diff --git a/Lib/json/decoder.py b/Lib/json/decoder.py
index 5747fa669a6..a19cf0f18cb 100644
--- a/Lib/json/decoder.py
+++ b/Lib/json/decoder.py
@@ -165,6 +165,12 @@ def JSONObject(s_and_end, strict, scan_once, object_hook, object_pairs_hook,
             nextchar = s[end:end + 1]
         # Trivial empty object
         if nextchar == '}':
+            if object_pairs_hook is not None:
+                result = object_pairs_hook(pairs)
+                return result, end
+            pairs = {}
+            if object_hook is not None:
+                pairs = object_hook(pairs)
             return pairs, end + 1
         elif nextchar != '"':
             raise ValueError(errmsg("Expecting property name", s, end))
diff --git a/Lib/test/json_tests/test_decode.py b/Lib/test/json_tests/test_decode.py
index f41e5b72231..07dadfe26fc 100644
--- a/Lib/test/json_tests/test_decode.py
+++ b/Lib/test/json_tests/test_decode.py
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ class TestDecode(TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(rval, float))
         self.assertEqual(rval, 1.0)
 
+    def test_empty_objects(self):
+        self.assertEqual(json.loads('{}'), {})
+        self.assertEqual(json.loads('[]'), [])
+        self.assertEqual(json.loads('""'), "")
+
     def test_object_pairs_hook(self):
         s = '{"xkd":1, "kcw":2, "art":3, "hxm":4, "qrt":5, "pad":6, "hoy":7}'
         p = [("xkd", 1), ("kcw", 2), ("art", 3), ("hxm", 4),
diff --git a/Lib/test/json_tests/test_scanstring.py b/Lib/test/json_tests/test_scanstring.py
index d503851e56d..abd325324dd 100644
--- a/Lib/test/json_tests/test_scanstring.py
+++ b/Lib/test/json_tests/test_scanstring.py
@@ -1,14 +1,19 @@
 import sys
-import decimal
-from unittest import TestCase
+from unittest import TestCase, skipUnless
 
 import json
 import json.decoder
 
+try:
+    import _json
+except ImportError:
+    _json = None
+
 class TestScanString(TestCase):
     def test_py_scanstring(self):
         self._test_scanstring(json.decoder.py_scanstring)
 
+    @skipUnless(_json, 'test requires the _json module')
     def test_c_scanstring(self):
         if json.decoder.c_scanstring is not None:
             self._test_scanstring(json.decoder.c_scanstring)
diff --git a/Lib/test/json_tests/test_speedups.py b/Lib/test/json_tests/test_speedups.py
index 271840978c5..b7c141f7f6f 100644
--- a/Lib/test/json_tests/test_speedups.py
+++ b/Lib/test/json_tests/test_speedups.py
@@ -1,16 +1,22 @@
-from unittest import TestCase
+from unittest import TestCase, skipUnless
 
 from json import decoder, encoder, scanner
 
+try:
+    import _json
+except ImportError:
+    _json = None
+
+@skipUnless(_json, 'test requires the _json module')
 class TestSpeedups(TestCase):
     def test_scanstring(self):
         self.assertEqual(decoder.scanstring.__module__, "_json")
-        self.assertTrue(decoder.scanstring is decoder.c_scanstring)
+        self.assertIs(decoder.scanstring, decoder.c_scanstring)
 
     def test_encode_basestring_ascii(self):
         self.assertEqual(encoder.encode_basestring_ascii.__module__, "_json")
-        self.assertTrue(encoder.encode_basestring_ascii is
-                          encoder.c_encode_basestring_ascii)
+        self.assertIs(encoder.encode_basestring_ascii,
+                      encoder.c_encode_basestring_ascii)
 
 class TestDecode(TestCase):
     def test_make_scanner(self):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index e16db92e4a6..6d902bf475c 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -53,11 +53,14 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
-- Issue #11830: Remove unnecessary introspection code in the decimal module.                                                                
+- Issue #9233: Fix json.loads('{}') to return a dict (instead of a list), when
+  _json is not available.
 
-- Issue #11703 - urllib2.geturl() does not return correct url when the original
+- Issue #11830: Remove unnecessary introspection code in the decimal module.
+
+- Issue #11703: urllib2.geturl() does not return correct url when the original
   url contains #fragment.
-  
+
 - Issue #10019: Fixed regression in json module where an indent of 0 stopped
   adding newlines and acted instead like 'None'.