diff --git a/munet/mutest/userapi.py b/munet/mutest/userapi.py
index a904cec..4181b75 100644
--- a/munet/mutest/userapi.py
+++ b/munet/mutest/userapi.py
@@ -486,6 +486,9 @@ def _match_command_json(
             return expect_fail, {}
 
         try:
+            # Convert to string to validate the input is valid JSON
+            if not isinstance(match, str):
+                match = json.dumps(match)
             expect = json.loads(match)
         except Exception as error:
             expect = {}
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6399837..aaf5e21 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "munet"
-version = "0.13.15"
+version = "0.13.16"
 description = "A package to facilitate network simulations"
 authors = ["Christian Hopps <chopps@labn.net>"]
 license = "GPL-2.0-or-later"
diff --git a/tests/mutest/mutest_matchwait_json.py b/tests/mutest/mutest_matchwait_json.py
index 23e05eb..2e84442 100644
--- a/tests/mutest/mutest_matchwait_json.py
+++ b/tests/mutest/mutest_matchwait_json.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from munet.mutest.userapi import wait_step_json
 
 
-js = step_json("r1", 'echo { "name": "chopps" }')
+js = step_json("r1", """printf '{ "name": "chopps" }'""")
 log("SIMPLE JSON: %s", js)
 
 # expect passing tests
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@
 
 json1 = '[{"foo":"foo"}]'
 json2 = '[{"foo":"foo"}, {"bar":"bar"}]'
-json3 = '[{"bar":"bar"}, {"foo":"foo"}]'
+json3 = [{"bar": "bar"}, {"foo": "foo"}]
 
 _, ret = match_step_json(
     "r1",