diff --git a/core/lib/annotation_exporter.js b/core/lib/annotation_exporter.js
index d12054145..bd9cb72e8 100644
--- a/core/lib/annotation_exporter.js
+++ b/core/lib/annotation_exporter.js
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 var path = require('path'),
   glob = require('glob'),
   fs = require('fs-extra'),
-  JSON5 = require('json5'),
   _ = require('lodash'),
   mp = require('./markdown_parser');
 
@@ -30,7 +29,7 @@ var annotations_exporter = function (pl) {
     oldAnnotations = oldAnnotations.replace('};', '}');
 
     try {
-      var oldAnnotationsJSON = JSON5.parse(oldAnnotations);
+      var oldAnnotationsJSON = JSON.parse(oldAnnotations);
     } catch (ex) {
       console.log('There was an error parsing JSON for ' + paths.source.annotations + 'annotations.js');
       console.log(ex);
diff --git a/core/lib/json_copy.js b/core/lib/json_copy.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..84c9e249d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/lib/json_copy.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+"use strict";
+
+const plutils = require('./utilities');
+const json_copy = (data, callee) => {
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(data));
+  } catch (e) {
+    //this is unlikely to be hit due to the passed in data already being loaded using JSON parsers
+    plutils.error(`JSON provided by ${callee} is invalid and cannot be copied`);
+    return {};
+  }
+};
+
+module.exports = json_copy;
diff --git a/core/lib/list_item_hunter.js b/core/lib/list_item_hunter.js
index be55f35c5..d04b6d0a7 100644
--- a/core/lib/list_item_hunter.js
+++ b/core/lib/list_item_hunter.js
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 var list_item_hunter = function () {
 
   var extend = require('util')._extend,
-    JSON5 = require('json5'),
     pa = require('./pattern_assembler'),
     smh = require('./style_modifier_hunter'),
     plutils = require('./utilities'),
+    jsonCopy = require('./json_copy'),
     Pattern = require('./object_factory').Pattern;
 
   var pattern_assembler = new pa(),
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ var list_item_hunter = function () {
         //check for a local listitems.json file
         var listData;
         try {
-          listData = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(patternlab.listitems));
+          listData = jsonCopy(patternlab.listitems, 'config.paths.source.data listitems');
         } catch (err) {
           console.log('There was an error parsing JSON for ' + pattern.relPath);
           console.log(err);
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ var list_item_hunter = function () {
           var globalData;
           var localData;
           try {
-            globalData = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(patternlab.data));
-            localData = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(pattern.jsonFileData));
+            globalData = jsonCopy(patternlab.data, 'config.paths.source.data global data');
+            localData = jsonCopy(pattern.jsonFileData, `${pattern.patternPartial} data`);
           } catch (err) {
             console.log('There was an error parsing JSON for ' + pattern.relPath);
             console.log(err);
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ var list_item_hunter = function () {
               //create a copy of the partial so as to not pollute it after the get_pattern_by_key call.
               var cleanPartialPattern;
               try {
-                cleanPartialPattern = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(partialPattern));
+                cleanPartialPattern = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(partialPattern));
+                cleanPartialPattern = jsonCopy(partialPattern, `partial pattern ${partialName}`);
               } catch (err) {
                 console.log('There was an error parsing JSON for ' + pattern.relPath);
                 console.log(err);
diff --git a/core/lib/parameter_hunter.js b/core/lib/parameter_hunter.js
index 6f2d50f1e..44f33adeb 100644
--- a/core/lib/parameter_hunter.js
+++ b/core/lib/parameter_hunter.js
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 var parameter_hunter = function () {
 
   var extend = require('util')._extend,
-    JSON5 = require('json5'),
     pa = require('./pattern_assembler'),
     smh = require('./style_modifier_hunter'),
     plutils = require('./utilities'),
     style_modifier_hunter = new smh(),
+    jsonCopy = require('./json_copy'),
     pattern_assembler = new pa();
 
   /**
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ var parameter_hunter = function () {
    * The steps on a high-level are as follows:
    *   * Further escape all escaped quotes and colons. Use the string
    *     representation of their unicodes for this. This has the added bonus
-   *     of being interpreted correctly by JSON5.parse() without further
+   *     of being interpreted correctly by JSON.parse() without further
    *     modification. This will be useful later in the function.
    *   * Once escaped quotes are out of the way, we know the remaining quotes
    *     are either key/value wrappers or wrapped within those wrappers. We know
@@ -260,9 +260,9 @@ var parameter_hunter = function () {
         var localData = {};
 
