diff --git a/benchmark/parsingcompetition.cpp b/benchmark/parsingcompetition.cpp
index dca069e32..ba4dad71d 100644
--- a/benchmark/parsingcompetition.cpp
+++ b/benchmark/parsingcompetition.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   int repeat = 10;
   int volume = p.second;
   BEST_TIME(json_parse(p.first, p.second, pj), true, , repeat, volume, true);
+  BEST_TIME(json_parse_4stages(p.first, p.second, pj), true, , repeat, volume, true);
 
   rapidjson::Document d;
 
diff --git a/include/jsonparser/jsonparser.h b/include/jsonparser/jsonparser.h
index c950927cc..cde459ec0 100644
--- a/include/jsonparser/jsonparser.h
+++ b/include/jsonparser/jsonparser.h
@@ -21,3 +21,6 @@ void deallocate_ParsedJson(ParsedJson *pj_ptr);
 // Parse a document found in buf, need to preallocate ParsedJson.
 // Return false in case of a failure.
 bool json_parse(const u8 *buf, size_t len, ParsedJson &pj);
+
+// like json_parse but users 4 stages, slower.
+bool json_parse_4stages(const u8 *buf, size_t len, ParsedJson &pj);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/jsonparser.cpp b/src/jsonparser.cpp
index 4e00f14ef..def9f4362 100644
--- a/src/jsonparser.cpp
+++ b/src/jsonparser.cpp
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ void deallocate_ParsedJson(ParsedJson *pj_ptr) {
   delete pj_ptr;
 }
 
-// parse a document found in buf, need to preallocate ParsedJson.
-bool json_parse(const u8 *buf, size_t len, ParsedJson &pj) {
+// parse a document found in buf, need to preallocate ParsedJson. 
+// this can probably be considered a legacy function at this point.
+bool json_parse_4stages(const u8 *buf, size_t len, ParsedJson &pj) {
   if (pj.bytecapacity < len) {
     std::cerr << "Your ParsedJson cannot support documents that big: " << len
               << std::endl;
@@ -63,3 +64,21 @@ bool json_parse(const u8 *buf, size_t len, ParsedJson &pj) {
   }
   return isok;
 }
+
+// parse a document found in buf, need to preallocate ParsedJson.
+bool json_parse(const u8 *buf, size_t len, ParsedJson &pj) {
+  if (pj.bytecapacity < len) {
+    std::cerr << "Your ParsedJson cannot support documents that big: " << len
+              << std::endl;
+    return false;
+  }
+  bool isok = find_structural_bits(buf, len, pj);
+  if (isok) {
+    isok = flatten_indexes(len, pj);
+  }
+  if (isok) {
+    isok = unified_machine(buf, len, pj);
+  }
+  return isok;
+}
+