diff --git a/lib/handlers.js b/lib/handlers.js
index 4de6aa3..31870b4 100644
--- a/lib/handlers.js
+++ b/lib/handlers.js
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ export default class Handlers {
             let shorty = Shortstop.create();
 
             shorty.use('import', function (file, cb) {
+                //check for json extension
+                file = (/\.json$/.test(file)) ? file : `${file}.json`;
                 try {
                     file = path(file);
                     return shorty.resolve(loadJsonicSync(file), cb);
diff --git a/test/fixtures/import/child.json b/test/fixtures/import/child.json
index f84f305..b270a1b 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/import/child.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/import/child.json
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 {
     "name": "child",
-    "grandchild": "import:./grandchild.json"
+    "grandchild": "import:./grandchild"
 }
\ No newline at end of file