diff --git a/cpp/include/cudf/io/json.hpp b/cpp/include/cudf/io/json.hpp
index fde1857cb7f..2534140e326 100644
--- a/cpp/include/cudf/io/json.hpp
+++ b/cpp/include/cudf/io/json.hpp
@@ -376,6 +376,7 @@ class json_reader_options {
   /**
    * @brief Set whether to parse mixed types as a string column.
    * Also enables forcing to read a struct as string column using schema.
+   * If enable, mixed types are parsed a string column regardless of schema.
    *
    * @param val Boolean value to enable/disable parsing mixed types as a string column
    */
diff --git a/cpp/src/io/json/json_column.cu b/cpp/src/io/json/json_column.cu
index 8d6890045be..54454da785e 100644
--- a/cpp/src/io/json/json_column.cu
+++ b/cpp/src/io/json/json_column.cu
@@ -987,15 +987,15 @@ std::pair<std::unique_ptr<column>, std::vector<column_name_info>> device_json_co
 
       data_type target_type{};
 
-      if (schema.has_value()) {
+      if (json_col.forced_as_string_column) {
+        target_type = data_type{type_id::STRING};
+      } else if (schema.has_value()) {
 #ifdef NJP_DEBUG_PRINT
         std::cout << "-> explicit type: "
                   << (schema.has_value() ? std::to_string(static_cast<int>(schema->type.id()))
                                          : "n/a");
 #endif
         target_type = schema.value().type;
-      } else if (json_col.forced_as_string_column) {
-        target_type = data_type{type_id::STRING};
       }
       // Infer column type, if we don't have an explicit type for it
       else {
diff --git a/cpp/tests/io/json/json_test.cpp b/cpp/tests/io/json/json_test.cpp
index c26e5ca3edb..1127f9ad641 100644
--- a/cpp/tests/io/json/json_test.cpp
+++ b/cpp/tests/io/json/json_test.cpp
@@ -2776,4 +2776,29 @@ TEST_F(JsonReaderTest, JSONMixedTypeChildren)
   }
 }
 
+TEST_F(JsonReaderTest, MixedTypesWithSchema)
+{
+  std::string data = "{\"data\": {\"A\": 0, \"B\": 1}}\n{\"data\": [1,0]}\n";
+
+  std::map<std::string, cudf::io::schema_element> data_types;
+  data_types.insert(
+    std::pair{"data", cudf::io::schema_element{cudf::data_type{cudf::type_id::LIST}}});
+
+  cudf::io::json_reader_options in_options =
+    cudf::io::json_reader_options::builder(cudf::io::source_info{data.data(), data.size()})
+      .dtypes(data_types)
+      .recovery_mode(cudf::io::json_recovery_mode_t::RECOVER_WITH_NULL)
+      .mixed_types_as_string(true)
+      .keep_quotes(true)
+      .lines(true);
+  cudf::io::table_with_metadata result = cudf::io::read_json(in_options);
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(result.tbl->num_columns(), 1);
+  EXPECT_EQ(result.tbl->num_rows(), 2);
+  EXPECT_EQ(result.tbl->get_column(0).type().id(), cudf::type_id::STRING);
+  // expected output without whitespace
+  cudf::test::strings_column_wrapper expected({R"({"A": 0, "B": 1})", "[1,0]"});
+  CUDF_TEST_EXPECT_COLUMNS_EQUAL(expected, result.tbl->get_column(0));
+}
+
 CUDF_TEST_PROGRAM_MAIN()