diff --git a/commentjson/commentjson.py b/commentjson/commentjson.py
index 48eebb7..11a3de4 100755
--- a/commentjson/commentjson.py
+++ b/commentjson/commentjson.py
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@ parser = Lark('''
            | /(#|\\/\\/)[^\\n]*/
     TRAILING_COMMA: ","
 
-    %import common.ESCAPED_STRING
+    _STRING_INNER: /.*?/s
+    _STRING_ESC_INNER: _STRING_INNER /(?<!\\\\)(\\\\\\\\)*?/
+
+    ESCAPED_STRING : "\\"" _STRING_ESC_INNER "\\""
+
     %import common.SIGNED_NUMBER
     %import common.WS
     %ignore WS
diff --git a/commentjson/tests/test_json/__init__.py b/commentjson/tests/test_json/__init__.py
index e97a5ce..4543677 100644
--- a/commentjson/tests/test_json/__init__.py
+++ b/commentjson/tests/test_json/__init__.py
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ class CommentJsonTest(unittest.TestCase):
     json = commentjson
     loads = staticmethod(commentjson.loads)
     dumps = staticmethod(commentjson.dumps)
+    JSONDecodeError = ValueError
diff --git a/commentjson/tests/test_json/test_decode.py b/commentjson/tests/test_json/test_decode.py
index 6971c44..199a39d 100644
--- a/commentjson/tests/test_json/test_decode.py
+++ b/commentjson/tests/test_json/test_decode.py
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ class TestCommentJsonDecode(TestDecode, CommentJsonTest):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(TestCommentJsonDecode, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
-        self.JSONDecodeError = ValueError
-
         _json = self.json
 
         class Decoder(object):