diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 91d3d5a..342bbcd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ Parses a given JSON-formatted text into an object where:
         - `'error'` - throw a `SyntaxError` when a `constructor.prototype` key is found. This is the default value.
         - `'remove'` - deletes any `constructor` keys from the result object.
         - `'ignore'` - skips all validation (same as calling `JSON.parse()` directly).
+    - `safe` - optional boolean:
+        - `true` - returns `null` instead of throwing when a forbidden prototype property is found.
+        - `false` - default behavior (throws or removes based on `protoAction`/`constructorAction`).
 
 ### `sjson.scan(obj, [options])`
 
@@ -79,6 +82,9 @@ Scans a given object for prototype properties where:
     - `constructorAction` - optional string with one of:
         - `'error'` - throw a `SyntaxError` when a `constructor.prototype` key is found. This is the default value.
         - `'remove'` - deletes any `constructor` keys from the input `obj`.
+    - `safe` - optional boolean:
+        - `true` - returns `null` instead of throwing when a forbidden prototype property is found.
+        - `false` - default behavior (throws or removes based on `protoAction`/`constructorAction`).
 
 ## Benchmarks
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index a46e37c..728ba96 100755
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -4,6 +4,16 @@ const hasBuffer = typeof Buffer !== 'undefined'
 const suspectProtoRx = /"(?:_|\\u005[Ff])(?:_|\\u005[Ff])(?:p|\\u0070)(?:r|\\u0072)(?:o|\\u006[Ff])(?:t|\\u0074)(?:o|\\u006[Ff])(?:_|\\u005[Ff])(?:_|\\u005[Ff])"\s*:/
 const suspectConstructorRx = /"(?:c|\\u0063)(?:o|\\u006[Ff])(?:n|\\u006[Ee])(?:s|\\u0073)(?:t|\\u0074)(?:r|\\u0072)(?:u|\\u0075)(?:c|\\u0063)(?:t|\\u0074)(?:o|\\u006[Ff])(?:r|\\u0072)"\s*:/
 
+/**
+ * @description Internal parse function that parses JSON text with security checks.
+ * @private
+ * @param {string|Buffer} text - The JSON text string or Buffer to parse.
+ * @param {Function} [reviver] - The JSON.parse() optional reviver argument.
+ * @param {import('./types').ParseOptions} [options] - Optional configuration object.
+ * @returns {*} The parsed object.
+ * @throws {SyntaxError} If a forbidden prototype property is found and `options.protoAction` or
+ * `options.constructorAction` is `'error'`.
+ */
 function _parse (text, reviver, options) {
   // Normalize arguments
   if (options == null) {
@@ -56,6 +66,14 @@ function _parse (text, reviver, options) {
   return filter(obj, { protoAction, constructorAction, safe: options && options.safe })
 }
 
+/**
+ * @description Scans and filters an object for forbidden prototype properties.
+ * @param {Object} obj - The object being scanned.
+ * @param {import('./types').ParseOptions} [options] - Optional configuration object.
+ * @returns {Object|null} The filtered object, or `null` if safe mode is enabled and issues are found.
+ * @throws {SyntaxError} If a forbidden prototype property is found and `options.protoAction` or
+ * `options.constructorAction` is `'error'`.
+ */
 function filter (obj, { protoAction = 'error', constructorAction = 'error', safe } = {}) {
   let next = [obj]
 
@@ -99,6 +117,15 @@ function filter (obj, { protoAction = 'error', constructorAction = 'error', safe
   return obj
 }
 
