diff --git a/loadjson.m b/loadjson.m
index 5367227575e0a538d752e24ef1418901783b8c26..d9de99986be935012a7d4e2f735912d891a06e4b 100644
--- a/loadjson.m
+++ b/loadjson.m
@@ -215,6 +215,9 @@ function object = parse_array(inStr, esc, varargin) % JSON array is written in r
            if(isoct && regexp(arraystr,'"','once'))
                 error('Octave eval can produce empty cells for JSON-like input');
            end
+           if(regexp(arraystr,':','once'))
+                error('One can not use MATLAB-like ":" construct inside a JSON array');
+           end
            object=eval(arraystr);
            pos=endpos;
         catch