diff --git a/JSONObject.java b/JSONObject.java
index a1ed4901c..7dcff6d40 100644
--- a/JSONObject.java
+++ b/JSONObject.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
 import java.util.ResourceBundle;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 
 /**
  * A JSONObject is an unordered collection of name/value pairs. Its external
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ public String toString() {
     /**
      * The map where the JSONObject's properties are kept.
      */
-    private final Map<String, Object> map;
+    protected final Map<String, Object> map;
 
     /**
      * It is sometimes more convenient and less ambiguous to have a
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ public JSONObject() {
         // implementations to rearrange their items for a faster element 
         // retrieval based on associative access.
         // Therefore, an implementation mustn't rely on the order of the item.
-        this.map = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+        this.map = new LinkedHashMap<String, Object>();
     }
 
     /**