diff --git a/base/manifest.py b/base/manifest.py
index 015e3e2..6fe39ae 100644
--- a/base/manifest.py
+++ b/base/manifest.py
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 def load_manifest(path):
-	from json import load
-	data = load(open(path))
+	data = load_json(path)
 
 	provider = __import__('providers.{module}'.format(module=data['provider']), fromlist=['providers'])
 	manifest = provider.Manifest(path)
@@ -14,17 +13,22 @@ def load_manifest(path):
 	manifest.load_plugins()
 	return (provider, manifest)
 
+def load_json(path):
+	import json
+	from minify_json import json_minify
+	with open(path) as stream:
+		return json.loads(json_minify(stream.read(), False))
+
 class Manifest(object):
 	def __init__(self, path):
 		self.path = path
 
 	def validate(self, data, schema_path=None):
 		if schema_path is not None:
-			from json import load
 			from json_schema_validator.validator import Validator
 			from json_schema_validator.schema import Schema
 			from json_schema_validator.errors import ValidationError
-			schema = Schema(load(open(schema_path)))
+			schema = Schema(load_json(schema_path))
 			try:
 				Validator.validate(schema, data)
 			except ValidationError as e:
diff --git a/base/minify_json.py b/base/minify_json.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a24056b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base/minify_json.py
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+'''
+Created on 20/01/2011
+
+v0.1 (C) Gerald Storer
+MIT License
+
+Based on JSON.minify.js: 
+https://github.com/getify/JSON.minify
+'''
+
+import re
+
+def json_minify(json,strip_space=True):
+    tokenizer=re.compile('"|(/\*)|(\*/)|(//)|\n|\r')
+    in_string = False
+    in_multiline_comment = False
+    in_singleline_comment = False
+    
+    new_str = []
+    from_index = 0 # from is a keyword in Python
+    
+    for match in re.finditer(tokenizer,json):
+        
+        if not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
+            tmp2 = json[from_index:match.start()]
+            if not in_string and strip_space:
+                tmp2 = re.sub('[ \t\n\r]*','',tmp2) # replace only white space defined in standard
+            new_str.append(tmp2)
+            
+        from_index = match.end()
+        
+        if match.group() == '"' and not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
+            escaped = re.search('(\\\\)*$',json[:match.start()])
+            if not in_string or escaped is None or len(escaped.group()) % 2 == 0:
+                # start of string with ", or unescaped " character found to end string
+                in_string = not in_string
+            from_index -= 1 # include " character in next catch
+            
+        elif match.group() == '/*' and not in_string and not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
+            in_multiline_comment = True
+        elif match.group() == '*/' and not in_string and in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
+            in_multiline_comment = False
+        elif match.group() == '//' and not in_string and not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment:
+            in_singleline_comment = True
+        elif (match.group() == '\n' or match.group() == '\r') and not in_string and not in_multiline_comment and in_singleline_comment:
+            in_singleline_comment = False
+        elif not in_multiline_comment and not in_singleline_comment and (  
+             match.group() not in ['\n','\r',' ','\t'] or not strip_space):
+                new_str.append(match.group()) 
+    
+    new_str.append(json[from_index:])
+    return ''.join(new_str)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    import json # requires Python 2.6+ to run tests
+    
+    def test_json(s):
+        return json.loads(json_minify(s))
+    
+    test1 = '''// this is a JSON file with comments
+{
+    "foo": "bar",    // this is cool
+    "bar": [
+        "baz", "bum", "zam"
+    ],
+/* the rest of this document is just fluff
+   in case you are interested. */
+    "something": 10,
+    "else": 20
+}
+
+/* NOTE: You can easily strip the whitespace and comments 
+   from such a file with the JSON.minify() project hosted 
+   here on github at http://github.com/getify/JSON.minify 
+*/
+'''
+
+    test1_res = '''{"foo":"bar","bar":["baz","bum","zam"],"something":10,"else":20}'''
+    
+    test2 = '''
+{"/*":"*/","//":"",/*"//"*/"/*/"://
+"//"}
+
+'''
+    test2_res = '''{"/*":"*/","//":"","/*/":"//"}'''
+    
+    test3 = r'''/*
+this is a 
+multi line comment */{
+
+"foo"
+:
+    "bar/*"// something
+    ,    "b\"az":/*
+something else */"blah"
+
+}
+'''
+    test3_res = r'''{"foo":"bar/*","b\"az":"blah"}'''
+    
+    test4 = r'''{"foo": "ba\"r//", "bar\\": "b\\\"a/*z", 
+    "baz\\\\": /* yay */ "fo\\\\\"*/o" 
+}
+'''
+    test4_res = r'''{"foo":"ba\"r//","bar\\":"b\\\"a/*z","baz\\\\":"fo\\\\\"*/o"}'''
+    
+    assert test_json(test1) == json.loads(test1_res),'Failed test 1'
+    assert test_json(test2) == json.loads(test2_res),'Failed test 2'
+    assert test_json(test3) == json.loads(test3_res),'Failed test 3'
+    assert test_json(test4) == json.loads(test4_res),'Failed test 4'
+    if __debug__: # Don't print passed message if the asserts didn't run
+        print 'Passed all tests'