diff --git a/src/cc/dapps/oraclefeed.c b/src/cc/dapps/oraclefeed.c
index 98bb8ffa4..935c3c59c 100644
--- a/src/cc/dapps/oraclefeed.c
+++ b/src/cc/dapps/oraclefeed.c
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ cJSON *get_komodocli(char **retstrp,char *acname,char *method,char *arg0,char *a
     if ( (jsonstr= filestr(&fsize,fname)) != 0 )
     {
         fprintf(stderr,"%s -> jsonstr.(%s)\n",cmdstr,jsonstr);
-        if ( (retjson= cJSON_Parse(jsonstr)) == 0 )
+        if ( jsonstr[0] != '{' && jsonstr[0] != '[' && (retjson= cJSON_Parse(jsonstr)) == 0 )
             *retstrp = jsonstr;
         else free(jsonstr);
     }