diff --git a/rebar.config b/rebar.config
index c59e185..628e738 100644
--- a/rebar.config
+++ b/rebar.config
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 % uncomment to disable encoding support for erlang maps
-% {jsx_nomaps, true}.
\ No newline at end of file
+% {jsx_nomaps, true}.
+
+{erl_opts, [{platform_define, "R15", 'no_binary_to_whatever'}]}.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/jsx_decoder.erl b/src/jsx_decoder.erl
index ddbbfad..b16199b 100644
--- a/src/jsx_decoder.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_decoder.erl
@@ -929,10 +929,19 @@ finish_number(Rest, Handler, Acc, Stack, Config) ->
     maybe_done(Rest, handle_event(format_number(Acc), Handler, Config), Stack, Config).
 
 
+-ifndef(no_binary_to_whatever).
 format_number({zero, Acc}) -> {integer, binary_to_integer(Acc)};
 format_number({integer, Acc}) -> {integer, binary_to_integer(Acc)};
 format_number({decimal, Acc}) -> {float, binary_to_float(Acc)};
 format_number({exp, Acc}) -> {float, binary_to_float(Acc)}.
+-endif.
+
+-ifdef(no_binary_to_whatever).
+format_number({zero, Acc}) -> {integer, list_to_integer(unicode:characters_to_list(Acc))};
+format_number({integer, Acc}) -> {integer, list_to_integer(unicode:characters_to_list(Acc))};
+format_number({decimal, Acc}) -> {float, list_to_float(unicode:characters_to_list(Acc))};
+format_number({exp, Acc}) -> {float, list_to_float(unicode:characters_to_list(Acc))}.
+-endif.
 
 
 true(<<$r, $u, $e, Rest/binary>>, Handler, Stack, Config) ->