diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2256184..8eb2258 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ var_dump(Services_JSON::encode($obj)); // encode an object
 
 
 ## Changelog
+* 2.5 
+  * now allows "@" and "." for key values. 
 * 2.4 
   * update requirements to php 7.4 
   * added more type hinting (type validation)
diff --git a/examples/example_decode.php b/examples/example_decode.php
index 32913b3..7636179 100644
--- a/examples/example_decode.php
+++ b/examples/example_decode.php
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?php
+<?php /** @noinspection ForgottenDebugOutputInspection */
 
 use eftec\ServicesJson\Services_JSON;
 include '../vendor/autoload.php';
diff --git a/examples/example_decode_unquoted.php b/examples/example_decode_unquoted.php
index 92513b2..1ae3789 100644
--- a/examples/example_decode_unquoted.php
+++ b/examples/example_decode_unquoted.php
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?php
+<?php /** @noinspection ForgottenDebugOutputInspection */
 
 use eftec\ServicesJson\Services_JSON;
 
@@ -9,12 +9,27 @@ include '../vendor/autoload.php';
 
 $json='{hello:{a:2,b:3},world:[1,2,3,"aaa","bbbb"]}';
 
+echo "<h1>Original:</h1><pre>$json</pre><br>";
 
-echo "Decode as stdclass:<br>";
+echo "<h1>Decode as stdclass:</h1>";
 echo "<pre>";
 var_dump(Services_JSON::decode($json));
 echo "</pre>";
-echo "Decode as array:<br>";
+echo "<h1>Decode as array:</h1>";
 echo "<pre>";
 var_dump(Services_JSON::decode($json,Services_JSON::GET_ARRAY));
 echo "</pre>";
+
+$json='hello.world:{a:2,b:3},hello@world:[1,2,3,"aaa","bbbb"]';
+
+echo "<h1>Original (.@ and missing {} or [] in root):</h1><pre>$json</pre><br>";
+
+echo "<h1>Decode as stdclass:</h1>";
+echo "<pre>";
+var_dump(Services_JSON::decode($json,Services_JSON::DECODE_FIX_ROOT));
+echo "</pre>";
+echo "<h1>Decode as array:</h1>";
+echo "<pre>";
+var_dump(Services_JSON::decode($json,Services_JSON::GET_ARRAY|Services_JSON::DECODE_FIX_ROOT));
+echo "</pre>";
+
diff --git a/examples/example_encode.php b/examples/example_encode.php
index 44c0197..6fb6314 100644
--- a/examples/example_encode.php
+++ b/examples/example_encode.php
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?php
+<?php /** @noinspection ForgottenDebugOutputInspection */
 
 use eftec\ServicesJson\Services_JSON;
 
diff --git a/src/Services_JSON.php b/src/Services_JSON.php
index c75901d..6d91555 100644
--- a/src/Services_JSON.php
+++ b/src/Services_JSON.php
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ class Services_JSON
                                     } else {
                                         $obj->$key = $val;
                                     }
-                                } /** @noinspection NotOptimalRegularExpressionsInspection */ elseif (preg_match('/^\s*(\w+)\s*:/Ui', $slice, $parts)) {
+                                } /** @noinspection NotOptimalRegularExpressionsInspection */ elseif (preg_match('/^\s*([a-z.@A-Z0-9_]+)\s*:/Ui', $slice, $parts)) {
                                     // name:value pair, where name is unquoted
                                     $key = $parts[1];
                                     $val = self::decode2(trim(substr($slice, strlen($parts[0])), ", \t\n\r\0\x0B"));
diff --git a/tests/FirstTest.php b/tests/FirstTest.php
index b5f0836..ba4d151 100644
--- a/tests/FirstTest.php
+++ b/tests/FirstTest.php
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ final class FirstTest extends TestCase
             ,Services_JSON::decode('a:1',
             Services_JSON::GET_ARRAY | Services_JSON::DECODE_FIX_ROOT)
         );
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            ['a.b@c'=>1]
+            ,Services_JSON::decode('a.b@c:1',
+            Services_JSON::GET_ARRAY | Services_JSON::DECODE_FIX_ROOT)
+        );
     }
     public function testsimple(): void
     {