diff --git a/pkg/logql/log/parser.go b/pkg/logql/log/parser.go
index 811e7f639b..9c0527663e 100644
--- a/pkg/logql/log/parser.go
+++ b/pkg/logql/log/parser.go
@@ -442,14 +442,14 @@ func (l *LogfmtExpressionParser) Process(_ int64, line []byte, lbs *LabelsBuilde
 func (l *LogfmtExpressionParser) RequiredLabelNames() []string { return []string{} }
 
 type JSONExpressionParser struct {
-	expressions map[string][]interface{}
-
-	keys internedStringSet
+	ids   []string
+	paths [][]string
+	keys  internedStringSet
 }
 
 func NewJSONExpressionParser(expressions []LabelExtractionExpr) (*JSONExpressionParser, error) {
-	paths := make(map[string][]interface{})
-
+	var ids []string
+	var paths [][]string
 	for _, exp := range expressions {
 		path, err := jsonexpr.Parse(exp.Expression, false)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -460,27 +460,51 @@ func NewJSONExpressionParser(expressions []LabelExtractionExpr) (*JSONExpression
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid extracted label name '%s'", exp.Identifier)
 		}
 
-		paths[exp.Identifier] = path
+		ids = append(ids, exp.Identifier)
+		paths = append(paths, pathsToString(path))
 	}
 
 	return &JSONExpressionParser{
-		expressions: paths,
-		keys:        internedStringSet{},
+		ids:   ids,
+		paths: paths,
+		keys:  internedStringSet{},
 	}, nil
 }
 
+func pathsToString(paths []interface{}) []string {
+	stingPaths := make([]string, 0, len(paths))
+	for _, p := range paths {
+		switch v := p.(type) {
+		case int:
+			stingPaths = append(stingPaths, fmt.Sprintf("[%d]", v))
+		case string:
+			stingPaths = append(stingPaths, v)
+		}
+	}
+	return stingPaths
+}
+
 func (j *JSONExpressionParser) Process(_ int64, line []byte, lbs *LabelsBuilder) ([]byte, bool) {
 	if lbs.ParserLabelHints().NoLabels() {
 		return line, true
 	}
 
-	if !jsoniter.ConfigFastest.Valid(line) {
+	// Check that the line starts correctly
+	// the parser will pass an error if other
+	// parts of the line are malformed
+	if !isValidJSONStart(line) {
 		lbs.SetErr(errJSON)
 		return line, true
 	}
 
-	for identifier, paths := range j.expressions {
-		result := jsoniter.ConfigFastest.Get(line, paths...).ToString()
+	var matches int
+	jsonparser.EachKey(line, func(idx int, data []byte, typ jsonparser.ValueType, err error) {
+		if err != nil {
+			lbs.SetErr(errJSON)
+			return
+		}
+
+		identifier := j.ids[idx]
 		key, _ := j.keys.Get(unsafeGetBytes(identifier), func() (string, bool) {
 			if lbs.BaseHas(identifier) {
 				identifier = identifier + duplicateSuffix
@@ -488,11 +512,37 @@ func (j *JSONExpressionParser) Process(_ int64, line []byte, lbs *LabelsBuilder)
 			return identifier, true
 		})
 
-		lbs.Set(key, result)
+		switch typ {
+		case jsonparser.Null:
+			lbs.Set(key, "")
+		default:
+			lbs.Set(key, unsafeGetString(data))
+		}
+
+		matches++
+	}, j.paths...)
+
+	// Ensure there's a label for every value
+	if matches < len(j.ids) {
+		for _, id := range j.ids {
+			if _, ok := lbs.Get(id); !ok {
+				lbs.Set(id, "")
+			}
+		}
 	}
+
 	return line, true
 }
 
+func isValidJSONStart(data []byte) bool {
+	switch data[0] {
+	case '"', '{', '[':
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 func (j *JSONExpressionParser) RequiredLabelNames() []string { return []string{} }
 
 type UnpackParser struct {
diff --git a/pkg/logql/log/parser_test.go b/pkg/logql/log/parser_test.go
index bf6487677f..ae1cc90d11 100644
--- a/pkg/logql/log/parser_test.go
+++ b/pkg/logql/log/parser_test.go
@@ -2,13 +2,12 @@ package log
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/grafana/loki/pkg/logqlmodel"
 	"sort"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/model/labels"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-
-	"github.com/grafana/loki/pkg/logqlmodel"
 )
 
 func Test_jsonParser_Parse(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1049,3 +1048,44 @@ func Test_PatternParser(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func BenchmarkJsonExpressionParser(b *testing.B) {
+	simpleJsn := []byte(`{
+      "data": "Click Here",
+      "size": 36,
+      "style": "bold",
+      "name": "text1",
+      "hOffset": 250,
+      "vOffset": 100,
+      "alignment": "center",
+      "onMouseUp": "sun1.opacity = (sun1.opacity / 100) * 90;"
+    }`)
+	lbs := NewBaseLabelsBuilder().ForLabels(labels.Labels{}, 0)
+
+	benchmarks := []struct {
+		name string
+		p    Stage
+		line []byte
+	}{
+		{"json-expression", mustStage(NewJSONExpressionParser([]LabelExtractionExpr{
+			NewLabelExtractionExpr("data", "data"),
+			NewLabelExtractionExpr("size", "size"),
+			NewLabelExtractionExpr("style", "style"),
+			NewLabelExtractionExpr("name", "name"),
+			NewLabelExtractionExpr("hOffset", "hOffset"),
+			NewLabelExtractionExpr("vOffset", "vOffset"),
+			NewLabelExtractionExpr("alignment", "alignment"),
+			NewLabelExtractionExpr("onMouseUp", "onMouseUp"),
+		})), simpleJsn},
+	}
+	for _, bb := range benchmarks {
+		b.Run(bb.name, func(b *testing.B) {
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
+				lbs.Reset()
+				_, result = bb.p.Process(0, bb.line, lbs)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}