diff --git a/json.pl b/json.pl
index b1c9080..fb7dedd 100644
--- a/json.pl
+++ b/json.pl
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     Author:        Jan Wielemaker
     E-mail:        J.Wielemaker@vu.nl
     WWW:           http://www.swi-prolog.org
-    Copyright (c)  2007-2021, University of Amsterdam
+    Copyright (c)  2007-2023, University of Amsterdam
                               VU University Amsterdam
                               CWI, Amsterdam
                               SWI-Prolog Solutions b.v.
@@ -387,17 +387,47 @@
 escape(0'r, _, 0'\r) :- !.
 escape(0't, _, 0'\t) :- !.
 escape(0'u, Stream, C) :-
-    !,
-    get_code(Stream, C1),
-    get_code(Stream, C2),
-    get_code(Stream, C3),
-    get_code(Stream, C4),
-    code_type(C1, xdigit(D1)),
-    code_type(C2, xdigit(D2)),
-    code_type(C3, xdigit(D3)),
-    code_type(C4, xdigit(D4)),
+    get_XXXX(Stream, H),
+    (   hi_surrogate(H)
+    ->  get_surrogate_tail(Stream, H, C)
+    ;   C = H
+    ).
+
+get_XXXX(Stream, C) :-
+    get_xdigit(Stream, D1),
+    get_xdigit(Stream, D2),
+    get_xdigit(Stream, D3),
+    get_xdigit(Stream, D4),
     C is D1<<12+D2<<8+D3<<4+D4.
 
+get_xdigit(Stream, D) :-
+    get_code(Stream, C),
+    code_type(C, xdigit(D)),
+    !.
+get_xdigit(Stream, _) :-
+    syntax_error(hexdigit_expected, Stream).
+
+get_surrogate_tail(Stream, Hi, Codepoint) :-
+    (   get_code(Stream, 0'\\),
+        get_code(Stream, 0'u),
+        get_XXXX(Stream, Lo),
+        surrogate([Hi, Lo], Codepoint)
+    ->  true
+    ;   syntax_error(illegal_surrogate_pair, Stream)
+    ).
+
+
+hi_surrogate(C) :-
+    C >= 0xD800, C < 0xDC00.
+
+lo_surrogate(C) :-
+    C >= 0xDC00, C < 0xE000.
+
+surrogate([Hi, Lo], Codepoint) :-
+    hi_surrogate(Hi),
+    lo_surrogate(Lo),
+    Codepoint is (Hi - 0xD800) * 0x400 + (Lo - 0xDC00) + 0x10000.
+
 json_read_constant(0't, Stream, true) :-
     !,
     must_see(`rue`, Stream, true).
@@ -1091,3 +1121,6 @@
     [ 'Illegal comment' ].
 json_syntax_error(illegal_string_escape) -->
     [ 'Illegal escape sequence in string' ].
+json_syntax_error(illegal_surrogate_pair) -->
+    [ 'Illegal escaped surrogate pair in string' ].
+
diff --git a/test_json.pl b/test_json.pl
index 2f04efc..10a3d25 100644
--- a/test_json.pl
+++ b/test_json.pl
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@
 test(string, X == '\u1234') :-
     atom_json_term('"\\u1234"', X, []).
 
+% surrogate pair (an emoji)
+test(string, X == '\U0001F495') :-
+    atom_json_term('"\\ud83d\\udc95"', X, []).
+
 test(int, X == 42) :-
     atom_json_term('42', X, []).
 test(int, X == -42) :-