diff --git a/datamodel/high/v3/document.go b/datamodel/high/v3/document.go
index 90c83d9..1a04950 100644
--- a/datamodel/high/v3/document.go
+++ b/datamodel/high/v3/document.go
@@ -171,11 +171,14 @@ func (d *Document) RenderWithIndention(indent int) []byte {
 }
 
 // RenderJSON will return a JSON representation of the Document object as a byte slice.
-func (d *Document) RenderJSON(indention string) []byte {
+func (d *Document) RenderJSON(indention string) ([]byte, error) {
 	nb := high.NewNodeBuilder(d, d.low)
 
-	dat, _ := json.YAMLNodeToJSON(nb.Render(), indention)
-	return dat
+	dat, err := json.YAMLNodeToJSON(nb.Render(), indention)
+	if err != nil {
+		return dat, err
+	}
+	return dat, nil
 }
 
 func (d *Document) RenderInline() ([]byte, error) {
diff --git a/document.go b/document.go
index 8e37881..f27618b 100644
--- a/document.go
+++ b/document.go
@@ -208,7 +208,9 @@ func (d *document) RenderAndReload() ([]byte, Document, *DocumentModel[v3high.Do
 
 	newDoc, err := NewDocumentWithConfiguration(newBytes, d.config)
 	errs = append(errs, err)
-
+	if newDoc == nil {
+		return newBytes, nil, nil, errs
+	}
 	// build the model.
 	m, buildErrs := newDoc.BuildV3Model()
 	if buildErrs != nil {
@@ -224,7 +226,7 @@ func (d *document) Render() ([]byte, error) {
 	}
 
 	var newBytes []byte
-
+	var jsonErr error
 	if d.info.SpecFileType == datamodel.JSONFileType {
 		jsonIndent := "  "
 		i := d.info.OriginalIndentation
@@ -233,13 +235,12 @@ func (d *document) Render() ([]byte, error) {
 				jsonIndent += " "
 			}
 		}
-		newBytes = d.highOpenAPI3Model.Model.RenderJSON(jsonIndent)
+		newBytes, jsonErr = d.highOpenAPI3Model.Model.RenderJSON(jsonIndent)
 	}
 	if d.info.SpecFileType == datamodel.YAMLFileType {
 		newBytes = d.highOpenAPI3Model.Model.RenderWithIndention(d.info.OriginalIndentation)
 	}
-
-	return newBytes, nil
+	return newBytes, jsonErr
 }
 
 func (d *document) BuildV2Model() (*DocumentModel[v2high.Swagger], []error) {
diff --git a/document_test.go b/document_test.go
index 0be705b..b8c3e4f 100644
--- a/document_test.go
+++ b/document_test.go
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func TestDocument_RoundTrip_JSON(t *testing.T) {
 	m, errs := doc.BuildV3Model()
 	require.Empty(t, errs)
 
-	out := m.Model.RenderJSON("  ")
+	out, _ := m.Model.RenderJSON("  ")
 
 	// windows has to be different, it does not add carriage returns.
 	if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ func TestDocument_RoundTrip_YAML_To_JSON(t *testing.T) {
 	m, errs := doc.BuildV3Model()
 	require.Empty(t, errs)
 
-	out := m.Model.RenderJSON("  ")
+	out, _ := m.Model.RenderJSON("  ")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
 		assert.Equal(t, string(j), string(out))
@@ -1324,3 +1324,16 @@ func TestDocument_TestNestedFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	_, errs := doc.BuildV3Model()
 	require.Empty(t, errs)
 }
+
+func TestDocument_Issue264(t *testing.T) {
+
+	openAPISpec := `{"openapi":"3.0.0","info":{"title":"dummy","version":"1.0.0"},"paths":{"/dummy":{"post":{"requestBody":{"content":{"application/json":{"schema":{"type":"object","properties":{"value":{"type":"number","format":"decimal","multipleOf":0.01,"minimum":-999.99}}}}}},"responses":{"200":{"description":"OK"}}}}}}`
+
+	d, _ := NewDocument([]byte(openAPISpec))
+
+	_, _ = d.BuildV3Model()
+
+	_, _, _, errs := d.RenderAndReload() // code panics here
+	assert.Len(t, errs, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "yaml: cannot decode !!float `-999.99` as a !!int", errs[0].Error())
+}