diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonReader.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonReader.java
index ea738f82..838355cb 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonReader.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonReader.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.Reader;
 
 /**
- * Reads a JSON (<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">RFC 4627</a>)
+ * Reads a JSON (<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc7159.txt">RFC 7159</a>)
  * encoded value as a stream of tokens. This stream includes both literal
  * values (strings, numbers, booleans, and nulls) as well as the begin and
  * end delimiters of objects and arrays. The tokens are traversed in
@@ -571,9 +571,6 @@ public class JsonReader implements Closeable {
       checkLenient();
       return peeked = PEEKED_SINGLE_QUOTED;
     case '"':
-      if (stackSize == 1) {
-        checkLenient();
-      }
       return peeked = PEEKED_DOUBLE_QUOTED;
     case '[':
       return peeked = PEEKED_BEGIN_ARRAY;
@@ -583,10 +580,6 @@ public class JsonReader implements Closeable {
       pos--; // Don't consume the first character in a literal value.
     }
 
-    if (stackSize == 1) {
-      checkLenient(); // Top-level value isn't an array or an object.
-    }
-
     int result = peekKeyword();
     if (result != PEEKED_NONE) {
       return result;
diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonWriter.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonWriter.java
index 8d3bdb34..9bf2d22a 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonWriter.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonWriter.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import static com.google.gson.stream.JsonScope.NONEMPTY_DOCUMENT;
 import static com.google.gson.stream.JsonScope.NONEMPTY_OBJECT;
 
 /**
- * Writes a JSON (<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">RFC 4627</a>)
+ * Writes a JSON (<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc7159.txt">RFC 7159</a>)
  * encoded value to a stream, one token at a time. The stream includes both
  * literal values (strings, numbers, booleans and nulls) as well as the begin
  * and end delimiters of objects and arrays.
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ import static com.google.gson.stream.JsonScope.NONEMPTY_OBJECT;
 public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
 
   /*
-   * From RFC 4627, "All Unicode characters may be placed within the
+   * From RFC 7159, "All Unicode characters may be placed within the
    * quotation marks except for the characters that must be escaped:
    * quotation mark, reverse solidus, and the control characters
    * (U+0000 through U+001F)."
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
   /**
    * Configure this writer to relax its syntax rules. By default, this writer
    * only emits well-formed JSON as specified by <a
-   * href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4627.txt">RFC 4627</a>. Setting the writer
+   * href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc7159.txt">RFC 7159</a>. Setting the writer
    * to lenient permits the following:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Top-level values of any type. With strict writing, the top-level
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
    * bracket.
    */
   private JsonWriter open(int empty, String openBracket) throws IOException {
-    beforeValue(true);
+    beforeValue();
     push(empty);
     out.write(openBracket);
     return this;
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
       return nullValue();
     }
     writeDeferredName();
-    beforeValue(false);
+    beforeValue();
     string(value);
     return this;
   }
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
       return nullValue();
     }
     writeDeferredName();
-    beforeValue(false);
+    beforeValue();
     out.append(value);
     return this;
   }
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
         return this; // skip the name and the value
       }
     }
-    beforeValue(false);
+    beforeValue();
     out.write("null");
     return this;
   }
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
    */
   public JsonWriter value(boolean value) throws IOException {
     writeDeferredName();
-    beforeValue(false);
+    beforeValue();
     out.write(value ? "true" : "false");
     return this;
   }
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
       throw new IllegalArgumentException("Numeric values must be finite, but was " + value);
     }
     writeDeferredName();
-    beforeValue(false);
+    beforeValue();
     out.append(Double.toString(value));
     return this;
   }
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
    */
   public JsonWriter value(long value) throws IOException {
     writeDeferredName();
-    beforeValue(false);
+    beforeValue();
     out.write(Long.toString(value));
     return this;
   }
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
         && (string.equals("-Infinity") || string.equals("Infinity") || string.equals("NaN"))) {
       throw new IllegalArgumentException("Numeric values must be finite, but was " + value);
     }
-    beforeValue(false);
+    beforeValue();
     out.append(string);
     return this;
   }
@@ -608,12 +608,9 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
    * Inserts any necessary separators and whitespace before a literal value,
    * inline array, or inline object. Also adjusts the stack to expect either a
    * closing bracket or another element.
-   *
-   * @param root true if the value is a new array or object, the two values
-   *     permitted as top-level elements.
    */
   @SuppressWarnings("fallthrough")
-  private void beforeValue(boolean root) throws IOException {
+  private void beforeValue() throws IOException {
     switch (peek()) {
     case NONEMPTY_DOCUMENT:
       if (!lenient) {
@@ -622,10 +619,6 @@ public class JsonWriter implements Closeable, Flushable {
       }
       // fall-through
     case EMPTY_DOCUMENT: // first in document
-      if (!lenient && !root) {
-        throw new IllegalStateException(
-            "JSON must start with an array or an object.");
-      }
       replaceTop(NONEMPTY_DOCUMENT);
       break;
 
diff --git a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonReaderTest.java b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonReaderTest.java
index 72c9aa4c..a192940f 100644
--- a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonReaderTest.java
+++ b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonReaderTest.java
@@ -195,14 +195,6 @@ public final class JsonReaderTest extends TestCase {
     }
   }
 
