diff --git a/mongoose.c b/mongoose.c
index c9ff611d95..27583841c5 100644
--- a/mongoose.c
+++ b/mongoose.c
@@ -5078,15 +5078,18 @@ char *mg_json_get_b64(struct mg_str json, const char *path, int *slen) {
 char *mg_json_get_hex(struct mg_str json, const char *path, int *slen) {
   char *result = NULL;
   int len = 0, off = mg_json_get(json, path, &len);
-  if (off >= 0 && json.buf[off] == '"' && len > 1 &&
+  if (off >= 0 && json.buf[off] == '"' && len > 1 && (len - 2) % 2 == 0 &&
       (result = (char *) mg_calloc(1, (size_t) len / 2)) != NULL) {
     int i;
     for (i = 0; i < len - 2; i += 2) {
-      mg_str_to_num(mg_str_n(json.buf + off + 1 + i, 2), 16, &result[i >> 1],
-                    sizeof(uint8_t));
+      if (!mg_str_to_num(mg_str_n(json.buf + off + 1 + i, 2), 16,
+                         &result[i >> 1], sizeof(uint8_t))) break;
+    }
+    if (i < len - 2) mg_free(result), result = NULL;
+    if (result != NULL) {
+      result[len / 2 - 1] = '\0';
+      if (slen != NULL) *slen = len / 2 - 1;
     }
-    result[len / 2 - 1] = '\0';
-    if (slen != NULL) *slen = len / 2 - 1;
   }
   return result;
 }
diff --git a/mongoose.h b/mongoose.h
index 3855e37107..abb56b7375 100644
--- a/mongoose.h
+++ b/mongoose.h
@@ -4104,7 +4104,7 @@ char *mg_json_get_str(struct mg_str json, const char *path);
 
 // Decodes a hex-encoded JSON string at path into a heap-allocated byte array.
 // Sets *len to the decoded byte count. Caller must mg_free() the result.
-// Returns NULL if not found or not a string.
+// Returns NULL if not found, not a string, or not valid hexadecimal.
 char *mg_json_get_hex(struct mg_str json, const char *path, int *len);
 
 // Decodes a base64-encoded JSON string at path into a heap-allocated byte
diff --git a/src/json.c b/src/json.c
index d014eb83f2..8b75d0924b 100644
--- a/src/json.c
+++ b/src/json.c
@@ -363,15 +363,18 @@ char *mg_json_get_b64(struct mg_str json, const char *path, int *slen) {
 char *mg_json_get_hex(struct mg_str json, const char *path, int *slen) {
   char *result = NULL;
   int len = 0, off = mg_json_get(json, path, &len);
-  if (off >= 0 && json.buf[off] == '"' && len > 1 &&
+  if (off >= 0 && json.buf[off] == '"' && len > 1 && (len - 2) % 2 == 0 &&
       (result = (char *) mg_calloc(1, (size_t) len / 2)) != NULL) {
     int i;
     for (i = 0; i < len - 2; i += 2) {
-      mg_str_to_num(mg_str_n(json.buf + off + 1 + i, 2), 16, &result[i >> 1],
-                    sizeof(uint8_t));
+      if (!mg_str_to_num(mg_str_n(json.buf + off + 1 + i, 2), 16,
+                         &result[i >> 1], sizeof(uint8_t))) break;
+    }
+    if (i < len - 2) mg_free(result), result = NULL;
+    if (result != NULL) {
+      result[len / 2 - 1] = '\0';
+      if (slen != NULL) *slen = len / 2 - 1;
     }
-    result[len / 2 - 1] = '\0';
-    if (slen != NULL) *slen = len / 2 - 1;
   }
   return result;
 }
diff --git a/src/json.h b/src/json.h
index 6e06c63c4d..0557ef650a 100644
--- a/src/json.h
+++ b/src/json.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ char *mg_json_get_str(struct mg_str json, const char *path);
 
 // Decodes a hex-encoded JSON string at path into a heap-allocated byte array.
 // Sets *len to the decoded byte count. Caller must mg_free() the result.
-// Returns NULL if not found or not a string.
+// Returns NULL if not found, not a string, or not valid hexadecimal.
 char *mg_json_get_hex(struct mg_str json, const char *path, int *len);
 
 // Decodes a base64-encoded JSON string at path into a heap-allocated byte
diff --git a/test/unit_test.c b/test/unit_test.c
index e08c75a687..c270385cfb 100644
--- a/test/unit_test.c
+++ b/test/unit_test.c
@@ -3741,13 +3741,23 @@ static void test_json(void) {
     ASSERT(b == true);
     ASSERT(mg_json_get(json, "$.b[2]", &len) < 0);
 
-    json = mg_str("[\"YWJj\", \"0100026869\"]");
+    json = mg_str("[\"YWJj\", \"0100026869\", \"\", \"abc\", \"0g\"]");
     ASSERT((str = mg_json_get_b64(json, "$[0]", &len)) != NULL);
     ASSERT(len == 3 && memcmp(str, "abc", (size_t) len) == 0);
     mg_free(str);
     ASSERT((str = mg_json_get_hex(json, "$[1]", &len)) != NULL);
     ASSERT(len == 5 && memcmp(str, "\x01\x00\x02hi", (size_t) len) == 0);
     mg_free(str);
+    ASSERT((str = mg_json_get_hex(json, "$[2]", &len)) != NULL);
+    ASSERT(len == 0 && str[0] == '\0');
+    mg_free(str);
+    len = 42;
+    str = mg_json_get_hex(json, "$[3]", &len);
+    ASSERT(str == NULL && len == 42);
+    mg_free(str);
+    str = mg_json_get_hex(json, "$[4]", &len);
+    ASSERT(str == NULL && len == 42);
+    mg_free(str);
 
     json = mg_str("{\"a\":[1,2,3], \"ab\": 2}");
     ASSERT(mg_json_get_long(json, "$.a[0]", -42) == 1);