diff --git a/examples/acorn/app/models/squirrel.hpp b/examples/acorn/app/models/squirrel.hpp
index ed4e0ad1b8..451d8eb260 100644
--- a/examples/acorn/app/models/squirrel.hpp
+++ b/examples/acorn/app/models/squirrel.hpp
@@ -152,10 +152,21 @@ inline void Squirrel::serialize(rapidjson::Writer<rapidjson::StringBuffer>& writ
   writer.EndObject();
 }
 
-inline bool Squirrel::deserialize(const rapidjson::Document& doc) {
+inline bool Squirrel::deserialize(const rapidjson::Document& doc)
+{
+  if(not (doc.HasMember("name") and doc["name"].IsString()))
+    return false;
+
+  if(not (doc.HasMember("age") and doc["age"].IsInt()))
+    return false;
+
+  if(not (doc.HasMember("occupation") and doc["occupation"].IsString()))
+    return false;
+
   name_       = doc["name"].GetString();
   age_        = doc["age"].GetUint();
   occupation_ = doc["occupation"].GetString();
+
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/acorn/app/routes/squirrels.hpp b/examples/acorn/app/routes/squirrels.hpp
index 83418ff0f0..5812027c24 100644
--- a/examples/acorn/app/routes/squirrels.hpp
+++ b/examples/acorn/app/routes/squirrels.hpp
@@ -60,7 +60,13 @@ class Squirrels : public mana::Router {
           // create an empty model
           acorn::Squirrel s;
           // deserialize it
-          s.deserialize(doc);
+          bool ok = s.deserialize(doc);
+          if(UNLIKELY(not ok))
+          {
+            printf("[Squirrels@POST:/] Could not deserialize squirrel\n");
+            res->error({"Parsing Error", "Could not parse data."});
+            return;
+          }
           // add to bucket
           auto id = squirrels->capture(s);
           assert(id == s.key);
@@ -74,10 +80,6 @@ class Squirrels : public mana::Router {
           // send the created entity as response
           res->send_json(s.json());
         }
-        catch(const Assert_error& e) {
-          printf("[Squirrels@POST:/] Assert_error: %s\n", e.what());
-          res->error({"Parsing Error", "Could not parse data."});
-        }
         catch(const bucket::ConstraintException& e) {
           printf("[Squirrels@POST:/] ConstraintException: %s\n", e.what());
           res->error({"Constraint Exception", e.what()});
diff --git a/lib/mana/include/mana/attributes/json.hpp b/lib/mana/include/mana/attributes/json.hpp
index bb834aeb09..fd28ccaaa6 100644
--- a/lib/mana/include/mana/attributes/json.hpp
+++ b/lib/mana/include/mana/attributes/json.hpp
@@ -26,20 +26,6 @@
   #define RAPIDJSON_THROWPARSEEXCEPTION 1
 #endif
 
-#include <stdexcept>
-/**
- *
- */
-namespace mana {
-
-  struct Assert_error : public std::logic_error {
-    using std::logic_error::logic_error;
-  }; //< struct Assert_error
-
-} // < namespace mana
-
-#define RAPIDJSON_ASSERT(x) if (!(x)) throw mana::Assert_error(RAPIDJSON_STRINGIFY(x))
-
 #include <mana/attribute.hpp>
 #include <rapidjson/writer.h>
 #include <rapidjson/document.h>
diff --git a/lib/mana/src/middleware/parsley.cpp b/lib/mana/src/middleware/parsley.cpp
index 6e3cc13a6d..c8cddf6741 100644
--- a/lib/mana/src/middleware/parsley.cpp
+++ b/lib/mana/src/middleware/parsley.cpp
@@ -31,19 +31,15 @@ void Parsley::process(mana::Request_ptr req, mana::Response_ptr, mana::Next next
     auto json = std::make_shared<attribute::Json_doc>();
 
     // Access the document and parse the body
-    try {
-      json->doc().Parse(req->source().body().data());
-      #ifdef VERBOSE_WEBSERVER
-      printf("<Parsley> Parsed JSON data.\n");
-      #endif
+    bool err = json->doc().Parse(req->source().body().data()).HasParseError();
+    #ifdef VERBOSE_WEBSERVER
+    printf("<Parsley> Parsed JSON data.\n");
+    #endif
 
-      // Add the json attribute to the request
+    if(not err)
       req->set_attribute(std::move(json));
-    }
-    catch(const Assert_error& e) {
-      printf("<Parsley> Parsing error.\n");
-    }
-
+    else
+      printf("<Parsley> Parsing error\n");
   }
 
   return (*next)();
diff --git a/mod/rapidjson b/mod/rapidjson
index b596f4e990..73063f5002 160000
--- a/mod/rapidjson
+++ b/mod/rapidjson
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit b596f4e99013dcc2d15f3c71124f15e4330beb3a
+Subproject commit 73063f5002612c6bf64fe24f851cd5cc0d83eef9