diff --git a/jq.pyx b/jq.pyx
index 083faa7..cb64602 100644
--- a/jq.pyx
+++ b/jq.pyx
@@ -26,6 +26,15 @@ cdef extern from "jv.h":
     int jv_invalid_has_msg(jv)
     char* jv_string_value(jv)
     jv jv_dump_string(jv, int flags)
+    int jv_is_integer(jv)
+    double jv_number_value(jv)
+    int jv_array_length(jv)
+    jv jv_array_get(jv, int)
+    int jv_object_iter(jv)
+    int jv_object_iter_next(jv, int)
+    int jv_object_iter_valid(jv, int)
+    jv jv_object_iter_key(jv, int)
+    jv jv_object_iter_value(jv, int)
 
     cdef struct jv_parser:
         pass
@@ -51,6 +60,55 @@ cdef extern from "jq.h":
     void jq_get_error_cb(jq_state *, jq_err_cb *, void **)
 
 
+cdef object _jv_to_python(jv v):
+    """Unpack a jv value into a Python object"""
+    cdef jv_kind kind = jv_get_kind(v)
+    cdef int i
+    cdef jv ik
+    cdef jv iv
+    if kind == JV_KIND_INVALID:
+        raise ValueError("Invalid value")
+    elif kind == JV_KIND_NULL:
+        return None
+    elif kind == JV_KIND_FALSE:
+        return False
+    elif kind == JV_KIND_TRUE:
+        return True
+    elif kind == JV_KIND_NUMBER:
+        if jv_is_integer(v):
+            return int(jv_number_value(v))
+        else:
+            return float(jv_number_value(v))
+    elif kind == JV_KIND_STRING:
+        return jv_string_value(v).decode("utf-8")
+    elif kind == JV_KIND_ARRAY:
+        arr = []
+        for i in range(0, jv_array_length(jv_copy(v))):
+            iv = jv_array_get(jv_copy(v), i)
+            try:
+                arr.append(_jv_to_python(iv))
+            finally:
+                jv_free(iv)
+        return arr
+    elif kind == JV_KIND_OBJECT:
+        obj = {}
+        i = jv_object_iter(v)
+        while True:
+            if not jv_object_iter_valid(v, i):
+                break
+            ik = jv_object_iter_key(v, i)
+            iv = jv_object_iter_value(v, i)
+            try:
+                obj[jv_string_value(ik).decode("utf-8")] = _jv_to_python(iv)
+            finally:
+                jv_free(ik)
+                jv_free(iv)
+            i = jv_object_iter_next(v, i)
+        return obj
+    else:
+        raise ValueError("Invalid value kind: " + str(kind))
+
+
 def compile(object program):
     cdef object program_bytes = program.encode("utf8")
     return _Program(program_bytes)
@@ -199,13 +257,7 @@ cdef class _ProgramWithInput(object):
         return _ResultIterator(self._jq_state_pool, self._bytes_input)
 
     def text(self):
-        iterator = self._make_iterator()
-        results = []
-        while True:
-            try:
-                results.append(iterator._next_string())
-            except StopIteration:
-                return "\n".join(results)
+        return "\n".join(json.dumps(v) for v in self)
 
     def all(self):
         return list(self)
@@ -239,9 +291,6 @@ cdef class _ResultIterator(object):
         return self
 
     def __next__(self):
-        return json.loads(self._next_string())
-
-    cdef unicode _next_string(self):
         cdef int dumpopts = 0
         while True:
             if not self._ready:
@@ -250,9 +299,10 @@ cdef class _ResultIterator(object):
 
             result = jq_next(self._jq)
             if jv_is_valid(result):
-                dumped = jv_dump_string(result, dumpopts)
-                value = jv_string_value(dumped).decode("utf8")
-                jv_free(dumped)
+                try:
+                    value = _jv_to_python(result)
+                finally:
+                    jv_free(result)
                 return value
             elif jv_invalid_has_msg(jv_copy(result)):
                 error_message = jv_invalid_get_msg(result)