diff --git a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONML.java b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONML.java
index bde97a6..6ec9970 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONML.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONML.java
@@ -22,6 +22,33 @@ public class JSONML {
     public JSONML() {
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Safely cast parse result to JSONArray with proper type checking.
+     * @param result The result from parse() method
+     * @return JSONArray if result is a JSONArray
+     * @throws JSONException if result is not a JSONArray
+     */
+    private static JSONArray toJSONArraySafe(Object result) throws JSONException {
+        if (result instanceof JSONArray) {
+            return (JSONArray) result;
+        }
+        throw new JSONException("Expected JSONArray but got " +
+            (result == null ? "null" : result.getClass().getSimpleName()));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Safely cast parse result to JSONObject with proper type checking.
+     * @param result The result from parse() method
+     * @return JSONObject if result is a JSONObject
+     * @throws JSONException if result is not a JSONObject
+     */
+    private static JSONObject toJSONObjectSafe(Object result) throws JSONException {
+        if (result instanceof JSONObject) {
+            return (JSONObject) result;
+        }
+        throw new JSONException("Expected JSONObject but got " +
+            (result == null ? "null" : result.getClass().getSimpleName()));
+    }
 
     /**
      * Parse XML values and store them in a JSONArray.
@@ -276,7 +303,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(String string) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, JSONMLParserConfiguration.ORIGINAL, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, JSONMLParserConfiguration.ORIGINAL, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -298,7 +325,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(String string, boolean keepStrings) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, keepStrings, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, keepStrings, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -323,7 +350,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(String string, JSONMLParserConfiguration config) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, config, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, config, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -347,7 +374,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(XMLTokener x, JSONMLParserConfiguration config) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(x, true, null, config, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(x, true, null, config, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -369,7 +396,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(XMLTokener x, boolean keepStrings) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(x, true, null, keepStrings, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(x, true, null, keepStrings, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -386,7 +413,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(XMLTokener x) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(x, true, null, false, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(x, true, null, false, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -404,7 +431,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONObject)parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, false, 0);
+        return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, false, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -424,7 +451,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string, boolean keepStrings) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONObject)parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, keepStrings, 0);
+        return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, keepStrings, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -446,7 +473,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string, JSONMLParserConfiguration config) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONObject)parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, config, 0);
+        return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, config, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -464,7 +491,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(XMLTokener x) throws JSONException {
-           return (JSONObject)parse(x, false, null, false, 0);
+           return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(x, false, null, false, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -484,7 +511,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(XMLTokener x, boolean keepStrings) throws JSONException {
-           return (JSONObject)parse(x, false, null, keepStrings, 0);
+           return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(x, false, null, keepStrings, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -506,7 +533,7 @@ public class JSONML {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(XMLTokener x, JSONMLParserConfiguration config) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONObject)parse(x, false, null, config, 0);
+        return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(x, false, null, config, 0));
     }