diff --git a/lib/special_cases.php b/lib/special_cases.php
index 25c5e476..8b9e12ff 100644
--- a/lib/special_cases.php
+++ b/lib/special_cases.php
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 function json_decode(string $json, bool $assoc = false, int $depth = 512, int $flags = 0): mixed
 {
     $data = \json_decode($json, $assoc, $depth, $flags);
-    if (JSON_ERROR_NONE !== json_last_error()) {
+    if (!($flags & JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR) && JSON_ERROR_NONE !== json_last_error()) {
         throw JsonException::createFromPhpError();
     }
     return $data;
diff --git a/tests/JsonDecodeTest.php b/tests/JsonDecodeTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..661fe178
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/JsonDecodeTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+final class JsonDecodeTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function testJsonLastErrorIsNotCheckedIfFlagIsSet(): void
+    {
+        \json_decode('{');
+        self::assertNotSame(JSON_ERROR_NONE, \json_last_error());
+
+        \Safe\json_decode('[]', flags: \JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+    }
+}