diff --git a/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp b/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp
index 341162b..02a7d54 100644
--- a/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp
+++ b/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp
@@ -871,7 +871,7 @@ public:
   bool failIfExtra_;
   bool rejectDupKeys_;
   bool allowSpecialFloats_;
-  bool allowBom_;
+  bool skipBom_;
   size_t stackLimit_;
 }; // OurFeatures
 
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ private:
 
   bool readToken(Token& token);
   void skipSpaces();
-  void skipBom(bool allowBom);
+  void skipBom(bool skipBom);
   bool match(const Char* pattern, int patternLength);
   bool readComment();
   bool readCStyleComment(bool* containsNewLineResult);
@@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@ bool OurReader::parse(const char* beginDoc, const char* endDoc, Value& root,
   nodes_.push(&root);
 
   // skip byte order mark if it exists at the beginning of the UTF-8 text.
-  skipBom(features_.allowBom_);
+  skipBom(features_.skipBom_);
   bool successful = readValue();
   nodes_.pop();
   Token token;
@@ -1272,10 +1272,9 @@ void OurReader::skipSpaces() {
   }
 }
 
-void OurReader::skipBom(bool allowBom) {
-  // If BOM is not allowed, then skip it.
-  // The default value is: false
-  if (!allowBom) {
+void OurReader::skipBom(bool skipBom) {
+  // The default behavior is to skip BOM.
+  if (skipBom) {
     if (strncmp(begin_, "\xEF\xBB\xBF", 3) == 0) {
       begin_ += 3;
       current_ = begin_;
@@ -1900,7 +1899,7 @@ CharReader* CharReaderBuilder::newCharReader() const {
   features.failIfExtra_ = settings_["failIfExtra"].asBool();
   features.rejectDupKeys_ = settings_["rejectDupKeys"].asBool();
   features.allowSpecialFloats_ = settings_["allowSpecialFloats"].asBool();
-  features.allowBom_ = settings_["allowBom"].asBool();
+  features.skipBom_ = settings_["skipBom"].asBool();
   return new OurCharReader(collectComments, features);
 }
 static void getValidReaderKeys(std::set<String>* valid_keys) {
@@ -1916,7 +1915,7 @@ static void getValidReaderKeys(std::set<String>* valid_keys) {
   valid_keys->insert("failIfExtra");
   valid_keys->insert("rejectDupKeys");
   valid_keys->insert("allowSpecialFloats");
-  valid_keys->insert("allowBom");
+  valid_keys->insert("skipBom");
 }
 bool CharReaderBuilder::validate(Json::Value* invalid) const {
   Json::Value my_invalid;
@@ -1951,7 +1950,7 @@ void CharReaderBuilder::strictMode(Json::Value* settings) {
   (*settings)["failIfExtra"] = true;
   (*settings)["rejectDupKeys"] = true;
   (*settings)["allowSpecialFloats"] = false;
-  (*settings)["allowBom"] = false;
+  (*settings)["skipBom"] = true;
   //! [CharReaderBuilderStrictMode]
 }
 // static
@@ -1968,7 +1967,7 @@ void CharReaderBuilder::setDefaults(Json::Value* settings) {
   (*settings)["failIfExtra"] = false;
   (*settings)["rejectDupKeys"] = false;
   (*settings)["allowSpecialFloats"] = false;
-  (*settings)["allowBom"] = false;
+  (*settings)["skipBom"] = true;
   //! [CharReaderBuilderDefaults]
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp b/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
index ede39ee..e6fe43d 100644
--- a/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
+++ b/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
@@ -3590,13 +3590,13 @@ JSONTEST_FIXTURE_LOCAL(BomTest, skipBom) {
   JSONTEST_ASSERT(errs.empty());
   JSONTEST_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL(root["key"].asString(), "value");
 }
-JSONTEST_FIXTURE_LOCAL(BomTest, allowBom) {
+JSONTEST_FIXTURE_LOCAL(BomTest, notSkipBom) {
   const std::string with_bom = "\xEF\xBB\xBF{\"key\" : \"value\"}";
   Json::Value root;
   JSONCPP_STRING errs;
   std::istringstream iss(with_bom);
   Json::CharReaderBuilder b;
-  b.settings_["allowBom"] = true;
+  b.settings_["skipBom"] = false;
   bool ok = parseFromStream(b, iss, &root, &errs);
   // Detect the BOM, and failed on it.
   JSONTEST_ASSERT(!ok);