diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 13eeaa1..d3ecf83 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 
 export(JSContext)
 export(cxxflags)
+export(from_json)
 export(ldflags)
 export(qjs_eval)
-export(qjs_passthrough)
 export(quickjs_version)
+export(to_json)
 importFrom(jsonlite,fromJSON)
 useDynLib(QuickJSR, .registration = TRUE)
diff --git a/R/qjs.R b/R/qjs.R
index 97a6c11..747c3a3 100644
--- a/R/qjs.R
+++ b/R/qjs.R
@@ -36,15 +36,26 @@ qjs_validate <- function(ctx_ptr, function_name) {
   .Call(`qjs_validate_`, ctx_ptr, function_name)
 }
 
-#' qjs_passthrough
+#' to_json
 #'
-#' Test function to pass through arguments
+#' Use the QuickJS C API to convert an R object to a JSON string
 #'
-#' @param args Args to pass through
-#' @param json Whether to return a JSON string
-#' @return The input argument unchanged
+#' @param arg Argument to convert to JSON
+#' @return JSON string
 #'
 #' @export
-qjs_passthrough <- function(args, json = TRUE) {
-  .Call(`qjs_passthrough_`, args, json)
+to_json <- function(arg) {
+  .Call(`to_json_`, arg)
+}
+
+#' from_json
+#'
+#' Use the QuickJS C API to convert a JSON string to an R object
+#'
+#' @param json JSON string to convert to an R object
+#' @return R object
+#'
+#' @export
+from_json <- function(json) {
+  .Call(`from_json_`, json)
 }
diff --git a/inst/include/quickjsr.hpp b/inst/include/quickjsr.hpp
index 68c52ef..90c4ef2 100644
--- a/inst/include/quickjsr.hpp
+++ b/inst/include/quickjsr.hpp
@@ -4,5 +4,7 @@
 #include <quickjsr/SEXP_to_JSValue.hpp>
 #include <quickjsr/JSValue_to_SEXP.hpp>
 #include <quickjsr/JSValue_to_JSON.hpp>
+#include <quickjsr/JSON_to_JSValue.hpp>
+#include <quickjsr/type_traits.hpp>
 
 #endif
diff --git a/inst/include/quickjsr/JSON_to_JSValue.hpp b/inst/include/quickjsr/JSON_to_JSValue.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8efe73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/inst/include/quickjsr/JSON_to_JSValue.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#ifndef QUICKJSR_JSON_TO_JSVALUE_HPP
+#define QUICKJSR_JSON_TO_JSVALUE_HPP
+
+#include <cpp11.hpp>
+#include <quickjs-libc.h>
+
+namespace quickjsr {
+
+JSValue JSON_to_JSValue(JSContext* ctx, const std::string& json) {
+  JSValue global = JS_GetGlobalObject(ctx);
+  JSValue json_obj = JS_GetPropertyStr(ctx, global, "JSON");
+  JSValue parse = JS_GetPropertyStr(ctx, json_obj, "parse");
+
+  JSValue json_str = JS_NewString(ctx, json.c_str());
+  JSValue result = JS_Call(ctx, parse, global, 1, &json_str);
+
+  if (JS_IsException(result)) {
+    js_std_dump_error(ctx);
+  }
+
+  JS_FreeValue(ctx, json_str);
+  JS_FreeValue(ctx, parse);
+  JS_FreeValue(ctx, json_obj);
+  JS_FreeValue(ctx, global);
+
+  return result;
+}
+
+} // namespace quickjsr
+#endif
diff --git a/inst/include/quickjsr/JSValue_to_JSON.hpp b/inst/include/quickjsr/JSValue_to_JSON.hpp
index 6004835..44121e6 100644
--- a/inst/include/quickjsr/JSValue_to_JSON.hpp
+++ b/inst/include/quickjsr/JSValue_to_JSON.hpp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 namespace quickjsr {
 
