diff --git a/src/json_help.c b/src/json_help.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6516bdd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/json_help.c
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2020 Roger Light <roger@atchoo.org>
+
+All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
+are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
+and Eclipse Distribution License v1.0 which accompany this distribution.
+
+The Eclipse Public License is available at
+   http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+and the Eclipse Distribution License is available at
+  http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php.
+
+Contributors:
+   Roger Light - initial implementation and documentation.
+*/
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <cJSON.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
+#include "mosquitto_broker_internal.h"
+
+
+int json_get_bool(cJSON *json, const char *name, bool *value, bool optional, bool default_value)
+{
+	cJSON *jtmp;
+
+	if(optional == true){
+		*value = default_value;
+	}
+
+	jtmp = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(json, name);
+	if(jtmp){
+		if(cJSON_IsBool(jtmp) == false){
+			return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
+		}
+		*value = cJSON_IsTrue(jtmp);
+	}else{
+		if(optional == false){
+			return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
+		}
+	}
+	return MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+
+int json_get_int(cJSON *json, const char *name, int *value, bool optional, int default_value)
+{
+	cJSON *jtmp;
+
+	if(optional == true){
+		*value = default_value;
+	}
+
+	jtmp = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(json, name);
+	if(jtmp){
+		if(cJSON_IsNumber(jtmp) == false){
+			return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
+		}
+		*value  = jtmp->valueint;
+	}else{
+		if(optional == false){
+			return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
+		}
+	}
+	return MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+
+int json_get_string(cJSON *json, const char *name, char **value, bool optional)
+{
+	cJSON *jtmp;
+
+	*value = NULL;
+
+	jtmp = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(json, name);
+	if(jtmp){
+		if(cJSON_IsString(jtmp) == false){
+			return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
+		}
+		*value  = jtmp->valuestring;
+	}else{
+		if(optional == false){
+			return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
+		}
+	}
+	return MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+
+/* Return a number as a number, or attempt to convert a string to a number, or a bool to a number */
+double json_get_as_number(const cJSON *json)
+{
+	char *endptr = NULL;
+
+	if(cJSON_IsNumber(json)){
+		return json->valuedouble;
+	}else if(cJSON_IsString(json)){
+		return strtod(json->valuestring, &endptr);
+	}else if(cJSON_IsBool(json)){
+		return cJSON_IsTrue(json);
+	}else{
+		return 0.0;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/json_help.h b/src/json_help.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..55a236cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/json_help.h
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#ifndef JSON_HELP_H
+#define JSON_HELP_H
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2020 Roger Light <roger@atchoo.org>
+
+All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
+are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
+and Eclipse Distribution License v1.0 which accompany this distribution.
+
+The Eclipse Public License is available at
+   http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+and the Eclipse Distribution License is available at
+  http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php.
+
+Contributors:
+   Roger Light - initial implementation and documentation.
+*/
+#include <cJSON.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
+int json_get_bool(cJSON *json, const char *name, bool *value, bool optional, bool default_value);
+int json_get_int(cJSON *json, const char *name, int *value, bool optional, int default_value);
+int json_get_string(cJSON *json, const char *name, char **value, bool optional);
+double json_get_as_number(const cJSON *json);
+
+#endif