diff --git a/libclamav/json_api.c b/libclamav/json_api.c
index 3c9c2881a..088de0d62 100644
--- a/libclamav/json_api.c
+++ b/libclamav/json_api.c
@@ -447,6 +447,98 @@ int json_object_object_get_ex(struct json_object *obj, const char *key, struct j
 }
 #endif
 
+/* adding an object does NOT increment reference count */
+int cli_json_addowner(json_object *owner, json_object *child, const char *key, int idx)
+{
+    json_type objty;
+    if (NULL == owner) {
+        cli_dbgmsg("json: no owner object specified to cli_json_addowner\n");
+        return CL_ENULLARG;
+    }
+
+    if (NULL == child) {
+        cli_dbgmsg("json: no child object specified to cli_json_addowner\n");
+        return CL_ENULLARG;
+    }
+    objty = json_object_get_type(owner);
+
+    if (objty == json_type_object) {
+        if (NULL == key) {
+            cli_dbgmsg("json: null string specified as key to cli_addowner\n");
+            return CL_ENULLARG;
+        }
+        json_object_object_add(owner, key, child);
+    }
+    else if (objty == json_type_array) {
+        if (idx < 0 || NULL == json_object_array_get_idx(owner, idx))
+            json_object_array_add(owner, child);
+        else if (0 != json_object_array_put_idx(owner, idx, child)) {
+            /* this shouldn't be possible */
+            cli_dbgmsg("json: cannot delete idx %d of owner array\n", idx);
+            return CL_BREAK;
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        cli_dbgmsg("json: no owner object cannot hold ownership\n");
+        return CL_EARG;
+    }
+
+    /* increment reference count */
+    json_object_get(child);
+    return CL_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+/* deleting an object DOES decrement reference count */
+int cli_json_delowner(json_object *owner, const char *key, int idx)
+{
+    json_type objty;
+    json_object *obj;
+    if (NULL == owner) {
+        cli_dbgmsg("json: no owner object specified to cli_json_delowner\n");
+        return CL_ENULLARG;
+    }
+    objty = json_object_get_type(owner);
+
+    if (objty == json_type_object) {
+        if (NULL == key) {
+            cli_dbgmsg("json: null string specified as key to cli_delowner\n");
+            return CL_ENULLARG;
+        }
+
+        if (!json_object_object_get_ex(owner, key, &obj)) {
+            cli_dbgmsg("json: owner array does not have content with key %s\n", key);
+            return CL_EARG;
+        }
+
+        json_object_object_del(owner, key);
+    }
+    else if (objty == json_type_array) {
+        json_object *empty;
+
+        if (NULL == json_object_array_get_idx(owner, idx)) {
+            cli_dbgmsg("json: owner array does not have content at idx %d\n", idx);
+            return CL_EARG;
+        }
+
+        /* allocate the empty object to replace target object */
+        empty = cli_jsonobj(NULL, NULL);
+        if (NULL == empty)
+            return CL_EMEM;
+
+        if (0 != json_object_array_put_idx(owner, idx, empty)) {
+            /* this shouldn't be possible */
+            cli_dbgmsg("json: cannot delete idx %d of owner array\n", idx);
+            return CL_BREAK;
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        cli_dbgmsg("json: no owner object cannot hold ownership\n");
+        return CL_EARG;
+    }
+
+    return CL_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 #else
 
 int cli_json_nojson()
diff --git a/libclamav/json_api.h b/libclamav/json_api.h
index 4f1860623..9f901da58 100644
--- a/libclamav/json_api.h
+++ b/libclamav/json_api.h
@@ -46,9 +46,13 @@ int cli_jsonint(json_object *obj, const char* key, int32_t i);
 int cli_jsonint64(json_object *obj, const char* key, int64_t i);
 int cli_jsonbool(json_object *obj, const char* key, int i);
 int cli_jsondouble(json_object *obj, const char* key, double d);
+
 json_object *cli_jsonarray(json_object *obj, const char *key);
 int cli_jsonint_array(json_object *obj, int32_t val);
 json_object *cli_jsonobj(json_object *obj, const char *key);
+int cli_json_addowner(json_object *owner, json_object *child, const char *key, int idx);
+int cli_json_delowner(json_object *owner, const char *key, int idx);
+#define cli_json_delobj(obj)  json_object_put(obj)
 
 #if HAVE_DEPRECATED_JSON
 int json_object_object_get_ex(struct json_object *obj, const char *key, struct json_object **value);
@@ -87,6 +91,10 @@ int cli_jsonint_array_nojson(int32_t val);
 #define cli_jsondouble(o,n,d)      cli_jsondouble_nojson(n,d)
 #define cli_jsonarray(o,k)         cli_jsonarray_nojson(k)
 #define cli_jsonint_array(o,v)     cli_jsonint_array_nojson(v)
+#define cli_json_addowner(o,c,k,i) cli_json_nojson()
+#define cli_json_addowner(o,k,i)   cli_json_nojson()
+#define cli_json_delobj(o)         cli_json_nojson()
+
 #endif
 
 #endif /*__JSON_C_H__*/
diff --git a/libclamav/scanners.c b/libclamav/scanners.c
index 62d25d7a1..68bc80ebf 100644
--- a/libclamav/scanners.c
+++ b/libclamav/scanners.c
@@ -3694,7 +3694,7 @@ static int scan_common(int desc, cl_fmap_t *map, const char **virname, unsigned
                     free(tmpname);
             }
         }
-        json_object_put(ctx.properties); /* frees all json memory */
+        cli_json_delobj(ctx.properties); /* frees all json memory */
 #if 0
         // test code  - to be deleted
         if (cli_checktimelimit(&ctx) != CL_SUCCESS) {