diff --git a/core/src/main/java/lucee/runtime/functions/conversion/DeserializeJSON.java b/core/src/main/java/lucee/runtime/functions/conversion/DeserializeJSON.java
index ca385aa840..72eece4283 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/lucee/runtime/functions/conversion/DeserializeJSON.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/lucee/runtime/functions/conversion/DeserializeJSON.java
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 
 import java.util.Iterator;
 
+import lucee.commons.io.SystemUtil;
+import lucee.commons.io.log.Log;
+import lucee.commons.io.log.LogUtil;
 import lucee.commons.lang.StringUtil;
 import lucee.runtime.PageContext;
 import lucee.runtime.exp.FunctionException;
@@ -45,6 +48,11 @@
 public final class DeserializeJSON extends BIF implements Function {
 
 	private static final long serialVersionUID = -4847186239512149277L;
+	private static final boolean allowEmpty;
+	static {
+		allowEmpty = Caster.toBooleanValue(SystemUtil.getSystemPropOrEnvVar("lucee.deserializejson.allowempty", null), false);
+	}
+
 	private static final Key ROWCOUNT = KeyConstants._ROWCOUNT;
 
 	public static Object call(PageContext pc, String JSONVar) throws PageException {
@@ -52,8 +60,14 @@ public static Object call(PageContext pc, String JSONVar) throws PageException {
 	}
 
 	public static Object call(PageContext pc, String JSONVar, boolean strictMapping) throws PageException {
-		if (StringUtil.isEmpty(JSONVar, true))
+		if (StringUtil.isEmpty(JSONVar, true)) {
+			if (allowEmpty) {
+				LogUtil.log(Log.LEVEL_WARN, "datasource", "conversion",
+						"Deprecated functionality used at [" + LogUtil.caller(pc, "") + "]. An empty string was passed as a value to the function DeserializeJSON.");
+				return "";
+			}
 			throw new FunctionException(pc, "DeserializeJSON", 1, "JSONVar", "input value cannot be empty string.", "Must be the valid JSON string");
+		}
 		Object result = new JSONExpressionInterpreter().interpret(pc, JSONVar);
 		if (!strictMapping) return toQuery(result);
 		return result;
diff --git a/loader/build.xml b/loader/build.xml
index 0622880249..849cb2a4f1 100644
--- a/loader/build.xml
+++ b/loader/build.xml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <project default="core" basedir="." name="Lucee" 
   xmlns:resolver="antlib:org.apache.maven.resolver.ant">
 
-  <property name="version" value="6.1.0.241-RC"/>
+  <property name="version" value="6.1.0.242-SNAPSHOT"/>
 
   <taskdef uri="antlib:org.apache.maven.resolver.ant" resource="org/apache/maven/resolver/ant/antlib.xml">
     <classpath>
diff --git a/loader/pom.xml b/loader/pom.xml
index 393f26a681..cfbc91db0b 100644
--- a/loader/pom.xml
+++ b/loader/pom.xml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
   <groupId>org.lucee</groupId>
   <artifactId>lucee</artifactId>
-  <version>6.1.0.241-RC</version>
+  <version>6.1.0.242-SNAPSHOT</version>
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
   <name>Lucee Loader Build</name>