diff --git a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONML.java b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONML.java
index bde97a680..6ec997061 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/json/JSONML.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/json/JSONML.java
@@ -22,6 +22,33 @@ public class JSONML {
     public JSONML() {
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Safely cast parse result to JSONArray with proper type checking.
+     * @param result The result from parse() method
+     * @return JSONArray if result is a JSONArray
+     * @throws JSONException if result is not a JSONArray
+     */
+    private static JSONArray toJSONArraySafe(Object result) throws JSONException {
+        if (result instanceof JSONArray) {
+            return (JSONArray) result;
+        }
+        throw new JSONException("Expected JSONArray but got " +
+            (result == null ? "null" : result.getClass().getSimpleName()));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Safely cast parse result to JSONObject with proper type checking.
+     * @param result The result from parse() method
+     * @return JSONObject if result is a JSONObject
+     * @throws JSONException if result is not a JSONObject
+     */
+    private static JSONObject toJSONObjectSafe(Object result) throws JSONException {
+        if (result instanceof JSONObject) {
+            return (JSONObject) result;
+        }
+        throw new JSONException("Expected JSONObject but got " +
+            (result == null ? "null" : result.getClass().getSimpleName()));
+    }
 
     /**
      * Parse XML values and store them in a JSONArray.
@@ -276,7 +303,7 @@ private static Object parse(
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(String string) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, JSONMLParserConfiguration.ORIGINAL, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, JSONMLParserConfiguration.ORIGINAL, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -298,7 +325,7 @@ public static JSONArray toJSONArray(String string) throws JSONException {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(String string, boolean keepStrings) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, keepStrings, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, keepStrings, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -323,7 +350,7 @@ public static JSONArray toJSONArray(String string, boolean keepStrings) throws J
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(String string, JSONMLParserConfiguration config) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, config, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), true, null, config, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -347,7 +374,7 @@ public static JSONArray toJSONArray(String string, JSONMLParserConfiguration con
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(XMLTokener x, JSONMLParserConfiguration config) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(x, true, null, config, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(x, true, null, config, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -369,7 +396,7 @@ public static JSONArray toJSONArray(XMLTokener x, JSONMLParserConfiguration conf
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(XMLTokener x, boolean keepStrings) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(x, true, null, keepStrings, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(x, true, null, keepStrings, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -386,7 +413,7 @@ public static JSONArray toJSONArray(XMLTokener x, boolean keepStrings) throws JS
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONArray
      */
     public static JSONArray toJSONArray(XMLTokener x) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONArray)parse(x, true, null, false, 0);
+        return toJSONArraySafe(parse(x, true, null, false, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -404,7 +431,7 @@ public static JSONArray toJSONArray(XMLTokener x) throws JSONException {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONObject)parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, false, 0);
+        return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, false, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -424,7 +451,7 @@ public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string) throws JSONException {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string, boolean keepStrings) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONObject)parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, keepStrings, 0);
+        return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, keepStrings, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -446,7 +473,7 @@ public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string, boolean keepStrings) throws
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string, JSONMLParserConfiguration config) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONObject)parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, config, 0);
+        return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(new XMLTokener(string), false, null, config, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -464,7 +491,7 @@ public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string, JSONMLParserConfiguration c
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(XMLTokener x) throws JSONException {
-           return (JSONObject)parse(x, false, null, false, 0);
+           return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(x, false, null, false, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -484,7 +511,7 @@ public static JSONObject toJSONObject(XMLTokener x) throws JSONException {
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(XMLTokener x, boolean keepStrings) throws JSONException {
-           return (JSONObject)parse(x, false, null, keepStrings, 0);
+           return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(x, false, null, keepStrings, 0));
     }
 
 
@@ -506,7 +533,7 @@ public static JSONObject toJSONObject(XMLTokener x, boolean keepStrings) throws
      * @throws JSONException Thrown on error converting to a JSONObject
      */
     public static JSONObject toJSONObject(XMLTokener x, JSONMLParserConfiguration config) throws JSONException {
-        return (JSONObject)parse(x, false, null, config, 0);
+        return toJSONObjectSafe(parse(x, false, null, config, 0));
     }
 
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONMLTest.java b/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONMLTest.java
index 5a360dd59..93a6821d8 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONMLTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/json/junit/JSONMLTest.java
@@ -986,4 +986,70 @@ public void testToJSONObjectMaxNestingDepthWithValidFittingXML() {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Tests that malformed XML causing type mismatch throws JSONException.
+     * Previously threw ClassCastException when parse() returned String instead of JSONArray.
+     * Related to issue #1034
+     */
+    @Test(expected = JSONException.class)
+    public void testMalformedXMLThrowsJSONExceptionNotClassCast() {
+        // This malformed XML causes parse() to return wrong type
+        byte[] data = {0x3c, 0x0a, 0x2f, (byte)0xff, (byte)0xff, (byte)0xff,
+                      (byte)0xff, (byte)0xff, (byte)0xff, (byte)0xff,
+                      (byte)0xff, 0x3e, 0x42};
+        String xmlStr = new String(data);
+        JSONML.toJSONArray(xmlStr);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Tests that type mismatch in toJSONObject throws JSONException.
+     * Validates safe type casting in toJSONObject methods.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testToJSONObjectTypeMismatch() {
+        // Create XML that would cause parse() to return wrong type
+        String xmlStr = "<\n/\u00ff\u00ff\u00ff\u00ff\u00ff\u00ff\u00ff\u00ff>B";
+        try {
+            JSONML.toJSONObject(xmlStr);
+            fail("Expected JSONException for type mismatch");
+        } catch (ClassCastException e) {
+            fail("Should throw JSONException, not ClassCastException");
+        } catch (JSONException e) {
+            // Expected - verify it's about type mismatch
+            assertTrue("Exception message should mention type error",
+                e.getMessage().contains("Expected") || e.getMessage().contains("got"));
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Tests that valid XML still works correctly after the fix.
+     * Ensures the type checking doesn't break normal operation.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testValidXMLStillWorks() {
+        String xmlStr = "<root><item>value</item></root>";
+        try {
+            JSONArray jsonArray = JSONML.toJSONArray(xmlStr);
+            assertNotNull("JSONArray should not be null", jsonArray);
+            assertEquals("root", jsonArray.getString(0));
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            fail("Valid XML should not throw exception: " + e.getMessage());
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Tests that valid XML to JSONObject still works correctly.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testValidXMLToJSONObjectStillWorks() {
+        String xmlStr = "<root attr=\"value\"><item>content</item></root>";
+        try {
+            JSONObject jsonObject = JSONML.toJSONObject(xmlStr);
+            assertNotNull("JSONObject should not be null", jsonObject);
+            assertEquals("root", jsonObject.getString("tagName"));
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            fail("Valid XML should not throw exception: " + e.getMessage());
+        }
+    }
+
 }