diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 494a639b0..82ab20339 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -704,6 +704,7 @@ host_os
 host_vendor
 host_cpu
 host
+JQ
 LDFLAGS_FOR_BUILD
 CPPFLAGS_FOR_BUILD
 CFLAGS_FOR_BUILD
@@ -8804,6 +8805,55 @@ ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
 
 
 
+for ac_prog in jq
+do
+  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+printf %s "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if test ${ac_cv_prog_JQ+y}
+then :
+  printf %s "(cached) " >&6
+else case e in #(
+  e) if test -n "$JQ"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_JQ="$JQ" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  case $as_dir in #(((
+    '') as_dir=./ ;;
+    */) ;;
+    *) as_dir=$as_dir/ ;;
+  esac
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_prog_JQ="$ac_prog"
+    printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+  done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi ;;
+esac
+fi
+JQ=$ac_cv_prog_JQ
+if test -n "$JQ"; then
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $JQ" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$JQ" >&6; }
+else
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+  test -n "$JQ" && break
+done
+test -n "$JQ" || JQ=":"
+
 
 if test "x$ac_cv_prog_cc_c89" = "xno"
 then :
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 53f9cc35f..b3c6181cc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1583,6 +1583,7 @@ AS_IF([test X"$AR" = X"false"], [
     AC_MSG_ERROR([the "ar" utility is required to build sudo])
 ])
 AX_PROG_CC_FOR_BUILD
+AC_CHECK_PROGS(JQ, jq, :)
 
 AS_IF([test "x$ac_cv_prog_cc_c89" = "xno"], [
     AC_MSG_ERROR([Sudo version $PACKAGE_VERSION requires an ANSI C compiler to build.])
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/regress/harness.in b/plugins/sudoers/regress/harness.in
index 9aa6e7677..c9e0d4aa4 100755
--- a/plugins/sudoers/regress/harness.in
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/regress/harness.in
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2022 Todd C. Miller <Todd.Miller@sudo.ws>
+# Copyright (c) 2022, 2024 Todd C. Miller <Todd.Miller@sudo.ws>
 #
 # Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
 # purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 srcdir="@abs_srcdir@"
 builddir="@abs_builddir@"
 SHELL=@SHELL@
+JQ=@JQ@
 verbose=0
 rval=0
 ntests=0
@@ -97,7 +98,11 @@ sudoers)
 	$builddir/cvtsudoers -c "" -f json $in >$json 2>/dev/null || true
 	ntests=`expr $ntests + 1`
 	if cmp $json $json_ok >/dev/null; then
-	    if [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
+	    $JQ empty < $json
+	    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+		errors=`expr $errors + 1`
+		echo "$group/$test (json): FAIL"
+	    elif [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
 		echo "$group/$test (json): OK"
 	    fi
 	else