-  public void testNoTopLevelObject() {
-    try {
-      new JsonReader(reader("true")).nextBoolean();
-      fail();
-    } catch (IOException expected) {
-    }
-  }
-
   public void testCharacterUnescaping() throws IOException {
     String json = "[\"a\","
         + "\"a\\\"\","
@@ -1227,46 +1219,39 @@ public final class JsonReaderTest extends TestCase {
     }
   }
 
-  public void testStrictTopLevelString() {
-    JsonReader reader = new JsonReader(reader("\"a\""));
-    try {
-      reader.nextString();
-      fail();
-    } catch (IOException expected) {
-    }
+  public void testTopLevelValueTypes() throws IOException {
+    JsonReader reader1 = new JsonReader(reader("true"));
+    assertTrue(reader1.nextBoolean());
+    assertEquals(JsonToken.END_DOCUMENT, reader1.peek());
+
+    JsonReader reader2 = new JsonReader(reader("false"));
+    assertFalse(reader2.nextBoolean());
+    assertEquals(JsonToken.END_DOCUMENT, reader2.peek());
+
+    JsonReader reader3 = new JsonReader(reader("null"));
+    assertEquals(JsonToken.NULL, reader3.peek());
+    reader3.nextNull();
+    assertEquals(JsonToken.END_DOCUMENT, reader3.peek());
+
+    JsonReader reader4 = new JsonReader(reader("123"));
+    assertEquals(123, reader4.nextInt());
+    assertEquals(JsonToken.END_DOCUMENT, reader4.peek());
+
+    JsonReader reader5 = new JsonReader(reader("123.4"));
+    assertEquals(123.4, reader5.nextDouble());
+    assertEquals(JsonToken.END_DOCUMENT, reader5.peek());
+
+    JsonReader reader6 = new JsonReader(reader("\"a\""));
+    assertEquals("a", reader6.nextString());
+    assertEquals(JsonToken.END_DOCUMENT, reader6.peek());
   }
 
-  public void testLenientTopLevelString() throws IOException {
-    JsonReader reader = new JsonReader(reader("\"a\""));
-    reader.setLenient(true);
-    assertEquals("a", reader.nextString());
+  public void testTopLevelValueTypeWithSkipValue() throws IOException {
+    JsonReader reader = new JsonReader(reader("true"));
+    reader.skipValue();
     assertEquals(JsonToken.END_DOCUMENT, reader.peek());
   }
 
-  public void testStrictTopLevelValueType() {
-    JsonReader reader = new JsonReader(reader("true"));
-    try {
-      reader.nextBoolean();
-      fail();
-    } catch (IOException expected) {
-    }
-  }
-
-  public void testLenientTopLevelValueType() throws IOException {
-    JsonReader reader = new JsonReader(reader("true"));
-    reader.setLenient(true);
-    assertEquals(true, reader.nextBoolean());
-  }
-
-  public void testStrictTopLevelValueTypeWithSkipValue() {
-    JsonReader reader = new JsonReader(reader("true"));
-    try {
-      reader.skipValue();
-      fail();
-    } catch (IOException expected) {
-    }
-  }
-
   public void testStrictNonExecutePrefix() {
     JsonReader reader = new JsonReader(reader(")]}'\n []"));
     try {
@@ -1524,7 +1509,7 @@ public final class JsonReaderTest extends TestCase {
     } catch (MalformedJsonException expected) {
     }
   }
-  
+
   public void testVeryLongQuotedString() throws IOException {
     char[] stringChars = new char[1024 * 16];
     Arrays.fill(stringChars, 'x');
diff --git a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonWriterTest.java b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonWriterTest.java
index 4cfd55a7..91763d18 100644
--- a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonWriterTest.java
+++ b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/stream/JsonWriterTest.java
@@ -25,11 +25,44 @@ import junit.framework.TestCase;
 @SuppressWarnings("resource")
 public final class JsonWriterTest extends TestCase {
 
-  public void testWrongTopLevelType() throws IOException {
+  public void testTopLevelValueTypes() throws IOException {
+    StringWriter string1 = new StringWriter();
+    JsonWriter writer1 = new JsonWriter(string1);
+    writer1.value(true);
+    writer1.close();
+    assertEquals("true", string1.toString());
+
+    StringWriter string2 = new StringWriter();
+    JsonWriter writer2 = new JsonWriter(string2);
+    writer2.nullValue();
+    writer2.close();
+    assertEquals("null", string2.toString());
+
+    StringWriter string3 = new StringWriter();
+    JsonWriter writer3 = new JsonWriter(string3);
+    writer3.value(123);
+    writer3.close();
+    assertEquals("123", string3.toString());
+
+    StringWriter string4 = new StringWriter();
+    JsonWriter writer4 = new JsonWriter(string4);
+    writer4.value(123.4);
+    writer4.close();
+    assertEquals("123.4", string4.toString());
+
+    StringWriter string5 = new StringWriter();
+    JsonWriter writert = new JsonWriter(string5);
+    writert.value("a");
+    writert.close();
+    assertEquals("\"a\"", string5.toString());
+  }
+
+  public void testInvalidTopLevelTypes() throws IOException {
     StringWriter stringWriter = new StringWriter();
     JsonWriter jsonWriter = new JsonWriter(stringWriter);
+    jsonWriter.name("hello");
     try {
-      jsonWriter.value("a");
+      jsonWriter.value("world");
       fail();
     } catch (IllegalStateException expected) {
     }