diff --git a/demo/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts b/demo/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/demo/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/demo/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/docs/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts b/docs/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/docs/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/docs/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/docs/src/content/docs/reference/scripts/files.md b/docs/src/content/docs/reference/scripts/files.md
index d6cc030d1f..c654e9add4 100644
--- a/docs/src/content/docs/reference/scripts/files.md
+++ b/docs/src/content/docs/reference/scripts/files.md
@@ -71,6 +71,14 @@ const content = file.content
 
 It will automatically convert PDFs and DOCX files to text.
 
+### `readJSON`
+
+Reads the content of a file as JSON (using a [JSON5](https://json5.org/) parser)
+
+```ts
+const data = await workspace.readJSON("data.json")
+```
+
 ### `writeText`
 
 Writes text to a file, relative to the workspace root.
diff --git a/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts b/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/core/src/fs.ts b/packages/core/src/fs.ts
index 5eb87a5cd7..5fc42d139a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/fs.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/fs.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { DOT_ENV_REGEX, HTTPS_REGEX } from "./constants"
 import { NotSupportedError, errorMessage } from "./error"
 import { resolveFileContent } from "./file"
 import { host } from "./host"
+import { JSON5parse } from "./json5"
 import { logVerbose, unique, utf8Decode, utf8Encode } from "./util"
 import ignorer from "ignore"
 
@@ -105,6 +106,11 @@ export function createFileSystem(): Omit<WorkspaceFileSystem, "grep"> {
             }
             return file
         },
+        readJSON: async (f: string | WorkspaceFile) => {
+            const file = await fs.readText(f)
+            const res = JSON5parse(file.content)
+            return res
+        },
     }
     ;(fs as any).readFile = readText
     return Object.freeze(fs)
diff --git a/packages/core/src/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/core/src/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/core/src/promptcontext.ts b/packages/core/src/promptcontext.ts
index e4d7be153e..1d93ce3151 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/promptcontext.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/promptcontext.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ export function createPromptContext(
     const path = runtimeHost.path
     const workspace: WorkspaceFileSystem = {
         readText: (f) => runtimeHost.workspace.readText(f),
+        readJSON: (f) => runtimeHost.workspace.readJSON(f),
         writeText: (f, c) => runtimeHost.workspace.writeText(f, c),
         findFiles: async (pattern, options) => {
             const res = await runtimeHost.workspace.findFiles(pattern, options)
diff --git a/packages/core/src/types/prompt_template.d.ts b/packages/core/src/types/prompt_template.d.ts
index 96837d66fd..88ea3a9bc8 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/types/prompt_template.d.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/types/prompt_template.d.ts
@@ -492,6 +492,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/sample/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/sample/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/sample/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sample/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/sample/genaisrc/git-release-notes.genai.js b/packages/sample/genaisrc/git-release-notes.genai.js
index 4e4f6843b6..b6c1b74bcd 100644
--- a/packages/sample/genaisrc/git-release-notes.genai.js
+++ b/packages/sample/genaisrc/git-release-notes.genai.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ script({ system: ["system"], temperature: 0.5, model: "openai:gpt-4-turbo" })
 const product = env.vars.product || "GenAIScript"
 
 // find previous tag
-const pkg = JSON.parse((await workspace.readText("package.json")).content)
+const pkg = await workspace.readJSON("package.json")
 const { version } = pkg
 const { stdout: tag } = await host.exec("git", [
     "describe",
diff --git a/packages/sample/genaisrc/node/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/sample/genaisrc/node/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/sample/genaisrc/node/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sample/genaisrc/node/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/sample/genaisrc/python/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/sample/genaisrc/python/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/sample/genaisrc/python/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sample/genaisrc/python/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/sample/genaisrc/style/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/sample/genaisrc/style/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/sample/genaisrc/style/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sample/genaisrc/style/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/sample/genaisrc/writefile.genai.js b/packages/sample/genaisrc/writefile.genai.js
index cdd62946eb..5dae6bf974 100644
--- a/packages/sample/genaisrc/writefile.genai.js
+++ b/packages/sample/genaisrc/writefile.genai.js
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ script({
     model: "openai:gpt-3.5-turbo",
 })
 const fn = `temp/${Math.random() + ""}.txt`
-const content = Math.random() + ""
+const content = JSON.stringify({ val: Math.random() + "" })
 await workspace.writeText(fn, content)
 const res = await workspace.readText(fn)
 if (content !== res.content) throw new Error("file write error")
 
+const jres = await workspace.readJSON(fn)
+if (JSON.stringify(jres) !== content) throw new Error("readJSON error")
+
 $`All good!`
diff --git a/packages/sample/src/aici/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/sample/src/aici/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/sample/src/aici/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sample/src/aici/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/sample/src/errors/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/sample/src/errors/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/sample/src/errors/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sample/src/errors/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/sample/src/makecode/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/sample/src/makecode/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/sample/src/makecode/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sample/src/makecode/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/sample/src/makecode/makecode-loc.genai.js b/packages/sample/src/makecode/makecode-loc.genai.js
index d41f038735..35914f6722 100644
--- a/packages/sample/src/makecode/makecode-loc.genai.js
+++ b/packages/sample/src/makecode/makecode-loc.genai.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const strings = JSON.parse(content)
 
 // find the existing translation and remove existing translations
 const trfn = path.join(dir, langCode, path.basename(filename))
-const translated = parsers.JSON5(await workspace.readText(trfn))
+const translated = await workspace.readJSON(trfn)
 if (translated)
     for (const k of Object.keys(strings)) if (translated[k]) delete strings[k]
 
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ defFileMerge((filename, label, before, generated) => {
     // parse out kv
     const news = generated
         .split(/\n/g)
-        .map(line => /^([^=]+)=(.+)$/.exec(line))
-        .filter(m => !!m)
+        .map((line) => /^([^=]+)=(.+)$/.exec(line))
+        .filter((m) => !!m)
         .reduce((o, m) => {
             const [, key, value] = m
             // assign
diff --git a/packages/sample/src/tla/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/sample/src/tla/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/sample/src/tla/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sample/src/tla/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/packages/sample/src/vision/genaiscript.d.ts b/packages/sample/src/vision/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/packages/sample/src/vision/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sample/src/vision/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path
diff --git a/slides/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts b/slides/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
index fcfe5b7479..6671ae0ad0 100644
--- a/slides/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
+++ b/slides/genaisrc/genaiscript.d.ts
@@ -526,6 +526,12 @@ interface WorkspaceFileSystem {
      */
     readText(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<WorkspaceFile>
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a file and parses to JSON, using the JSON5 parser.
+     * @param path 
+     */
+    readJSON(path: string | WorkspaceFile): Promise<any>
+
     /**
      * Writes a file as text to the file system
      * @param path