diff --git a/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/Authorization.java b/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/Authorization.java
index 74e95002..77472a9b 100644
--- a/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/Authorization.java
+++ b/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/Authorization.java
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ public class Authorization extends AcmeResource {
      *            JSON data
      */
     protected void unmarshalAuthorization(JSON json) {
-        this.status = Status.parse(json.get("status").asString(), Status.PENDING);
+        this.status = json.get("status").asStatusOrElse(Status.PENDING);
 
         String jsonExpires = json.get("expires").asString();
         if (jsonExpires != null) {
diff --git a/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/Status.java b/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/Status.java
index e6b27236..6fef0b63 100644
--- a/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/Status.java
+++ b/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/Status.java
@@ -38,18 +38,4 @@ public enum Status {
                 .orElse(Status.UNKNOWN);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Parses the string and returns a corresponding Status object.
-     *
-     * @param str
-     *            String to parse
-     * @param def
-     *            Default Status if str is {@code null}
-     * @return {@link Status} matching the string, or {@link Status#UNKNOWN} if there was
-     *         no match, or {@code def} if the str was {@code null}
-     */
-    public static Status parse(String str, Status def) {
-        return str != null ? parse(str) : def;
-    }
-
 }
diff --git a/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/challenge/Challenge.java b/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/challenge/Challenge.java
index 5e235f61..37cb9356 100644
--- a/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/challenge/Challenge.java
+++ b/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/challenge/Challenge.java
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ public class Challenge extends AcmeResource {
      * Returns the current status of the challenge.
      */
     public Status getStatus() {
-        return Status.parse(data.get(KEY_STATUS).asString(), Status.PENDING);
+        return data.get(KEY_STATUS).asStatusOrElse(Status.PENDING);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/JSON.java b/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/JSON.java
index 0f6acbd7..f7fcffc5 100644
--- a/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/JSON.java
+++ b/acme4j-client/src/main/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/JSON.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import java.util.stream.StreamSupport;
 
 import org.jose4j.json.JsonUtil;
 import org.jose4j.lang.JoseException;
+import org.shredzone.acme4j.Status;
 import org.shredzone.acme4j.exception.AcmeProtocolException;
 
 /**
@@ -392,6 +393,21 @@ public final class JSON implements Serializable {
             }
         }
 
+        /**
+         * Returns the parsed status.
+         *
+         * @param def
+         *            Default status if value is not present or {@code null}
+         * @return {@link Status}
+         */
+        public Status asStatusOrElse(Status def) {
+            if (val == null) {
+                return def;
+            }
+
+            return Status.parse(val.toString());
+        }
+
         @Override
         public boolean equals(Object obj) {
             if (obj == null || !(obj instanceof Value)) {
diff --git a/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/StatusTest.java b/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/StatusTest.java
index 10014c29..20b4acb4 100644
--- a/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/StatusTest.java
+++ b/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/StatusTest.java
@@ -35,9 +35,6 @@ public class StatusTest {
 
         // unknown status returns UNKNOWN
         assertThat(Status.parse("foo"), is(Status.UNKNOWN));
-
-        // null returns default value
-        assertThat(Status.parse(null, Status.PROCESSING), is(Status.PROCESSING));
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/JSONTest.java b/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/JSONTest.java
index ad5fb34e..18d102e3 100644
--- a/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/JSONTest.java
+++ b/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/JSONTest.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.shredzone.acme4j.Status;
 import org.shredzone.acme4j.exception.AcmeProtocolException;
 
 /**
@@ -84,7 +85,8 @@ public class JSONTest {
         JSON json = TestUtils.getJsonAsObject("json");
 
         assertThat(json.keySet(), containsInAnyOrder(
-                    "text", "number", "boolean", "uri", "url", "date", "array", "collect"));
+                    "text", "number", "boolean", "uri", "url", "date", "array",
+                    "collect", "status"));
         assertThat(json.contains("text"), is(true));
         assertThat(json.contains("music"), is(false));
         assertThat(json.get("text"), is(notNullValue()));
@@ -178,6 +180,7 @@ public class JSONTest {
         assertThat(json.get("uri").asURI(), is(URI.create("mailto:foo@example.com")));
         assertThat(json.get("url").asURL(), is(new URL("http://example.com")));
         assertThat(json.get("date").asInstant(), is(date));
+        assertThat(json.get("status").asStatusOrElse(Status.INVALID), is(Status.VALID));
 
         JSON.Array array = json.get("array").asArray();
         assertThat(array.get(0).asString(), is("foo"));
@@ -204,8 +207,8 @@ public class JSONTest {
         assertThat(json.get("none").asURI(), is(nullValue()));
         assertThat(json.get("none").asURL(), is(nullValue()));
         assertThat(json.get("none").asInstant(), is(nullValue()));
-        assertThat(json.get("none").asArray(), is(nullValue()));
         assertThat(json.get("none").asObject(), is(nullValue()));
+        assertThat(json.get("none").asStatusOrElse(Status.INVALID), is(Status.INVALID));
 
         try {
             json.get("none").asInt();
diff --git a/acme4j-client/src/test/resources/json.properties b/acme4j-client/src/test/resources/json.properties
index b9ab56ed..c0a89b7d 100644
--- a/acme4j-client/src/test/resources/json.properties
+++ b/acme4j-client/src/test/resources/json.properties
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ json = \
     "url": "http://example.com",\
     "date": "2016-01-08T00:00:00Z",\
     "array": ["foo", 987, [1, 2, 3], {"test": "ok"}],\
-    "collect": ["foo", "bar", "barfoo"]\
+    "collect": ["foo", "bar", "barfoo"],\
+    "status": "VALID"\
   }
 
 newRegistration = \