diff --git a/decimal.go b/decimal.go
index a37a230..b48cfa9 100644
--- a/decimal.go
+++ b/decimal.go
@@ -182,8 +182,26 @@ func NewFromString(value string) (Decimal, error) {
 	var intString string
 	var exp int64
 
-	// Check if number is using scientific notation
-	eIndex := strings.IndexAny(value, "Ee")
+	// Check if number is using scientific notation and find dots
+	eIndex := -1
+	pIndex := -1
+	for i, r := range value {
+		if r == 'E' || r == 'e' {
+			if eIndex > -1 {
+				return Decimal{}, fmt.Errorf("can't convert %s to decimal: multiple 'E' characters found", value)
+			}
+			eIndex = i
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if r == '.' {
+			if pIndex > -1 {
+				return Decimal{}, fmt.Errorf("can't convert %s to decimal: too many .s", value)
+			}
+			pIndex = i
+		}
+	}
+
 	if eIndex != -1 {
 		expInt, err := strconv.ParseInt(value[eIndex+1:], 10, 32)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -196,23 +214,12 @@ func NewFromString(value string) (Decimal, error) {
 		exp = expInt
 	}
 
-	pIndex := -1
-	vLen := len(value)
-	for i := 0; i < vLen; i++ {
-		if value[i] == '.' {
-			if pIndex > -1 {
-				return Decimal{}, fmt.Errorf("can't convert %s to decimal: too many .s", value)
-			}
-			pIndex = i
-		}
-	}
-
 	if pIndex == -1 {
 		// There is no decimal point, we can just parse the original string as
 		// an int
 		intString = value
 	} else {
-		if pIndex+1 < vLen {
+		if pIndex+1 < len(value) {
 			intString = value[:pIndex] + value[pIndex+1:]
 		} else {
 			intString = value[:pIndex]
@@ -1766,15 +1773,10 @@ func (d *Decimal) UnmarshalJSON(decimalBytes []byte) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	str, err := unquoteIfQuoted(decimalBytes)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error decoding string '%s': %s", decimalBytes, err)
-	}
-
-	decimal, err := NewFromString(str)
+	decimal, err := NewFromString(unquoteIfQuoted(string(decimalBytes)))
 	*d = decimal
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error decoding string '%s': %s", str, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("error decoding string '%s': %s", string(decimalBytes), err)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -1852,14 +1854,18 @@ func (d *Decimal) Scan(value interface{}) error {
 		*d = NewFromUint64(v)
 		return nil
 
-	default:
-		// default is trying to interpret value stored as string
-		str, err := unquoteIfQuoted(v)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		*d, err = NewFromString(str)
+	case string:
+		var err error
+		*d, err = NewFromString(unquoteIfQuoted(v))
+		return err
+
+	case []byte:
+		var err error
+		*d, err = NewFromString(unquoteIfQuoted(string(v)))
 		return err
+
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("could not convert value '%+v' to any known type", value)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2021,23 +2027,13 @@ func RescalePair(d1 Decimal, d2 Decimal) (Decimal, Decimal) {
 	return d1, d2
 }
 
-func unquoteIfQuoted(value interface{}) (string, error) {
-	var bytes []byte
-
-	switch v := value.(type) {
-	case string:
-		bytes = []byte(v)
-	case []byte:
-		bytes = v
-	default:
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("could not convert value '%+v' to byte array of type '%T'", value, value)
-	}
-
+func unquoteIfQuoted(value string) string {
 	// If the amount is quoted, strip the quotes
-	if len(bytes) > 2 && bytes[0] == '"' && bytes[len(bytes)-1] == '"' {
-		bytes = bytes[1 : len(bytes)-1]
+	if len(value) > 2 && value[0] == '"' && value[len(value)-1] == '"' {
+		return value[1 : len(value)-1]
 	}
-	return string(bytes), nil
+
+	return value
 }
 
 // NullDecimal represents a nullable decimal with compatibility for
diff --git a/decimal_bench_test.go b/decimal_bench_test.go
index 34e038f..4e46251 100644
--- a/decimal_bench_test.go
+++ b/decimal_bench_test.go
@@ -312,3 +312,15 @@ func BenchmarkDecimal_ExpTaylor(b *testing.B) {
 		_, _ = d.ExpTaylor(10)
 	}
 }
+
+func BenchmarkDecimal_UnmarshalJSON(b *testing.B) {
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	bstr := []byte("1234.56789")
+
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		_ = (&Decimal{}).UnmarshalJSON(bstr)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/decimal_test.go b/decimal_test.go
index d398f2d..d288821 100644
--- a/decimal_test.go
+++ b/decimal_test.go
@@ -80,6 +80,11 @@ var testTableScientificNotation = map[string]string{
 	"123.456e10": "1234560000000",
 }
 
+var testMalformedDecimalStrings = map[string]error{
+	"1ee10":     fmt.Errorf("can't convert %s to decimal: multiple 'E' characters found", "1ee10"),
+	"123.45.66": fmt.Errorf("can't convert %s to decimal: too many .s", "123.45.66"),
+}
+
 func init() {
 	for _, s := range testTable {
 		s.exact = strconv.FormatFloat(s.float, 'f', 1500, 64)
@@ -239,6 +244,15 @@ func TestNewFromString(t *testing.T) {
 				d.value.String(), d.exp)
 		}
 	}
+
+	for s, e := range testMalformedDecimalStrings {
+		_, err := NewFromString(s)
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("expected an error, got nil %s", s)
+		} else if err.Error() != e.Error() {
+			t.Errorf("expected %v error, got %v", e, err)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func TestNewFromFormattedString(t *testing.T) {