diff --git a/include/jsx_format.hrl b/include/jsx_format.hrl
index 2746933..562c52a 100644
--- a/include/jsx_format.hrl
+++ b/include/jsx_format.hrl
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     space = 0,
     indent = 0,
     output_encoding = utf8,
-    strict = true
+    strict = false
 }).
 
 
diff --git a/src/jsx_eep0018.erl b/src/jsx_eep0018.erl
index a4d08d2..28cefba 100644
--- a/src/jsx_eep0018.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_eep0018.erl
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
 json_to_term(JSON, Opts) ->
     P = jsx:parser(extract_parser_opts(Opts)),
-    case proplists:get_value(strict, Opts, true) of
+    case proplists:get_value(strict, Opts, false) of
         true -> collect_strict(P(JSON), [[]], Opts)
         ; false -> collect(P(JSON), [[]], Opts)
     end.
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ json_to_term(JSON, Opts) ->
 -spec term_to_json(JSON::eep0018(), Opts::encoder_opts()) -> binary().
 
 term_to_json(List, Opts) ->
-    case proplists:get_value(strict, Opts, true) of
+    case proplists:get_value(strict, Opts, false) of
         true when is_list(List) -> continue
         ; true -> erlang:error(badarg)
         ; false -> continue
@@ -371,18 +371,22 @@ decode_test_() ->
             )
         },
         {"naked true", 
-            ?_assert(json_to_term(<<"true">>, [{strict, false}]) =:= true)
+            ?_assert(json_to_term(<<"true">>, []) =:= true)
         },
         {"naked short number", 
-            ?_assert(json_to_term(<<"1">>, [{strict, false}]) =:= 1)
+            ?_assert(json_to_term(<<"1">>, []) =:= 1)
         },
-        {"float", ?_assert(json_to_term(<<"1.0">>, [{strict, false}]) =:= 1.0)},
+        {"naked float", ?_assert(json_to_term(<<"1.0">>, []) =:= 1.0)},
         {"naked string", 
             ?_assert(json_to_term(<<"\"hello world\"">>, 
-                    [{strict, false}]
+                    []
                 ) =:= <<"hello world">>
             )
         },
+        {"strict mode", ?_assertError(badarg, json_to_term(<<"1.0">>,
+                [{strict, true}]
+            )
+        )},
         {"comments", 
             ?_assert(json_to_term(<<"[ /* a comment in an empty array */ ]">>, 
                     [{comments, true}]
@@ -428,24 +432,28 @@ encode_test_() ->
             )
         },
         {"literals", 
-            ?_assert(term_to_json([true,false,null], 
+            ?_assert(term_to_json([true,false,null],
                     []
                 ) =:= <<"[true,false,null]">>
             )
         },
         {"naked true", 
-            ?_assert(term_to_json(true, [{strict, false}]) =:= <<"true">>)
+            ?_assert(term_to_json(true, []) =:= <<"true">>)
         },
         {"naked number", 
-            ?_assert(term_to_json(1, [{strict, false}]) =:= <<"1">>)
+            ?_assert(term_to_json(1, []) =:= <<"1">>)
         },
-        {"float", ?_assert(term_to_json(1.0, [{strict, false}]) =:= <<"1.0">>)},
+        {"float", ?_assert(term_to_json(1.0, []) =:= <<"1.0">>)},
         {"naked string", 
-            ?_assert(term_to_json(<<"hello world">>, 
-                    [{strict, false}]
+            ?_assert(term_to_json(<<"hello world">>,
+                    []
                 ) =:= <<"\"hello world\"">>
             )
-        }
+        },
+        {"strict mode", ?_assertError(badarg, term_to_json(true,
+                [{strict, true}]
+            )
+        )}
     ].
     
 repeated_keys_test_() ->
diff --git a/src/jsx_utils.erl b/src/jsx_utils.erl
index 406c6e4..44fe3c9 100644
--- a/src/jsx_utils.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_utils.erl
@@ -222,7 +222,9 @@ detect_encoding(<<X>>, Opts) when X =/= 0 ->
                 try
                     {incomplete, Next} = (jsx_utf8:parser(Opts))(<<X>>),
                     Next(end_stream)
-                    catch error:function_clause -> {error, {badjson, <<X>>}}
+                catch
+                    error:function_clause -> {error, {badjson, <<X>>}}
+                    ; error:{badmatch, _} -> {error, {badjson, <<X>>}}
                 end
             ; (Stream) -> detect_encoding(<<X, Stream/binary>>, Opts) 
         end
@@ -233,7 +235,9 @@ detect_encoding(<<0, X>>, Opts) when X =/= 0 ->
                 try
                     {incomplete, Next} = (jsx_utf16:parser(Opts))(<<0, X>>),
                     Next(end_stream)
-                    catch error:function_clause -> {error, {badjson, <<0, X>>}}
+                catch
+                    error:function_clause -> {error, {badjson, <<0, X>>}}
+                    ; error:{badmatch, _} -> {error, {badjson, <<X>>}}
                 end
             ; (Stream) -> detect_encoding(<<0, X, Stream/binary>>, Opts) 
         end
@@ -244,7 +248,9 @@ detect_encoding(<<X, 0>>, Opts) when X =/= 0 ->
                 try
                     {incomplete, Next} = (jsx_utf16le:parser(Opts))(<<X, 0>>),
                     Next(end_stream)
-                    catch error:function_clause -> {error, {badjson, <<X, 0>>}}
+                catch
+                    error:function_clause -> {error, {badjson, <<X, 0>>}}
+                    ; error:{badmatch, _} -> {error, {badjson, <<X>>}}
                 end
             ; (Stream) -> detect_encoding(<<X, 0, Stream/binary>>, Opts)
         end
diff --git a/src/jsx_verify.erl b/src/jsx_verify.erl
index a23d6c0..9bcdb12 100644
--- a/src/jsx_verify.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_verify.erl
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 
 is_json(JSON, Opts) ->
     P = jsx:parser(extract_parser_opts(Opts)),
-    case proplists:get_value(strict, Opts, true) of
+    case proplists:get_value(strict, Opts, false) of
         true -> collect_strict(P(JSON), [[]])
         ; false -> collect(P(JSON), [[]])
     end.
@@ -149,10 +149,10 @@ true_test_() ->
 
 false_test_() ->
     [
-        {"naked true", ?_assert(is_json(<<"true">>, []) =:= false)},
-        {"naked number", ?_assert(is_json(<<"1">>, []) =:= false)},
+        {"naked true", ?_assert(is_json(<<"true">>, []) =:= true)},
+        {"naked number", ?_assert(is_json(<<"1">>, []) =:= true)},
         {"naked string", 
-            ?_assert(is_json(<<"\"i am not json\"">>, []) =:= false)
+            ?_assert(is_json(<<"\"i am not really json\"">>, []) =:= true)
         },
         {"unbalanced list", ?_assert(is_json(<<"[[[]]">>, []) =:= false)},
         {"trailing comma",