-std::string JS_ValToJSON(JSContext* ctx, JSValue* val) {
+std::string JSValue_to_JSON(JSContext* ctx, JSValue* val) {
   JSValue global = JS_GetGlobalObject(ctx);
   JSValue json = JS_GetPropertyStr(ctx, global, "JSON");
   JSValue stringify = JS_GetPropertyStr(ctx, json, "stringify");
diff --git a/inst/tinytest/test_data_conversion.R b/inst/tinytest/test_data_conversion.R
index 85db9a5..8749937 100644
--- a/inst/tinytest/test_data_conversion.R
+++ b/inst/tinytest/test_data_conversion.R
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #  - The outputs are returned as JSON strings
 #  - If the conversion is consistent, the output should match jsonlite's conversion
 expect_eq_jsonlite <- function(x) {
-  expect_equal(qjs_passthrough(x), as.character(jsonlite::toJSON(x)))
+  expect_equal(to_json(x), as.character(jsonlite::toJSON(x)))
 }
 expect_eq_jsonlite(1)
 expect_eq_jsonlite(1:3)
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ expect_eq_jsonlite(list(list(a = "e", b = "f"), list(c = "g", d = "h")))
 
 # Test that the full round-trip conversion is consistent.
 expect_eq_jsonlite_full <- function(x) {
-  expect_equal(qjs_passthrough(x, FALSE), jsonlite::fromJSON(jsonlite::toJSON(x)))
+  x_json <- jsonlite::toJSON(x)
+  expect_equal(from_json(x_json), jsonlite::fromJSON(x_json))
 }
 expect_eq_jsonlite_full(1)
 expect_eq_jsonlite_full(1:3)
diff --git a/man/from_json.Rd b/man/from_json.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08364a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/from_json.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/qjs.R
+\name{from_json}
+\alias{from_json}
+\title{from_json}
+\usage{
+from_json(json)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{json}{JSON string to convert to an R object}
+}
+\value{
+R object
+}
+\description{
+Use the QuickJS C API to convert a JSON string to an R object
+}
diff --git a/man/qjs_passthrough.Rd b/man/qjs_passthrough.Rd
deleted file mode 100644
index deaa199..0000000
--- a/man/qjs_passthrough.Rd
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
-% Please edit documentation in R/qjs.R
-\name{qjs_passthrough}
-\alias{qjs_passthrough}
-\title{qjs_passthrough}
-\usage{
-qjs_passthrough(args, json = TRUE)
-}
-\arguments{
-\item{args}{Args to pass through}
-
-\item{json}{Whether to return a JSON string}
-}
-\value{
-The input argument unchanged
-}
-\description{
-Test function to pass through arguments
-}
diff --git a/man/to_json.Rd b/man/to_json.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5d3787
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/to_json.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/qjs.R
+\name{to_json}
+\alias{to_json}
+\title{to_json}
+\usage{
+to_json(arg)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{arg}{Argument to convert to JSON}
+}
+\value{
+JSON string
+}
+\description{
+Use the QuickJS C API to convert an R object to a JSON string
+}
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 1db9edf..e1e3563 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ extern "C" {
   SEXP qjs_validate_(SEXP ctx_ptr_, SEXP code_string_);
   SEXP qjs_call_(SEXP ctx_ptr_, SEXP function_name_, SEXP args_json_);
   SEXP qjs_eval_(SEXP eval_string_);
-  SEXP qjs_passthrough_(SEXP args_, SEXP json_rtn_);
+  SEXP to_json_(SEXP arg_);
+  SEXP from_json_(SEXP json_);
 
 
   static const R_CallMethodDef CallEntries[] = {
@@ -19,7 +20,8 @@ extern "C" {
     {"qjs_eval_",     (DL_FUNC) &qjs_eval_,     1},
     {"qjs_source_",   (DL_FUNC) &qjs_source_,   2},
     {"qjs_validate_", (DL_FUNC) &qjs_validate_, 2},
-    {"qjs_passthrough_", (DL_FUNC) &qjs_passthrough_, 2},
+    {"to_json_", (DL_FUNC) &to_json_, 1},
+    {"from_json_", (DL_FUNC) &from_json_, 1},
     {NULL, NULL, 0}
   };
 