         try {
-          paramData = JSON5.parse(paramStringWellFormed);
-          globalData = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(patternlab.data));
-          localData = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(pattern.jsonFileData || {}));
+          paramData = JSON.parse(paramStringWellFormed);
+          globalData = jsonCopy(patternlab.data, 'config.paths.source.data global data');
+          localData = jsonCopy(pattern.jsonFileData || {}, `pattern ${pattern.patternPartial} data`);
         } catch (err) {
           console.log('There was an error parsing JSON for ' + pattern.relPath);
           console.log(err);
diff --git a/core/lib/pattern_assembler.js b/core/lib/pattern_assembler.js
index b85867d88..dc76832a6 100644
--- a/core/lib/pattern_assembler.js
+++ b/core/lib/pattern_assembler.js
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ var path = require('path'),
   lih = require('./list_item_hunter'),
   smh = require('./style_modifier_hunter'),
   ph = require('./parameter_hunter'),
-  ch = require('./changes_hunter'),
-  JSON5 = require('json5');
+  jsonCopy = require('./json_copy'),
+  ch = require('./changes_hunter');
 
 const markdown_parser = new mp();
 const changes_hunter = new ch();
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ var pattern_assembler = function () {
       //complete assembly of extended template
       //create a copy of the partial so as to not pollute it after the getPartial call.
       var partialPattern = getPartial(partial, patternlab);
-      var cleanPartialPattern = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(partialPattern));
+      var cleanPartialPattern = jsonCopy(partialPattern, `partial pattern ${partial}`);
 
       //if partial has style modifier data, replace the styleModifier value
       if (currentPattern.stylePartials && currentPattern.stylePartials.length > 0) {
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ var pattern_assembler = function () {
     linkRE = /(?:'|")(link\.[A-z0-9-_]+)(?:'|")/g;
 
     //stringify the passed in object
-    dataObjAsString = JSON5.stringify(obj);
+    dataObjAsString = JSON.stringify(obj);
     if (!dataObjAsString) { return obj; }
 
     //find matches
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ var pattern_assembler = function () {
 
     var dataObj;
     try {
-      dataObj = JSON5.parse(dataObjAsString);
+      dataObj = JSON.parse(dataObjAsString);
     } catch (err) {
       console.log('There was an error parsing JSON for ' + key);
       console.log(err);
diff --git a/core/lib/patternlab.js b/core/lib/patternlab.js
index cfdc88c0c..f05ef9d57 100644
--- a/core/lib/patternlab.js
+++ b/core/lib/patternlab.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ var diveSync = require('diveSync'),
   fs = require('fs-extra'),
   packageInfo = require('../../package.json'),
   plutils = require('./utilities'),
+  jsonCopy = require('./json_copy'),
   PatternGraph = require('./pattern_graph').PatternGraph;
 
 //register our log events
@@ -146,8 +147,7 @@ inherits(PatternLabEventEmitter, EventEmitter);
 var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
   'use strict';
 
-  var JSON5 = require('json5'),
-    pa = require('./pattern_assembler'),
+  var pa = require('./pattern_assembler'),
     pe = require('./pattern_exporter'),
     lh = require('./lineage_hunter'),
     ui = require('./ui_builder'),
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
     console.log(patternlab.package.version);
   }
 
-  function getSupportedTemplateExtensions(){
+  function getSupportedTemplateExtensions() {
     return patternlab.engines.getSupportedFileExtensions();
   }
 
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
     //render the pattern, but first consolidate any data we may have
     var allData;
     try {
-      allData = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(patternlab.data));
+      allData = jsonCopy(patternlab.data, 'config.paths.source.data global data');
     } catch (err) {
       console.log('There was an error parsing JSON for ' + pattern.relPath);
       console.log(err);
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
 
     var allFooterData;
     try {
-      allFooterData = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(patternlab.data));
+      allFooterData = jsonCopy(patternlab.data, 'config.paths.source.data global data');
     } catch (err) {
       console.log('There was an error parsing JSON for ' + pattern.relPath);
       console.log(err);
diff --git a/core/lib/ui_builder.js b/core/lib/ui_builder.js
index c62ea9193..21865a2dd 100644
--- a/core/lib/ui_builder.js
+++ b/core/lib/ui_builder.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 "use strict";
 
 var path = require('path');
-var JSON5 = require('json5');
 var fs = require('fs-extra');
 var ae = require('./annotation_exporter');
 var of = require('./object_factory');
@@ -10,6 +9,7 @@ var pattern_assembler = require('./pattern_assembler')();
 var plutils = require('./utilities');
 var eol = require('os').EOL;
 var _ = require('lodash');
+var jsonCopy = require('./json_copy');
 
 var ui_builder = function () {
 
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ var ui_builder = function () {
 
     var allFooterData;
     try {
-      allFooterData = JSON5.parse(JSON5.stringify(patternlab.data));
+      allFooterData = jsonCopy(patternlab.data, 'config.paths.source.data plus patterns data');
     } catch (err) {
       console.log('There was an error parsing JSON for patternlab.data');
       console.log(err);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0f615b509..46f0d0fa8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
     "glob": "^7.0.0",
     "js-beautify": "^1.6.3",
     "js-yaml": "^3.6.1",
-    "json5": "^0.5.0",
     "lodash": "~4.13.1",
     "markdown-it": "^6.0.1",
     "node-fetch": "^1.6.0",