+/**
+ * @description Parses a given JSON-formatted text into an object.
+ * @param {string|Buffer} text - The JSON text string or Buffer to parse.
+ * @param {Function} [reviver] - The `JSON.parse()` optional reviver argument, or options object.
+ * @param {import('./types').ParseOptions} [options] - Optional configuration object.
+ * @returns {*} The parsed object.
+ * @throws {SyntaxError} If the JSON text is malformed or contains forbidden prototype properties
+ * when `options.protoAction` or `options.constructorAction` is `'error'`.
+ */
 function parse (text, reviver, options) {
   const { stackTraceLimit } = Error
   Error.stackTraceLimit = 0
@@ -109,6 +136,12 @@ function parse (text, reviver, options) {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * @description Safely parses a given JSON-formatted text into an object.
+ * @param {string|Buffer} text - The JSON text string or Buffer to parse.
+ * @param {Function} [reviver] - The `JSON.parse()` optional reviver argument.
+ * @returns {*|null|undefined} The parsed object, `null` if security issues found, or `undefined` on parse error.
+ */
 function safeParse (text, reviver) {
   const { stackTraceLimit } = Error
   Error.stackTraceLimit = 0
diff --git a/test/index.test.js b/test/index.test.js
index ef61d97..835d582 100644
--- a/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/index.test.js
@@ -524,3 +524,126 @@ test('scan handles optional options', t => {
   t.doesNotThrow(() => j.scan({ a: 'b' }))
   t.end()
 })
+
+test('safe option', t => {
+  t.test('parse with safe=true returns null on __proto__', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "__proto__": { "x": 7 } }'
+    t.strictEqual(j.parse(text, { safe: true }), null)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=true returns null on constructor', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "constructor": {"prototype": {"bar": "baz"}} }'
+    t.strictEqual(j.parse(text, { safe: true }), null)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=true returns object when valid', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6 }'
+    t.deepEqual(j.parse(text, { safe: true }), { a: 5, b: 6 })
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=true and reviver', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "__proto__": { "x": 7 } }'
+    const reviver = (_key, value) => {
+      return typeof value === 'number' ? value + 1 : value
+    }
+    t.strictEqual(j.parse(text, reviver, { safe: true }), null)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=true and protoAction=remove returns null', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "__proto__": { "x": 7 } }'
+    t.strictEqual(j.parse(text, { safe: true, protoAction: 'remove' }), null)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=true and constructorAction=remove returns null', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "constructor": {"prototype": {"bar": "baz"}} }'
+    t.strictEqual(j.parse(text, { safe: true, constructorAction: 'remove' }), null)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=false throws on __proto__', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "__proto__": { "x": 7 } }'
+    t.throws(() => j.parse(text, { safe: false }), SyntaxError)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=false throws on constructor', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "constructor": {"prototype": {"bar": "baz"}} }'
+    t.throws(() => j.parse(text, { safe: false }), SyntaxError)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('scan with safe=true returns null on __proto__', t => {
+    const obj = JSON.parse('{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "__proto__": { "x": 7 } }')
+    t.strictEqual(j.scan(obj, { safe: true }), null)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('scan with safe=true returns null on constructor', t => {
+    const obj = JSON.parse('{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "constructor": {"prototype": {"bar": "baz"}} }')
+    t.strictEqual(j.scan(obj, { safe: true }), null)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('scan with safe=true returns object when valid', t => {
+    const obj = { a: 5, b: 6 }
+    t.deepEqual(j.scan(obj, { safe: true }), { a: 5, b: 6 })
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('scan with safe=false throws on __proto__', t => {
+    const obj = JSON.parse('{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "__proto__": { "x": 7 } }')
+    t.throws(() => j.scan(obj, { safe: false }), SyntaxError)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('scan with safe=false throws on constructor', t => {
+    const obj = JSON.parse('{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "constructor": {"prototype": {"bar": "baz"}} }')
+    t.throws(() => j.scan(obj, { safe: false }), SyntaxError)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=true returns null on nested __proto__', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "c": { "d": 0, "__proto__": { "y": 8 } } }'
+    t.strictEqual(j.parse(text, { safe: true }), null)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=true returns null on nested constructor', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "c": { "d": 0, "constructor": {"prototype": {"bar": "baz"}} } }'
+    t.strictEqual(j.parse(text, { safe: true }), null)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=true and protoAction=ignore returns object', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "__proto__": { "x": 7 } }'
+    t.deepEqual(
+      j.parse(text, { safe: true, protoAction: 'ignore' }),
+      JSON.parse(text)
+    )
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('parse with safe=true and constructorAction=ignore returns object', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "constructor": {"prototype": {"bar": "baz"}} }'
+    t.deepEqual(
+      j.parse(text, { safe: true, constructorAction: 'ignore' }),
+      JSON.parse(text)
+    )
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('should reset stackTraceLimit with safe option', t => {
+    const text = '{ "a": 5, "b": 6, "__proto__": { "x": 7 } }'
+    Error.stackTraceLimit = 42
+    t.strictEqual(j.parse(text, { safe: true }), null)
+    t.same(Error.stackTraceLimit, 42)
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.end()
+})
diff --git a/types/index.d.ts b/types/index.d.ts
index fe38cc3..4ccce04 100644
--- a/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.d.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ declare namespace parse {
      * - `'ignore'` - skips all validation (same as calling `JSON.parse()` directly).
      */
     constructorAction?: 'error' | 'remove' | 'ignore';
+    /** If `true`, returns `null` instead of throwing an error when a security issue is found. */
+    safe?: boolean;
   }
 
   export type ScanOptions = ParseOptions
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ declare namespace parse {
   export const parse: Parse
 
   /**
-   * Parses a given JSON-formatted text into an object.
+   * Safely parses a given JSON-formatted text into an object.
    *
    * @param text The JSON text string.
    * @param reviver The `JSON.parse()` optional `reviver` argument.
diff --git a/types/index.test-d.ts b/types/index.test-d.ts
index 338bf2f..c12e348 100644
--- a/types/index.test-d.ts
+++ b/types/index.test-d.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ expectError(sjson.parse('"test"', { constructorAction: 'incorrect' }))
 sjson.parse('test', { constructorAction: 'remove' })
 sjson.parse('test', { protoAction: 'ignore' })
 sjson.parse('test', () => {}, { protoAction: 'ignore', constructorAction: 'remove' })
+sjson.parse('"test"', null, { safe: true })
+sjson.parse('"test"', { safe: true })
+sjson.parse('test', () => {}, { safe: false })
+sjson.parse('test', { protoAction: 'remove', safe: true })
+expectError(sjson.parse('"test"', null, { safe: 'incorrect' }))
 
 sjson.safeParse('"test"', null)
 sjson.safeParse('"test"')
@@ -22,6 +27,9 @@ sjson.scan({}, { protoAction: 'ignore' })
 sjson.scan({}, { constructorAction: 'error' })
 sjson.scan({}, { constructorAction: 'ignore' })
 sjson.scan([], {})
+sjson.scan({}, { safe: true })
+sjson.scan({}, { protoAction: 'remove', safe: false })
+expectError(sjson.scan({}, { safe: 'incorrect' }))
 
 declare const input: Buffer
 sjson.parse(input)