diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/EvaluationContextImpl.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/EvaluationContextImpl.java
index 1e6c1c24..6e66050f 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/EvaluationContextImpl.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/EvaluationContextImpl.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class EvaluationContextImpl implements EvaluationContext {
     @Override
     public <T> T get() {
         if (path.isDefinite()) {
-            return (T) jsonProvider().getProperty(objectResult, 0);
+            return (T) jsonProvider().getArrayIndex(objectResult, 0);
         }
         return (T) objectResult;
     }
diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/PathToken.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/PathToken.java
index 8c7496f5..636bb309 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/PathToken.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/PathToken.java
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ import com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.Utils;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
-/**
- *
- */
 abstract class PathToken {
 
     private PathToken next;
@@ -70,16 +67,13 @@ abstract class PathToken {
     }
 
     private Object readObjectProperty(String property, Object model, EvaluationContextImpl ctx) {
-        if (ctx.options().contains(Option.THROW_ON_MISSING_PROPERTY) && !ctx.jsonProvider().getPropertyKeys(model).contains(property)) {
-            throw new PathNotFoundException("Path [" + property + "] not found in the current context" );
-        }
-        return ctx.jsonProvider().getProperty(model, property);
+        return ctx.jsonProvider().getMapValue(model, property, ctx.options().contains(Option.THROW_ON_MISSING_PROPERTY));
     }
 
     void handleArrayIndex(int index, String currentPath, Object json, EvaluationContextImpl ctx) {
         String evalPath = currentPath + "[" + index + "]";
         try {
-            Object evalHit = ctx.jsonProvider().getProperty(json, index);
+            Object evalHit = ctx.jsonProvider().getArrayIndex(json, index);
             if (isLeaf()) {
                 ctx.addResult(evalPath, evalHit);
             } else {
diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/ScanPathToken.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/ScanPathToken.java
index eb481ff0..3aef735e 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/ScanPathToken.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/compiler/ScanPathToken.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class ScanPathToken extends PathToken {
 
         for (String property : properties) {
             String evalPath = currentPath + "['" + property + "']";
-            Object propertyModel = ctx.jsonProvider().getProperty(model, property);
+            Object propertyModel = ctx.jsonProvider().getMapValue(model, property);
             walk(evalPath, propertyModel, ctx, predicate, predicateMatches);
         }
 
diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/json/AbstractJsonProvider.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/json/AbstractJsonProvider.java
index 22c17d76..5f0f2ee7 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/json/AbstractJsonProvider.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/spi/json/AbstractJsonProvider.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  */
 package com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.spi.json;
 
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.PathNotFoundException;
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.Utils;
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.spi.json.JsonProvider;
 
@@ -50,6 +51,47 @@ public abstract class AbstractJsonProvider implements JsonProvider {
         return (obj instanceof List);
     }
 
+
+    /**
+     * Extracts a value from an array
+     *
+     * @param obj an array
+     * @param idx index
+     * @return the entry at the given index
+     */
+    public Object getArrayIndex(Object obj, int idx) {
+        return ((List) obj).get(idx);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Extracts a value from an map
+     *
+     * @param obj a map
+     * @param key property key
+     * @return the map entry
+     */
+    public Object getMapValue(Object obj, String key){
+        return ((Map) obj).get(key);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Extracts a value from an map
+     *
+     * @param obj a map
+     * @param key property key
+     * @param throwOnMissing if true a PathNotFoundException is thrown if property is missing
+     * @return the map entry
+     */
+    public Object getMapValue(Object obj, String key, boolean throwOnMissing){
+        Map m = (Map) obj;
+        if(!m.containsKey(key)){
+            throw new PathNotFoundException("Property ['" + key + "'] not found in the current context" );
+        } else {
+            return m.get(key);
+        }
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * Extracts a value from an object or array
      *
diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/spi/json/JsonProvider.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/spi/json/JsonProvider.java
index 51f08186..70257775 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/spi/json/JsonProvider.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/spi/json/JsonProvider.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import com.jayway.jsonpath.InvalidJsonException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.Reader;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
 
 public interface JsonProvider {
 
@@ -90,6 +91,34 @@ public interface JsonProvider {
      */
     Object getProperty(Object obj, Object key);
 
+    /**
+     * Extracts a value from an array
+     *
+     * @param obj an array
+     * @param idx index
+     * @return the entry at the given index
+     */
+    Object getArrayIndex(Object obj, int idx);
+
+    /**
+     * Extracts a value from an map
+     *
+     * @param obj a map
+     * @param key property key
+     * @return the map entry
+     */
+    Object getMapValue(Object obj, String key);
+
+    /**
+     * Extracts a value from an map
+     *
+     * @param obj a map
+     * @param key property key
+     * @param throwOnMissing if true a PathNotFoundException is thrown if property is not defined
+     * @return the map entry
+     */
+    Object getMapValue(Object obj, String key, boolean throwOnMissing);
+
     /**
      * Sets a value in an object or array
      *