diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/JsonIO.java b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/JsonIO.java
index 74e5649a1..223ed8e71 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/JsonIO.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/JsonIO.java
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ public static <V, A extends V, O extends V, AB, OB> JsonIO<V, A, O, AB, OB> newI
         return jackson;
     }
 
+    private boolean wrapped(String value, String prefix, String suffix) {
+        return value.startsWith(prefix) && value.endsWith(suffix);
+    }
+
     default Object parseValue(String value) {
         if (value == null || value.isEmpty()) {
             return null;
@@ -32,10 +36,19 @@ default Object parseValue(String value) {
         String trimmedValue = value.trim();
 
         switch (trimmedValue.charAt(0)) {
-            case '{': /* JSON Object */
-            case '[': /* JSON Array */
-            case '-': /* JSON Negative Number */
-            case '0': /* JSON Numbers */
+            case '{':
+            case '[':
+                if (wrapped(trimmedValue, "{", "}") || wrapped(trimmedValue, "[", "]")) {
+                    /* Looks like a JSON Object or Array */
+                    try {
+                        return fromJson(fromString(trimmedValue, Format.JSON));
+                    } catch (Exception e) {
+                        IoLogging.logger.unparseableJson(trimmedValue);
+                    }
+                }
+                break;
+            case '-': /* Negative Number */
+            case '0': /* Numbers */
             case '1':
             case '2':
             case '3':
@@ -46,11 +59,11 @@ default Object parseValue(String value) {
             case '8':
             case '9':
                 try {
-                    return fromJson(fromString(trimmedValue, Format.JSON));
-                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    return new BigDecimal(trimmedValue);
+                } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
                     IoLogging.logger.unparseableJson(trimmedValue);
-                    break;
                 }
+                break;
             case 't':
                 return "true".equals(trimmedValue) ? Boolean.TRUE : value;
             case 'f':
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/scanner/StandaloneSchemaScanTest.java b/core/src/test/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/scanner/StandaloneSchemaScanTest.java
index 536fb8834..53009b282 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/scanner/StandaloneSchemaScanTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/scanner/StandaloneSchemaScanTest.java
@@ -763,4 +763,30 @@ public String getWo() {
 
         assertJsonEquals("components.schemas.jackson-property-access.json", Bean.class);
     }
+
+    @Test
+    void testExceptionalExampleParsing() throws IOException, JSONException {
+        @Schema(name = "Bean")
+        class Bean {
+            @Schema(example = "{ Looks like object, but invalid }")
+            public Object property1;
+            @Schema(example = "{ \"key\": \"object end missing\"")
+            public Object property2;
+            @Schema(example = "[ Looks like array, but invalid ]")
+            public Object property3;
+            @Schema(example = "[ \"array end missing\"")
+            public Object property4;
+            @Schema(example = "trick") // not Boolean.TRUE
+            public Object property5;
+            @Schema(example = "fake") // not Boolean.FALSE
+            public Object property6;
+            @Schema(example = "1046\n1049\n1051") // not a number
+            public Object property7;
+            @Schema(example = "") // empty
+            public Object property8;
+
+        }
+
+        assertJsonEquals("components.schemas.exceptional-examples.json", Bean.class);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/resources/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/scanner/components.schemas.exceptional-examples.json b/core/src/test/resources/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/scanner/components.schemas.exceptional-examples.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29892de7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/resources/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/scanner/components.schemas.exceptional-examples.json
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+{
+  "openapi" : "3.0.3",
+  "components" : {
+    "schemas" : {
+      "Bean" : {
+        "type" : "object",
+        "properties" : {
+          "property1" : {
+            "example" : "{ Looks like object, but invalid }"
+          },
+          "property2" : {
+            "example" : "{ \"key\": \"object end missing\""
+          },
+          "property3" : {
+            "example" : "[ Looks like array, but invalid ]"
+          },
+          "property4" : {
+            "example" : "[ \"array end missing\""
+          },
+          "property5" : {
+            "example" : "trick"
+          },
+          "property6" : {
+            "example" : "fake"
+          },
+          "property7" : {
+            "example" : "1046\n1049\n1051"
+          },
+          "property8" : {
+            "example" : ""
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}