diff --git a/src/jsx.erl b/src/jsx.erl
index 3dac4f8..79ffb06 100644
--- a/src/jsx.erl
+++ b/src/jsx.erl
@@ -28,9 +28,12 @@
 -export([format/1, format/2, minify/1, prettify/1]).
 -export([encoder/3, decoder/3, parser/3]).
 -export([resume/3]).
+-export([start_json/0, start_json/1, start_term/0, start_term/1]).
+-export([start_object/1, start_array/1, finish/1, insert/2, insert/3, get_key/1, get_value/1]).
 
 -export_type([json_term/0, json_text/0, token/0]).
 -export_type([encoder/0, decoder/0, parser/0, internal_state/0]).
+-export_type([internal_json/0, internal_term/0, internal_thing/0]).
 
 
 -ifdef(TEST).
@@ -150,12 +153,108 @@ resume(Term, {parser, State, Handler, Stack}, Config) ->
     jsx_parser:resume(Term, State, Handler, Stack, jsx_config:parse_config(Config)).
 
 
+-opaque internal_json() :: tuple().
+
+-spec start_json() -> internal_json().
+-spec start_json(Config::list()) -> internal_json().
+
+start_json() -> {jsx_to_json, jsx_to_json:start_json()}.
+start_json(Config) -> {jsx_to_json, jsx_to_json:start_json(Config)}.
+
+
+-opaque internal_term() :: tuple().
+
+-spec start_term() -> internal_term().
+-spec start_term(Config::list()) -> internal_term().
+
+start_term() -> {jsx_to_term, jsx_to_term:start_term()}.
+start_term(Config) -> {jsx_to_term, jsx_to_term:start_term(Config)}.
+
+
+% naming things is hard
+-opaque internal_thing() :: internal_term() | internal_json().
+
+
+-spec start_object(internal_thing()) -> internal_thing().
+
+start_object({Handler, Internals}) -> {Handler, Handler:start_object(Internals)}.
+
+
+-spec start_array(internal_thing()) -> internal_thing().
+
+start_array({Handler, Internals}) -> {Handler, Handler:start_array(Internals)}.
+
+
+-spec finish(internal_thing()) -> internal_thing().
+
+finish({Handler, Internals}) -> {Handler, Handler:finish(Internals)}.
+
+
+-spec insert(Value::any(), internal_thing()) -> internal_thing().
+
+insert(Value, {Handler, Internals}) -> {Handler, Handler:insert(Value, Internals)}.
+
+
+-spec insert(Key::any(), Value::any(), internal_thing()) -> internal_thing().
+
+insert(Key, Value, {Handler, Internals}) -> {Handler, Handler:insert(Key, Value, Internals)}.
+
+
+-spec get_key(internal_thing()) -> atom() | binary().
+
+get_key({Handler, Internals}) -> Handler:get_key(Internals).
+
+
+-spec get_value(internal_thing()) -> any().
+
+get_value({Handler, Internals}) -> Handler:get_value(Internals).
+
+
 
 -ifdef(TEST).
 
 -include_lib("eunit/include/eunit.hrl").
 
 
+%% sanity checks for internal format handlers
+
+internal_format_sanity_test_() ->
+    [
+        {"jsx term sanity check", ?_assertEqual(
+            [{key, [1, true, <<"hallo world">>]}],
+            begin
+                NewTerm = start_term(),
+                ObjectAllocated = start_object(NewTerm),
+                KeyInserted = insert(key, ObjectAllocated),
+                ArrayAllocated = start_array(KeyInserted),
+                OneInserted = insert(1, ArrayAllocated),
+                TrueInserted = insert(true, OneInserted),
+                HalloWorldInserted = insert(<<"hallo world">>, TrueInserted),
+                ArrayClosed = finish(HalloWorldInserted),
+                ObjectClosed = finish(ArrayClosed),
+                TermClosed = get_value(ObjectClosed),
+                TermClosed
+            end
+        )},
+        {"jsx json sanity check", ?_assertEqual(
+            <<"{\"key\":[1,true,\"hallo world\"]}">>,
+            begin
+                NewTerm = start_json(),
+                ObjectAllocated = start_object(NewTerm),
+                KeyInserted = insert(<<"\"key\"">>, ObjectAllocated),
+                ArrayAllocated = start_array(KeyInserted),
+                OneInserted = insert(<<"1">>, ArrayAllocated),
+                TrueInserted = insert(<<"true">>, OneInserted),
+                HalloWorldInserted = insert(<<"\"hallo world\"">>, TrueInserted),
+                ArrayClosed = finish(HalloWorldInserted),
+                ObjectClosed = finish(ArrayClosed),
+                TermClosed = get_value(ObjectClosed),
+                TermClosed
+            end
+        )}
+    ].
+
+
 %% test handler
 init([]) -> [].
 