diff --git a/src/quickjsr.cpp b/src/quickjsr.cpp
index 1f9e714..e8cac67 100644
--- a/src/quickjsr.cpp
+++ b/src/quickjsr.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ extern "C" SEXP qjs_call_(SEXP ctx_ptr_, SEXP function_name_, SEXP args_json_) {
     js_std_dump_error(ctx);
     result = "Error!";
   } else {
-    result = quickjsr::JS_ValToJSON(ctx, &result_js);
+    result = quickjsr::JSValue_to_JSON(ctx, &result_js);
   }
 
   JS_FreeValue(ctx, result_js);
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ extern "C" SEXP qjs_eval_(SEXP eval_string_) {
     js_std_dump_error(ctx);
     result = "Error!";
   } else {
-    result = quickjsr::JS_ValToJSON(ctx, &val);
+    result = quickjsr::JSValue_to_JSON(ctx, &val);
   }
 
   JS_FreeValue(ctx, val);
@@ -125,44 +125,35 @@ extern "C" SEXP qjs_eval_(SEXP eval_string_) {
   END_CPP11
 }
 
-extern "C" SEXP qjs_passthrough_(SEXP args_, SEXP json_rtn_) {
+extern "C" SEXP to_json_(SEXP arg_) {
   BEGIN_CPP11
   JSRuntime* rt = JS_NewRuntime();
   JSContext* ctx = JS_NewContext(rt);
 
-  std::string function_string = "function passthrough(x) { return x; }";
-  JSValue tmp = JS_Eval(ctx, function_string.c_str(), function_string.size(), "", 0);
-  bool failed = JS_IsException(tmp);
-  JS_FreeValue(ctx, tmp);
-  if (failed) {
-    js_std_dump_error(ctx);
-    return cpp11::as_sexp("Error!");
-  }
-  std::string wrapped_name = "passthrough";
-  JSValue global = JS_GetGlobalObject(ctx);
-  JSValue function_wrapper = JS_GetPropertyStr(ctx, global, wrapped_name.c_str());
-  JSValue args[] = { quickjsr::SEXP_to_JSValue(ctx, args_) };
-  JSValue result_js = JS_Call(ctx, function_wrapper, global, 1, args);
+  JSValue arg = quickjsr::SEXP_to_JSValue(ctx, arg_);
+  std::string result = quickjsr::JSValue_to_JSON(ctx, &arg);
 
-  SEXP result;
-  if (JS_IsException(result_js)) {
-    js_std_dump_error(ctx);
-    result = cpp11::as_sexp("Error!");
-  } else {
-    if (cpp11::as_cpp<bool>(json_rtn_)) {
-      result = cpp11::as_sexp(quickjsr::JS_ValToJSON(ctx, &result_js));
-    } else {
-      result = quickjsr::JSValue_to_SEXP(ctx, result_js);
-    }
-  }
-
-  JS_FreeValue(ctx, result_js);
-  JS_FreeValue(ctx, args[0]);
-  JS_FreeValue(ctx, function_wrapper);
-  JS_FreeValue(ctx, global);
+  JS_FreeValue(ctx, arg);
   JS_FreeContext(ctx);
   JS_FreeRuntime(rt);
 
   return cpp11::as_sexp(result);
   END_CPP11
 }
+
+extern "C" SEXP from_json_(SEXP json_) {
+  BEGIN_CPP11
+  JSRuntime* rt = JS_NewRuntime();
+  JSContext* ctx = JS_NewContext(rt);
+
+  std::string json = cpp11::as_cpp<std::string>(json_);
+  JSValue result = quickjsr::JSON_to_JSValue(ctx, json);
+  SEXP rtn = quickjsr::JSValue_to_SEXP(ctx, result);
+
+  JS_FreeValue(ctx, result);
+  JS_FreeContext(ctx);
+  JS_FreeRuntime(rt);
+
+  return rtn;
+  END_CPP11
+}