diff --git a/vmware_nsxlib/v3/client.py b/vmware_nsxlib/v3/client.py
index fedddeed..2e3fb4d8 100644
--- a/vmware_nsxlib/v3/client.py
+++ b/vmware_nsxlib/v3/client.py
@@ -13,11 +13,15 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 #
-import json
 import re
 import time
 from urllib import parse as urlparse
 
+try:
+    from simplejson.errors import JSONDecodeError
+except ImportError:
+    from json.decoder import JSONDecodeError
+
 from oslo_log import log
 from oslo_serialization import jsonutils
 import requests
@@ -26,7 +30,6 @@ from vmware_nsxlib._i18n import _
 from vmware_nsxlib.v3 import constants
 from vmware_nsxlib.v3 import exceptions
 from vmware_nsxlib.v3 import utils
-
 LOG = log.getLogger(__name__)
 
 NULL_CURSOR_PREFIX = '0000'
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ NULL_CURSOR_PREFIX = '0000'
 def get_http_error_details(response):
     try:
         msg = response.json() if response.content else ''
-    except json.decoder.JSONDecodeError as e:
+    except JSONDecodeError as e:
         LOG.debug("decode response %s error %s", response.content, e)
         # error_code can't be None else it can't be casted to an exception
         return {'status_code': response.status_code,