diff --git a/metafacture-json/src/main/java/org/metafacture/json/JsonDecoder.java b/metafacture-json/src/main/java/org/metafacture/json/JsonDecoder.java
index f6dbd2238..6cb795fee 100644
--- a/metafacture-json/src/main/java/org/metafacture/json/JsonDecoder.java
+++ b/metafacture-json/src/main/java/org/metafacture/json/JsonDecoder.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 /**
  * Decodes a record in JSON format.
@@ -132,21 +132,27 @@ public void resetRecordCount() {
     @Override
     public void process(final String json) {
         assert !isClosed();
-        final List<String> records = recordPath.isEmpty() ? Arrays.asList(json)
-                : matches(JsonPath.read(json, recordPath));
-        records.forEach(record -> {
-            createParser(record);
-            try {
-                decode();
-            } catch (final IOException e) {
-                throw new MetafactureException(e);
-            } finally {
-                closeParser();
-            }
-        });
+        if (recordPath.isEmpty()) {
+            processRecord(json);
+        } else {
+            matches(JsonPath.read(json, recordPath)).forEach(record -> {
+                processRecord(record);
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void processRecord(String record) {
+        createParser(record);
+        try {
+            decode();
+        } catch (final IOException e) {
+            throw new MetafactureException(e);
+        } finally {
+            closeParser();
+        }
     }
 
-    private List<String> matches(Object obj) {
+    private Stream<String> matches(Object obj) {
         final List<?> records = (obj instanceof List<?>) ? ((List<?>) obj) : Arrays.asList(obj);
         return records.stream().map(doc -> {
             try {
@@ -155,7 +161,7 @@ private List<String> matches(Object obj) {
                 e.printStackTrace();
                 return doc.toString();
             }
-        }).collect(Collectors.toList());
+        });
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/metafacture-json/src/test/java/org/metafacture/json/JsonDecoderTest.java b/metafacture-json/src/test/java/org/metafacture/json/JsonDecoderTest.java
index 67cd3a3a8..8d14bb466 100644
--- a/metafacture-json/src/test/java/org/metafacture/json/JsonDecoderTest.java
+++ b/metafacture-json/src/test/java/org/metafacture/json/JsonDecoderTest.java
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public void testShouldProcessConcatenatedRecords() {
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void testShouldProcessRecordsInArray() {
+    public void testShouldProcessRecordsInArrayField() {
         jsonDecoder.setRecordPath("$.data");
         jsonDecoder.process(
                 "{\"data\":[" + "{\"lit\": \"record 1\"}," +
@@ -167,6 +167,29 @@ public void testShouldProcessRecordsInArray() {
         ordered.verify(receiver).endRecord();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testShouldProcessRecordsInArrayRoot() {
+        jsonDecoder.setRecordPath("$");
+        jsonDecoder.process(
+                "[" + "{\"lit\": \"record 1\"}," +
+                        "{\"lit\": \"record 2\"}" + "]");
+
+        final InOrder ordered = inOrder(receiver);
+        ordered.verify(receiver).startRecord("1");
+        ordered.verify(receiver).literal("lit", "record 1");
+        ordered.verify(receiver).endRecord();
+        ordered.verify(receiver).startRecord("2");
+        ordered.verify(receiver).literal("lit", "record 2");
+        ordered.verify(receiver).endRecord();
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected=MetafactureException.class)
+    public void testRootArrayNoRecordPath() {
+        jsonDecoder.process(
+                "[" + "{\"lit\": \"record 1\"}," +
+                        "{\"lit\": \"record 2\"}" + "]");
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testShouldProcessMultipleRecords() {
         jsonDecoder.process("{\"lit\": \"record 1\"}");