diff --git a/src/compiler/commandLineParser.ts b/src/compiler/commandLineParser.ts
index 825f2c632e7..08378374c9b 100644
--- a/src/compiler/commandLineParser.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/commandLineParser.ts
@@ -1056,11 +1056,11 @@ namespace ts {
         errors: Push<Diagnostic>,
         knownRootOptions: Map<CommandLineOption> | undefined,
         jsonConversionNotifier: JsonConversionNotifier | undefined): any {
-        if (!sourceFile.jsonObject) {
+        if (!sourceFile.statements.length) {
             return {};
         }
 
-        return convertObjectLiteralExpressionToJson(sourceFile.jsonObject, knownRootOptions,
+        return convertObjectLiteralExpressionToJson(sourceFile.statements[0].expression, knownRootOptions,
             /*extraKeyDiagnosticMessage*/ undefined, /*parentOption*/ undefined);
 
         function convertObjectLiteralExpressionToJson(
@@ -2092,8 +2092,8 @@ namespace ts {
         });
 
         function createDiagnostic(message: DiagnosticMessage, spec: string): Diagnostic {
-            if (jsonSourceFile && jsonSourceFile.jsonObject) {
-                for (const property of getPropertyAssignment(jsonSourceFile.jsonObject, specKey)) {
+            if (jsonSourceFile && jsonSourceFile.statements.length) {
+                for (const property of getPropertyAssignment(jsonSourceFile.statements[0].expression, specKey)) {
                     if (isArrayLiteralExpression(property.initializer)) {
                         for (const element of property.initializer.elements) {
                             if (isStringLiteral(element) && element.text === spec) {
diff --git a/src/compiler/parser.ts b/src/compiler/parser.ts
index 813a77d71a6..9eaab774a1b 100644
--- a/src/compiler/parser.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/parser.ts
@@ -260,7 +260,6 @@ namespace ts {
                 return visitNodes(cbNode, cbNodes, (<Block>node).statements);
             case SyntaxKind.SourceFile:
                 return visitNodes(cbNode, cbNodes, (<SourceFile>node).statements) ||
-                    visitNode(cbNode, (<JsonSourceFile>node).jsonObject) ||
                     visitNode(cbNode, (<SourceFile>node).endOfFileToken);
             case SyntaxKind.VariableStatement:
                 return visitNodes(cbNode, cbNodes, node.decorators) ||
@@ -663,7 +662,6 @@ namespace ts {
             scriptKind = ensureScriptKind(fileName, scriptKind);
             if (scriptKind === ScriptKind.JSON) {
                 const result = parseJsonText(fileName, sourceText, languageVersion, syntaxCursor, setParentNodes);
-                result.statements = <any>emptyArray;
                 result.typeReferenceDirectives = emptyArray;
                 result.amdDependencies = emptyArray;
                 return result;
@@ -693,22 +691,30 @@ namespace ts {
             initializeState(sourceText, languageVersion, syntaxCursor, ScriptKind.JSON);
             // Set source file so that errors will be reported with this file name
             sourceFile = createSourceFile(fileName, ScriptTarget.ES2015, ScriptKind.JSON, /*isDeclaration*/ false);
-            const result = <JsonSourceFile>sourceFile;
+            const result = sourceFile as JsonSourceFile;
 
             // Prime the scanner.
             nextToken();
+            const pos = getNodePos();
             if (token() === SyntaxKind.EndOfFileToken) {
                 sourceFile.endOfFileToken = parseTokenNode<EndOfFileToken>();
             }
             else if (token() === SyntaxKind.OpenBraceToken ||
                 lookAhead(() => token() === SyntaxKind.StringLiteral)) {
-                result.jsonObject = parseObjectLiteralExpression();
+                const statement = createNode(SyntaxKind.ExpressionStatement) as JsonObjectLiteralExpressionStatement;
+                statement.expression = parseObjectLiteralExpression();
+                finishNode(statement);
+                sourceFile.statements = createNodeArray([statement], pos);
                 sourceFile.endOfFileToken = parseExpectedToken(SyntaxKind.EndOfFileToken, Diagnostics.Unexpected_token);
             }
             else {
                 parseExpected(SyntaxKind.OpenBraceToken);
             }
 
