diff --git a/core/src/main/java/studio/core/v1/reader/archive/ArchiveStoryPackReader.java b/core/src/main/java/studio/core/v1/reader/archive/ArchiveStoryPackReader.java
index 018e3c1bc..b302bb86c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/studio/core/v1/reader/archive/ArchiveStoryPackReader.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/studio/core/v1/reader/archive/ArchiveStoryPackReader.java
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ public StoryPackMetadata readMetadata(InputStream inputStream) throws IOExceptio
             if (!entry.isDirectory() && entry.getName().equalsIgnoreCase("story.json")) {
                 hasStoryJsonEntry = true;
 
-                JsonParser parser = new JsonParser();
-                JsonObject root = parser.parse(new InputStreamReader(zis)).getAsJsonObject();
+                JsonObject root = JsonParser.parseReader(new InputStreamReader(zis)).getAsJsonObject();
 
                 // Read metadata
                 metadata.setVersion(root.get("version").getAsShort());
@@ -104,8 +103,7 @@ public StoryPack read(InputStream inputStream) throws IOException {
         while((entry = zis.getNextEntry()) != null) {
             // Story descriptor file: story.json
             if (!entry.isDirectory() && entry.getName().equalsIgnoreCase("story.json")) {
-                JsonParser parser = new JsonParser();
-                JsonObject root = parser.parse(new InputStreamReader(zis)).getAsJsonObject();
+                JsonObject root = JsonParser.parseReader(new InputStreamReader(zis)).getAsJsonObject();
 
                 // Read metadata
                 version = root.get("version").getAsShort();
diff --git a/metadata/src/main/java/studio/metadata/DatabaseMetadataService.java b/metadata/src/main/java/studio/metadata/DatabaseMetadataService.java
index ee076397f..9701d6804 100644
--- a/metadata/src/main/java/studio/metadata/DatabaseMetadataService.java
+++ b/metadata/src/main/java/studio/metadata/DatabaseMetadataService.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public DatabaseMetadataService(boolean isAgent) {
                 String databasePath = System.getProperty(OFFICIAL_DB_PROP, System.getProperty("user.home") + OFFICIAL_DB_JSON_PATH);
                 JsonObject officialRoot;
                 try (FileReader databaseReader = new FileReader(databasePath)) {
-                    officialRoot = new JsonParser().parse(databaseReader).getAsJsonObject();   // throws IllegalStateException
+                    officialRoot = JsonParser.parseReader(databaseReader).getAsJsonObject();   // throws IllegalStateException
                 }
                 // Support newer file format which has an additional wrapper: { "code": "0.0", "response": { ...
                 final JsonObject packsRoot = (officialRoot.keySet().contains("response")) ? officialRoot.getAsJsonObject("response") : officialRoot;
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ public synchronized Optional<DatabasePackMetadata> getUnofficialMetadata(String
             String databasePath = System.getProperty(UNOFFICIAL_DB_PROP, System.getProperty("user.home") + UNOFFICIAL_DB_JSON_PATH);
             JsonObject unofficialRoot;
             try (FileReader databaseReader = new FileReader(databasePath)) {
-                unofficialRoot = new JsonParser().parse(databaseReader).getAsJsonObject();
+                unofficialRoot = JsonParser.parseReader(databaseReader).getAsJsonObject();
             }
             if (unofficialRoot.has(uuid)) {
                 JsonObject packMetadata = unofficialRoot.getAsJsonObject(uuid);
@@ -178,11 +178,10 @@ private void fetchOfficialDatabase() {
             if (tokenStatusCode == 200) {
                 // OK, read response body
                 InputStream inputStream = tokenConnection.getInputStream();
-                JsonParser parser = new JsonParser();
                 String token;
                 try (BufferedReader bufferedReader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(inputStream, StandardCharsets.UTF_8))) {
                     // Extract token from response body
-                    JsonObject tokenJson = parser.parse(new JsonReader(bufferedReader)).getAsJsonObject();
+                    JsonObject tokenJson = JsonParser.parseReader(new JsonReader(bufferedReader)).getAsJsonObject();
                     token = tokenJson.getAsJsonObject("response").getAsJsonObject("token").get("server").getAsString();
                 }
                 LOGGER.fine("Guest token: " + token);
@@ -202,7 +201,7 @@ private void fetchOfficialDatabase() {
                     JsonObject response;
                     try (BufferedReader bufferedReader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(inputStream, StandardCharsets.UTF_8))) {
                         // Extract metadata database from response body
-                        JsonObject json = parser.parse(new JsonReader(bufferedReader)).getAsJsonObject();
+                        JsonObject json = JsonParser.parseReader(new JsonReader(bufferedReader)).getAsJsonObject();
                         response = json.get("response").getAsJsonObject();
                     }
 
@@ -231,7 +230,7 @@ public void refreshUnofficialMetadata(DatabasePackMetadata meta) {
             String databasePath = System.getProperty(UNOFFICIAL_DB_PROP, System.getProperty("user.home") + UNOFFICIAL_DB_JSON_PATH);
             JsonObject unofficialRoot;
             try (FileReader databaseReader = new FileReader(databasePath)) {
-                unofficialRoot = new JsonParser().parse(databaseReader).getAsJsonObject();
+                unofficialRoot = JsonParser.parseReader(databaseReader).getAsJsonObject();
             }
 
             // Replace or add pack metadata
@@ -264,7 +263,7 @@ public void cleanUnofficialDatabase() {
             String databasePath = System.getProperty(UNOFFICIAL_DB_PROP, System.getProperty("user.home") + UNOFFICIAL_DB_JSON_PATH);
             JsonObject unofficialRoot;
             try (FileReader databaseReader = new FileReader(databasePath)) {
-                unofficialRoot = new JsonParser().parse(databaseReader).getAsJsonObject();
+                unofficialRoot = JsonParser.parseReader(databaseReader).getAsJsonObject();
             }
             List<String> toClean = new ArrayList<>();
             for (String uuid : unofficialRoot.keySet()) {
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index fc2f49a02..1d4b87a13 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>com.google.code.gson</groupId>
                 <artifactId>gson</artifactId>
-                <version>2.8.5</version>
+                <version>2.14.0</version>
             </dependency>
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>commons-io</groupId>