diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 96be491e..2b5ab577 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 * Add filters and other recodes to `sc_table_custom()` (#33)
 * Add global option `STATcubeR.language` to override the default language
 * `od_table()`: Add descriptions to `x$header` and `x$field(i)`
+* Allow json strings in `sc_table()` (@matmo, #36)
 
 # STATcubeR 0.5.0
 
diff --git a/R/table.R b/R/table.R
index 809977af..3f51a54c 100644
--- a/R/table.R
+++ b/R/table.R
@@ -92,8 +92,10 @@ sc_table_class <- R6::R6Class(
     #'   provided by the API.
     #' @param annotations Include separate annotation columns in the returned
     #'   table. This parameter is currently broken and needs to be re-implemented
-    tabulate = function(..., round = TRUE, annotations = FALSE) {
-      sc_table_tabulate(self, ..., round = round, annotations = annotations)
+    #' @param recode_zeros interpret zero values as missings?
+    tabulate = function(..., round = FALSE, annotations = FALSE, recode_zeros = FALSE) {
+      sc_table_tabulate(self, ..., round = round, annotations = annotations,
+                        recode_zeros = recode_zeros)
     },
     #' @description open the dataset in a browser
     browse = function() {
@@ -168,8 +170,9 @@ sc_table_class <- R6::R6Class(
 #' * [sc_table_saved()] uses a table uri of a saved table.
 #'
 #' Those three functions all return an object of class `"sc_table"`.
-#' @param json_file path to a json file, which was downloaded via the STATcube
-#'   GUI ("Open Data API Abfrage")
+#' @param json Path to a json file, which was downloaded via the STATcube
+#'   GUI ("Open Data API Request"). Alternatively, a json string which
+#'   passes [jsonlite::validate()].
 #' @param add_totals Should totals be added for each classification field in
 #'   the json request?
 #' @return An object of class `sc_table` which contains the return
@@ -181,9 +184,10 @@ sc_table_class <- R6::R6Class(
 #'   will use english. `"de"` uses german.
 #'   The third option `"both"` will import both languages by sending two requests
 #'   to the `/table` endpoint.
+#' @param json_file Depricated. Use `json` instead
 #' @family functions for /table
 #' @examplesIf sc_key_exists()
-#' my_table <- sc_table(json_file = sc_example("population_timeseries.json"))
+#' my_table <- sc_table(json = sc_example("population_timeseries.json"))
 #'
 #' # print
 #' my_table
@@ -206,14 +210,15 @@ sc_table_class <- R6::R6Class(
 #' my_response <- sc_table_saved(table_uri)
 #' as.data.frame(my_response)
 #' @export
-sc_table <- function(json_file, language = NULL, add_totals = TRUE,
-                     key = NULL) {
+sc_table <- function(json, language = NULL, add_totals = TRUE, key = NULL,
+                     json_file = NA) {
+  json <- normalize_json(json, json_file)
   language <- sc_language(language, c("en", "de", "both"))
   both <- language == "both"
   if (both)
     language <- "de"
-  res <- sc_table_json_post(readLines(json_file, warn = FALSE), language, add_totals, key) %>%
-    sc_table_class$new(file = json_file, add_totals = add_totals)
+  res <- sc_table_json_post(json$string, language, add_totals, key) %>%
+    sc_table_class$new(json$string, json$file, add_totals)
   if (both)
     res$add_language("en", key)
   res
@@ -239,6 +244,19 @@ print.sc_table <- function(x, ...) {
   cat(format(x, ...), sep = "\n")
 }
 
+normalize_json <- function(json, json_file) {
+  if (!is.na(json_file)) {
+    json <- json_file
+    warning("parameter `json_file` was renamed to `json`")
+  }
+  file <- NULL
+  if (length(json) == 1 && !jsonlite::validate(json)) {
+    file <- json
+    json <- readLines(file)
+  }
+  list(file = file, string = json)
+}
+
 format.sc_table <- function(x, ...) {
   c(
     cli::style_bold(strwrap(x$meta$source$label)),
diff --git a/man/sc_table.Rd b/man/sc_table.Rd
index dd937647..2c0f9b8b 100644
--- a/man/sc_table.Rd
+++ b/man/sc_table.Rd
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 \alias{sc_table_saved}
 \title{Create a request against the /table endpoint}
 \usage{
-sc_table(json_file, language = NULL, add_totals = TRUE, key = NULL)
+sc_table(json, language = NULL, add_totals = TRUE, key = NULL, json_file = NA)
 
 sc_examples_list()
 
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@ sc_table_saved_list(key = NULL, server = "ext")
 sc_table_saved(table_uri, language = NULL, key = NULL, server = "ext")
 }
 \arguments{
-\item{json_file}{path to a json file, which was downloaded via the STATcube
-GUI ("Open Data API Abfrage")}
+\item{json}{path to a json file, which was downloaded via the STATcube
+GUI ("Open Data API Request"). Alternatively, a json string which
+passes \code{\link[jsonlite:validate]{jsonlite::validate()}}.}
 
 \item{language}{The language to be used for labeling. \code{"en"} (the default)
 will use english. \code{"de"} uses german.
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ the json request?}
 \item{key}{(\code{string}) An API key. To display your key, call
 \code{\link[=sc_browse_preferences]{sc_browse_preferences()}}.}
 
+\item{json_file}{Depricated. Use \code{json} instead}
+
 \item{filename}{The name of an example json file.}
 
 \item{server}{A STATcube API server. Defaults to the external Server via
@@ -61,7 +64,7 @@ Those three functions all return an object of class \code{"sc_table"}.
 }
 \examples{
 \dontshow{if (sc_key_exists()) (if (getRversion() >= "3.4") withAutoprint else force)(\{ # examplesIf}
-my_table <- sc_table(json_file = sc_example("population_timeseries.json"))
+my_table <- sc_table(json = sc_example("population_timeseries.json"))
 
 # print
 my_table