diff --git a/src/Decoder.php b/src/Decoder.php
index 876ff2b..e3970f1 100644
--- a/src/Decoder.php
+++ b/src/Decoder.php
@@ -112,6 +112,19 @@ public function handleData($data)
             $data = (string)\substr($this->buffer, 0, $newline);
             $this->buffer = (string)\substr($this->buffer, $newline + 1);
 
+            // decode data with simdjson when the extension is available
+            if (\extension_loaded('simdjson')) {
+                try {
+                    $data = \simdjson_decode($data, $this->assoc, $this->depth);
+
+                    $this->emit('data', array($data));
+                } catch (\Throwable $err) {
+                    $this->handleError(new \RuntimeException('Unable to decode JSON: ' . $err->getMessage(), $err->getCode(), $err));
+                }
+
+                continue;
+            }
+
             // decode data with options given in ctor
             // @codeCoverageIgnoreStart
             if ($this->options === 0) {
diff --git a/tests/DecoderTest.php b/tests/DecoderTest.php
index 0743e6b..c72749a 100644
--- a/tests/DecoderTest.php
+++ b/tests/DecoderTest.php
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ public function testEmitDataBigIntOptionWillForwardAsString()
         if (!defined('JSON_BIGINT_AS_STRING')) {
             $this->markTestSkipped('Const JSON_BIGINT_AS_STRING only available in PHP 5.4+');
         }
+
+        if (\extension_loaded('simdjson')) {
+            $this->markTestSkipped('Flags cannot be passed to simdjson_decode');
+        }
+
         $this->decoder = new Decoder($this->input, false, 512, JSON_BIGINT_AS_STRING);
         $this->decoder->on('data', $this->expectCallableOnceWith($this->identicalTo('999888777666555444333222111000')));
 
@@ -87,8 +92,8 @@ public function testEmitDataErrorWillForwardError()
         $this->input->emit('data', array("invalid\n"));
 
         $this->assertInstanceOf('RuntimeException', $error);
-        $this->assertContainsString('Syntax error', $error->getMessage());
-        $this->assertEquals(JSON_ERROR_SYNTAX, $error->getCode());
+        $this->assertMatchesRegularExpression('/(syntax error|improper structure)/i', $error->getMessage());
+        $this->assertEquals(\extension_loaded('simdjson') ? SIMDJSON_ERR_TAPE_ERROR : JSON_ERROR_SYNTAX, $error->getCode());
     }
 
     public function testEmitDataErrorWillForwardErrorAlsoWhenCreatedWithThrowOnError()