diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 69a8907..34f113b 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -362,6 +362,10 @@ function validate(input, callback) {
       return validate.validateSigned(input, callback);
     if (isUrl(input))
       return validate.validateHostedUrl(input, callback);
+    if (isJson(input))
+      var url = urlFromAssertion(JSON.parse(input));
+      if (url)
+        return validate.validateHostedUrl(url, callback, '');
     return callback(makeError('input', 'not a valid signed badge or url', { input: input }));
   }
   return callback(makeError('input', 'input must be a string or object', { input: input }));
@@ -541,6 +545,19 @@ function getInternalClass(thing) {
   return Object.prototype.toString.call(thing);
 }
 
+function isJson (str) {
+  try { JSON.parse(str); return true } catch(e) { return false }
+}
+
+function urlFromAssertion (json) {
+  try {
+    var url = json.verify.url;
+    if (isUrl(url))
+      return url;
+    return false;
+  } catch(e) { return false; }
+}
+
 const isUrl = regexToValidator(re.url, 'must be a URL');
 const isAbsoluteUrl = regexToValidator(re.absoluteUrl, 'must be an absolute URL');
 const isEmail = regexToValidator(re.email, 'must be an email address');