diff --git a/src/jsx_to_json.erl b/src/jsx_to_json.erl
index 6b271ca..2616200 100644
--- a/src/jsx_to_json.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_to_json.erl
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 -export([to_json/2, format/2]).
 -export([init/1, handle_event/2]).
 -export([start_json/0, start_json/1]).
--export([start_object/1, start_array/1, finish/1, insert/2, insert/3, get_key/1]).
+-export([start_object/1, start_array/1, finish/1, insert/2, insert/3, get_key/1, get_value/1]).
 
 
 -record(config, {
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ init(Config) -> {[], parse_config(Config)}.
 
 -spec handle_event(Event::any(), State::state()) -> state().
 
-handle_event(end_json, {Term, _Config}) -> Term;
+handle_event(end_json, State) -> get_value(State);
 
 handle_event(start_object, State) -> start_object(State);
 handle_event(end_object, State) -> finish(State);
@@ -243,6 +243,14 @@ get_key({[{object, Key, _}|_], _}) -> Key;
 get_key(_) -> erlang:error(badarg).
 
 
+get_value({Value, Config}) ->
+    case Value of
+        Value when is_binary(Value) -> Value;
+        _ -> erlang:error(badarg)
+    end;
+get_value(_) -> erlang:error(badarg).
+
+
 
 %% eunit tests
 
diff --git a/src/jsx_to_term.erl b/src/jsx_to_term.erl
index 9e3589c..d9840d3 100644
--- a/src/jsx_to_term.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_to_term.erl
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 -export([to_term/2]).
 -export([init/1, handle_event/2]).
 -export([start_term/0, start_term/1]).
--export([start_object/1, start_array/1, finish/1, insert/2, insert/3, get_key/1]).
+-export([start_object/1, start_array/1, finish/1, insert/2, insert/3, get_key/1, get_value/1]).
 
 
 -record(config, {
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ init(Config) -> {[], parse_config(Config)}.
 
 -spec handle_event(Event::any(), State::state()) -> state().
 
-handle_event(end_json, {Term, _Config}) -> Term;
+handle_event(end_json, State) -> get_value(State);
 
 handle_event(start_object, State) -> start_object(State);
 handle_event(end_object, State) -> finish(State);
@@ -128,7 +128,8 @@ start_object({Stack, Config}) -> {[{object, []}] ++ Stack, Config}.
 %% allocate a new array on top of the stack
 start_array({Stack, Config}) -> {[{array, []}] ++ Stack, Config}.
 
-%% finish an object or array and insert it into the parent object if it exists
+%% finish an object or array and insert it into the parent object if it exists or
+%%  return it if it is the root object
 finish({[{object, []}], Config}) -> {[{}], Config};
 finish({[{object, []}|Rest], Config}) -> insert([{}], {Rest, Config});
 finish({[{object, Pairs}], Config}) -> {lists:reverse(Pairs), Config};
@@ -158,6 +159,9 @@ get_key({[{object, Key, _}|_], _}) -> Key;
 get_key(_) -> erlang:error(badarg).
 
 
+get_value({Value, _Config}) -> Value;
+get_value(_) -> erlang:error(badarg).
+
 
 %% eunit tests