diff --git a/bin/checkver.ps1 b/bin/checkver.ps1
index 1f86ba873c..5b4d20faed 100644
--- a/bin/checkver.ps1
+++ b/bin/checkver.ps1
@@ -136,7 +136,10 @@ while($in_progress -gt 0) {
     }
 
     if($jsonpath) {
-        $ver = json_path ($page | ConvertFrom-Json -ea stop) $jsonpath
+        $ver = json_path $page $jsonpath
+        if(!$ver) {
+            $ver = json_path_legacy $page $jsonpath
+        }
         if(!$ver) {
             write-host -f darkred "couldn't find '$jsonpath' in $url"
             continue
diff --git a/lib/autoupdate.ps1 b/lib/autoupdate.ps1
index 5e69a994da..cfdbf6ba61 100644
--- a/lib/autoupdate.ps1
+++ b/lib/autoupdate.ps1
@@ -71,14 +71,16 @@ function find_hash_in_json([String] $url, [String] $basename, [String] $jsonpath
     try {
         $wc = new-object net.webclient
         $wc.headers.add('Referer', (strip_filename $url))
-        $json = $wc.downloadstring($url) | convertfrom-json -ea stop
+        $json = $wc.downloadstring($url)
     } catch [system.net.webexception] {
         write-host -f darkred $_
         write-host -f darkred "URL $url is not valid"
         return
     }
-
     $hash = json_path $json $jsonpath $basename
+    if(!$hash) {
+        $hash = json_path_legacy $json $jsonpath $basename
+    }
     return format_hash $hash
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/json.ps1 b/lib/json.ps1
index fa697dcc2e..fb7e6ecc7d 100644
--- a/lib/json.ps1
+++ b/lib/json.ps1
@@ -87,8 +87,23 @@ Function ConvertToPrettyJson {
     }
 }
 
-function json_path([Object] $json, [String] $jsonpath, [String] $basename) {
-    $result = $json
+Add-Type -Path "$psscriptroot\..\supporting\validator\Newtonsoft.Json.dll"
+
+function json_path([String] $json, [String] $jsonpath, [String] $basename) {
+    $jsonpath = $jsonpath.Replace("`$basename", $basename)
+    $obj = [Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject]::Parse($json)
+    $result = $null
+    try {
+        $result = $obj.SelectToken($jsonpath, $true)
+    } catch [System.Management.Automation.MethodInvocationException] {
+        write-host -f DarkRed $_
+        return $null
+    }
+    return $result.ToString()
+}
+
+function json_path_legacy([String] $json, [String] $jsonpath, [String] $basename) {
+    $result = $json | ConvertFrom-Json -ea stop
     $isJsonPath = $jsonpath.StartsWith("`$")
     $jsonpath.split(".") | ForEach-Object {
         $el = $_