode codepoint to it's UTF-8 presentation
+        inline std::string unicodeToUTF8(unsigned int codepoint);
+        /// parses a unicode escape sequence
+        inline std::string parseUnicodeEscape();
         /// parse a Boolean "true"
         inline void parseTrue();
         /// parse a Boolean "false"
diff --git a/test/json_unit.cc b/test/json_unit.cc
index b2fcd65e3..fb89a2a1b 100644
--- a/test/json_unit.cc
+++ b/test/json_unit.cc
@@ -1652,6 +1652,10 @@ TEST_CASE("Parser")
         CHECK(json::parse("\"a\\nz\"") == json("a\nz"));
         CHECK(json::parse("\"\\n\"") == json("\n"));
 
+        // escape unicode characters
+        CHECK(json::parse("\"\\u002F\"") == json("/"));
+        CHECK(json::parse("\"\\u00E4\"") == json(u8"\u00E4"));
+
         // escaping senseless stuff
         CHECK_THROWS_AS(json::parse("\"\\z\""), std::invalid_argument);
         CHECK_THROWS_AS(json::parse("\"\\ \""), std::invalid_argument);