diff --git a/src/Parser.php b/src/Parser.php
index 91775ab1..03be11e7 100644
--- a/src/Parser.php
+++ b/src/Parser.php
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ protected function splitJwt($jwt)
      */
     protected function parseHeader($data)
     {
-        $header = $this->decoder->jsonDecode($this->decoder->base64UrlDecode($data));
+        $header = (array) $this->decoder->jsonDecode($this->decoder->base64UrlDecode($data));
 
         if (isset($header['enc'])) {
             throw new InvalidArgumentException('Encryption is not supported yet');
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ protected function parseHeader($data)
      */
     protected function parseClaims($data)
     {
-        $claims = $this->decoder->jsonDecode($this->decoder->base64UrlDecode($data));
+        $claims = (array) $this->decoder->jsonDecode($this->decoder->base64UrlDecode($data));
 
         foreach ($claims as $name => &$value) {
             $value = $this->claimFactory->create($name, $value);
diff --git a/src/Parsing/Decoder.php b/src/Parsing/Decoder.php
index 854ac9ee..86336b08 100644
--- a/src/Parsing/Decoder.php
+++ b/src/Parsing/Decoder.php
@@ -30,16 +30,12 @@ class Decoder
      */
     public function jsonDecode($json)
     {
-        $data = json_decode($json, true);
+        $data = json_decode($json);
 
         if (json_last_error() != JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
             throw new RuntimeException('Error while decoding to JSON: ' . json_last_error_msg());
         }
 
-        if (!is_array($data)) {
-            throw new RuntimeException('The decoded data must be an array');
-        }
-
         return $data;
     }
 
diff --git a/test/FunctionalTests/EcdsaTokenTest.php b/test/FunctionalTests/EcdsaTokenTest.php
index 0e1eae50..739b9155 100644
--- a/test/FunctionalTests/EcdsaTokenTest.php
+++ b/test/FunctionalTests/EcdsaTokenTest.php
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public function createSigner()
      */
     public function builderCanGenerateAToken()
     {
-        $user = ['name' => 'testing', 'email' => 'testing@abc.com'];
+        $user = (object) ['name' => 'testing', 'email' => 'testing@abc.com'];
 
         $token = (new Builder())->setId(1)
                               ->setAudience('http://client.abc.com')
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ public function parserCanReadAToken(Token $generated)
         $read = (new Parser())->parse((string) $generated);
 
         $this->assertEquals($generated, $read);
+        $this->assertEquals('testing', $read->getClaim('user')->name);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/FunctionalTests/HmacTokenTest.php b/test/FunctionalTests/HmacTokenTest.php
index 2c59f0e3..81af4d3f 100644
--- a/test/FunctionalTests/HmacTokenTest.php
+++ b/test/FunctionalTests/HmacTokenTest.php
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public function createSigner()
      */
     public function builderCanGenerateAToken()
     {
-        $user = ['name' => 'testing', 'email' => 'testing@abc.com'];
+        $user = (object) ['name' => 'testing', 'email' => 'testing@abc.com'];
 
         $token = (new Builder())->setId(1)
                               ->setAudience('http://client.abc.com')
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ public function parserCanReadAToken(Token $generated)
         $read = (new Parser())->parse((string) $generated);
 
         $this->assertEquals($generated, $read);
+        $this->assertEquals('testing', $read->getClaim('user')->name);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/FunctionalTests/RsaTokenTest.php b/test/FunctionalTests/RsaTokenTest.php
index af8ff88f..b19ef53a 100644
--- a/test/FunctionalTests/RsaTokenTest.php
+++ b/test/FunctionalTests/RsaTokenTest.php
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public function createSigner()
      */
     public function builderCanGenerateAToken()
     {
-        $user = ['name' => 'testing', 'email' => 'testing@abc.com'];
+        $user = (object) ['name' => 'testing', 'email' => 'testing@abc.com'];
 
         $token = (new Builder())->setId(1)
                               ->setAudience('http://client.abc.com')
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ public function parserCanReadAToken(Token $generated)
         $read = (new Parser())->parse((string) $generated);
 
         $this->assertEquals($generated, $read);
+        $this->assertEquals('testing', $read->getClaim('user')->name);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/FunctionalTests/UnsignedTokenTest.php b/test/FunctionalTests/UnsignedTokenTest.php
index dce34791..a6280b88 100644
--- a/test/FunctionalTests/UnsignedTokenTest.php
+++ b/test/FunctionalTests/UnsignedTokenTest.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class UnsignedTokenTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
      */
     public function builderCanGenerateAToken()
     {
-        $user = ['name' => 'testing', 'email' => 'testing@abc.com'];
+        $user = (object) ['name' => 'testing', 'email' => 'testing@abc.com'];
 
         $token = (new Builder())->setId(1)
                               ->setAudience('http://client.abc.com')
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ public function parserCanReadAToken(Token $generated)
         $read = (new Parser())->parse((string) $generated);
 
         $this->assertEquals($generated, $read);
+        $this->assertEquals('testing', $read->getClaim('user')->name);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/Parsing/DecoderTest.php b/test/Parsing/DecoderTest.php
index e737b24c..51d727bd 100644
--- a/test/Parsing/DecoderTest.php
+++ b/test/Parsing/DecoderTest.php
@@ -22,21 +22,10 @@ public function jsonDecodeMustReturnTheDecodedData()
     {
         $decoder = new Decoder();
 
-        $this->assertEquals(['test' => 'test'], $decoder->jsonDecode('{"test":"test"}'));
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * @test
-     *
-     * @covers Lcobucci\JWT\Parsing\Decoder::jsonDecode
-     *
-     * @expectedException \RuntimeException
-     */
-    public function jsonDecodeMustRaiseExceptionWhenResultIsNotAnArray()
-    {
-        $decoder = new Decoder();
-
-        $decoder->jsonDecode('"test"');
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            (object) ['test' => 'test'],
+            $decoder->jsonDecode('{"test":"test"}')
+        );
     }
 
     /**