diff --git a/example/tests/test_parsers.py b/example/tests/test_parsers.py
index 9da1f09c..00d2ca69 100644
--- a/example/tests/test_parsers.py
+++ b/example/tests/test_parsers.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import json
+from io import BytesIO
 
 from django.test import TestCase
-from io import BytesIO
+from rest_framework.exceptions import ParseError
+
 from rest_framework_json_api.parsers import JSONParser
 
 
@@ -36,3 +38,13 @@ def test_parse_include_metadata(self):
         data = parser.parse(stream, None, self.parser_context)
 
         self.assertEqual(data['_meta'], {'random_key': 'random_value'})
+
+
+    def test_parse_include_metadata(self):
+        parser = JSONParser()
+
+        string = json.dumps([])
+        stream = BytesIO(string.encode('utf-8'))
+
+        with self.assertRaises(ParseError):
+            parser.parse(stream, None, self.parser_context)
diff --git a/rest_framework_json_api/parsers.py b/rest_framework_json_api/parsers.py
index 6dd12a87..c46a4ab6 100644
--- a/rest_framework_json_api/parsers.py
+++ b/rest_framework_json_api/parsers.py
@@ -59,44 +59,44 @@ def parse(self, stream, media_type=None, parser_context=None):
         Parses the incoming bytestream as JSON and returns the resulting data
         """
         result = super(JSONParser, self).parse(stream, media_type=media_type, parser_context=parser_context)
-        data = result.get('data')
 
-        if data:
-            from rest_framework_json_api.views import RelationshipView
-            if isinstance(parser_context['view'], RelationshipView):
-                # We skip parsing the object as JSONAPI Resource Identifier Object and not a regular Resource Object
-                if isinstance(data, list):
-                    for resource_identifier_object in data:
-                        if not (resource_identifier_object.get('id') and resource_identifier_object.get('type')):
-                            raise ParseError(
-                                'Received data contains one or more malformed JSONAPI Resource Identifier Object(s)'
-                            )
-                elif not (data.get('id') and data.get('type')):
-                    raise ParseError('Received data is not a valid JSONAPI Resource Identifier Object')
-
-                return data
-
-            request = parser_context.get('request')
-
-            # Check for inconsistencies
-            resource_name = utils.get_resource_name(parser_context)
-            if data.get('type') != resource_name and request.method in ('PUT', 'POST', 'PATCH'):
-                raise exceptions.Conflict(
-                    "The resource object's type ({data_type}) is not the type "
-                    "that constitute the collection represented by the endpoint ({resource_type}).".format(
-                        data_type=data.get('type'),
-                        resource_type=resource_name
-                    )
-                )
-            if not data.get('id') and request.method in ('PATCH', 'PUT'):
-                raise ParseError("The resource identifier object must contain an 'id' member")
+        if not isinstance(result, dict) or 'data' not in result:
+            raise ParseError('Received document does not contain primary data')
 
-            # Construct the return data
-            parsed_data = {'id': data.get('id')} if 'id' in data else {}
-            parsed_data.update(self.parse_attributes(data))
-            parsed_data.update(self.parse_relationships(data))
-            parsed_data.update(self.parse_metadata(result))
-            return parsed_data
+        data = result.get('data')
 
-        else:
-            raise ParseError('Received document does not contain primary data')
+        from rest_framework_json_api.views import RelationshipView
+        if isinstance(parser_context['view'], RelationshipView):
+            # We skip parsing the object as JSONAPI Resource Identifier Object and not a regular Resource Object
+            if isinstance(data, list):
+                for resource_identifier_object in data:
+                    if not (resource_identifier_object.get('id') and resource_identifier_object.get('type')):
+                        raise ParseError(
+                            'Received data contains one or more malformed JSONAPI Resource Identifier Object(s)'
+                        )
+            elif not (data.get('id') and data.get('type')):
+                raise ParseError('Received data is not a valid JSONAPI Resource Identifier Object')
+
+            return data
+
+        request = parser_context.get('request')
+
+        # Check for inconsistencies
+        resource_name = utils.get_resource_name(parser_context)
+        if data.get('type') != resource_name and request.method in ('PUT', 'POST', 'PATCH'):
+            raise exceptions.Conflict(
+                "The resource object's type ({data_type}) is not the type "
+                "that constitute the collection represented by the endpoint ({resource_type}).".format(
+                    data_type=data.get('type'),
+                    resource_type=resource_name
+                )
+            )
+        if not data.get('id') and request.method in ('PATCH', 'PUT'):
+            raise ParseError("The resource identifier object must contain an 'id' member")
+
+        # Construct the return data
+        parsed_data = {'id': data.get('id')} if 'id' in data else {}
+        parsed_data.update(self.parse_attributes(data))
+        parsed_data.update(self.parse_relationships(data))
+        parsed_data.update(self.parse_metadata(result))
+        return parsed_data