+            if (!sourceFile.statements) {
+                sourceFile.statements = createNodeArray([], pos, pos);
+            }
+
             if (setParentNodes) {
                 fixupParentReferences(sourceFile);
             }
diff --git a/src/compiler/program.ts b/src/compiler/program.ts
index 0f2cb34ec21..b2ea3467916 100644
--- a/src/compiler/program.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/program.ts
@@ -2333,8 +2333,8 @@ namespace ts {
         function getCompilerOptionsObjectLiteralSyntax() {
             if (_compilerOptionsObjectLiteralSyntax === undefined) {
                 _compilerOptionsObjectLiteralSyntax = null; // tslint:disable-line:no-null-keyword
-                if (options.configFile && options.configFile.jsonObject) {
-                    for (const prop of getPropertyAssignment(options.configFile.jsonObject, "compilerOptions")) {
+                if (options.configFile && options.configFile.statements.length) {
+                    for (const prop of getPropertyAssignment(options.configFile.statements[0].expression, "compilerOptions")) {
                         if (isObjectLiteralExpression(prop.initializer)) {
                             _compilerOptionsObjectLiteralSyntax = prop.initializer;
                             break;
diff --git a/src/compiler/types.ts b/src/compiler/types.ts
index 0e1f08a69d8..d550bf9704f 100644
--- a/src/compiler/types.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/types.ts
@@ -2576,10 +2576,14 @@ namespace ts {
     }
 
     export interface JsonSourceFile extends SourceFile {
-        jsonObject?: ObjectLiteralExpression;
+        statements: NodeArray<JsonObjectLiteralExpressionStatement>;
         extendedSourceFiles?: string[];
     }
 
+    export interface JsonObjectLiteralExpressionStatement extends ExpressionStatement {
+        expression: ObjectLiteralExpression;
+    }
+
     export interface ScriptReferenceHost {
         getCompilerOptions(): CompilerOptions;
         getSourceFile(fileName: string): SourceFile | undefined;
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts b/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts
index ee3bd07d280..29ed483e632 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts
@@ -1631,9 +1631,12 @@ declare namespace ts {
         sourceFiles: ReadonlyArray<SourceFile>;
     }
     interface JsonSourceFile extends SourceFile {
-        jsonObject?: ObjectLiteralExpression;
+        statements: NodeArray<JsonObjectLiteralExpressionStatement>;
         extendedSourceFiles?: string[];
     }
+    interface JsonObjectLiteralExpressionStatement extends ExpressionStatement {
+        expression: ObjectLiteralExpression;
+    }
     interface ScriptReferenceHost {
         getCompilerOptions(): CompilerOptions;
         getSourceFile(fileName: string): SourceFile | undefined;
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/api/typescript.d.ts b/tests/baselines/reference/api/typescript.d.ts
index 0075da06668..430cfb9c444 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/api/typescript.d.ts
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/api/typescript.d.ts
@@ -1631,9 +1631,12 @@ declare namespace ts {
         sourceFiles: ReadonlyArray<SourceFile>;
     }
     interface JsonSourceFile extends SourceFile {
-        jsonObject?: ObjectLiteralExpression;
+        statements: NodeArray<JsonObjectLiteralExpressionStatement>;
         extendedSourceFiles?: string[];
     }
+    interface JsonObjectLiteralExpressionStatement extends ExpressionStatement {
+        expression: ObjectLiteralExpression;
+    }
     interface ScriptReferenceHost {
         getCompilerOptions(): CompilerOptions;
         getSourceFile(fileName: string): SourceFile | undefined;
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFile.js b/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFile.js
index b3b37406830..6b9ca773707 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFile.js
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFile.js
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ if (x) {
 }
 
 //// [b.js]
+{
+    "a": true,
+    "b": "hello"
+};
 //// [file1.js]
 "use strict";
 exports.__esModule = true;