diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index cc681360..926149b9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# v1.6.3
+
+* Honor key restrictions with JSON load function, issue #382.
+
 # v1.6.2
 
 * Fixed loading JSON strings with `json_load()` function, issue #381.
diff --git a/inc/ti/fn/fnjsonload.h b/inc/ti/fn/fnjsonload.h
index 10d5b267..db01ea6d 100644
--- a/inc/ti/fn/fnjsonload.h
+++ b/inc/ti/fn/fnjsonload.h
@@ -121,6 +121,22 @@ static int jload__start_map(void * ctx)
 static int jload__map_key(void * ctx, const unsigned char * s, size_t n)
 {
     jload__convert_t * c = (jload__convert_t *) ctx;
+
+    if (!strx_is_utf8n((const char *) s, n))
+    {
+        ex_set(c->e, EX_VALUE_ERROR,
+                "properties must have valid UTF-8 encoding");
+        return 0;  /* failed */
+    }
+
+    if (ti_is_reserved_key_strn((const char *) s, n))
+    {
+        ex_set(c->e, EX_VALUE_ERROR,
+                "property `%c` is reserved"DOC_PROPERTIES,
+                *s);
+        return 0;  /* failed */
+    }
+
     jload__key = ti_str_create((const char *) s, n);
     if (!jload__key)
     {
diff --git a/inc/ti/version.h b/inc/ti/version.h
index 4141e00c..fa97124c 100644
--- a/inc/ti/version.h
+++ b/inc/ti/version.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 #define TI_VERSION_MAJOR 1
 #define TI_VERSION_MINOR 6
-#define TI_VERSION_PATCH 2
+#define TI_VERSION_PATCH 3
 
 /* The syntax version is used to test compatibility with functions
  * using the `ti_nodes_check_syntax()` function */
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
  *  "-rc0"
  *  ""
  */
-#define TI_VERSION_PRE_RELEASE ""
+#define TI_VERSION_PRE_RELEASE "-alpha0"
 
 #define TI_MAINTAINER \
     "Jeroen van der Heijden <jeroen@cesbit.com>"
diff --git a/itest/test_advanced.py b/itest/test_advanced.py
index 886bd5cb..f7d8f6f5 100755
--- a/itest/test_advanced.py
+++ b/itest/test_advanced.py
@@ -2600,6 +2600,19 @@ async def test_json_load_i(self, client):
                 json_load('[{"a": [{"b": [1, 1], "c": [3, ..]}]}]');
             """)
 
+        # bug #382
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+                ValueError,
+                r'property `\#` is reserved'):
+            await client.query("""//ti
+                json_load('[{"#": 123}]');
+            """)
+
+        self.assertTrue(await client.query("""//ti
+            x = json_load('[[]]');
+            is_tuple(x.first());
+        """))
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     run_test(TestAdvanced())