diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/JsonTreeReader.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/JsonTreeReader.java
index a223754a..986c927b 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/JsonTreeReader.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/JsonTreeReader.java
@@ -249,6 +249,15 @@ public final class JsonTreeReader extends JsonReader {
     return result;
   }
 
+  JsonElement nextJsonElement() throws IOException {
+    if (peek() == JsonToken.NAME) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("Can't turn a name into a JsonElement");
+    }
+    final JsonElement element = (JsonElement) peekStack();
+    skipValue();
+    return element;
+  }
+
   @Override public void close() throws IOException {
     stack = new Object[] { SENTINEL_CLOSED };
     stackSize = 1;
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/TypeAdapters.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/TypeAdapters.java
index 6bbd680a..81dda903 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/TypeAdapters.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/TypeAdapters.java
@@ -677,6 +677,10 @@ public final class TypeAdapters {
 
   public static final TypeAdapter<JsonElement> JSON_ELEMENT = new TypeAdapter<JsonElement>() {
     @Override public JsonElement read(JsonReader in) throws IOException {
+      if (in instanceof JsonTreeReader) {
+        return ((JsonTreeReader) in).nextJsonElement();
+      }
+
       switch (in.peek()) {
       case STRING:
         return new JsonPrimitive(in.nextString());