diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ab59a291..4fb40bc8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -99,7 +99,9 @@ have no additional data.
 Strings have type <code>JSON_STRING</code>, with null-terminated UTF-8 text
 in <code>string</code> and length in <code>length</code>.
 
-Numbers have type <code>JSON_NUMBER</code>, with value in <code>number</code>.
+Numbers have type <code>JSON_NUMBER</code>, with value in <code>number</code>,
+and also preserve the original representation of the number
+in <code>string</code> and length in <code>length</code>.
 
 Arrays have type <code>JSON_ARRAY</code>. There are <code>length</code> elements in the array,
 and the elements are in <code>array</code>.
diff --git a/jsonpull.c b/jsonpull.c
index 16f67688..5977f8fb 100644
--- a/jsonpull.c
+++ b/jsonpull.c
@@ -414,8 +414,11 @@ again:
 		json_object *n = add_object(j, JSON_NUMBER);
 		if (n != NULL) {
 			n->number = atof(val.buf);
+			n->string = val.buf;
+			n->length = val.n;
+		} else {
+			string_free(&val);
 		}
-		string_free(&val);
 		return n;
 	}
 
@@ -542,7 +545,7 @@ void json_free(json_object *o) {
 
 		free(k);
 		free(v);
-	} else if (o->type == JSON_STRING) {
+	} else if (o->type == JSON_STRING || o->type == JSON_NUMBER) {
 		free(o->string);
 	}