diff --git a/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonAbstractObject.java b/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonAbstractObject.java
index c5671c7..29e4cc5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonAbstractObject.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonAbstractObject.java
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 import org.hisp.dhis.jsontree.Validation.Rule;
 import org.hisp.dhis.jsontree.validation.JsonValidator;
 
-import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -111,12 +110,15 @@ default Stream<E> values() {
     }
 
     /**
-     * @return a stream of map/object entries in order of their declaration
+     * @return a stream of map/object entries in order of their declaration. the entry keys are the raw {@link #names()}
+     * as given in the original JSON document (not the {@link #keys()})
      * @throws JsonTreeException in case this node does exist but is not an object node
      * @since 0.11
      */
     default Stream<Map.Entry<String, E>> entries() {
-        return keys().map( key -> Map.entry( key, get( key ) ) );
+        if ( isUndefined() || isEmpty() ) return Stream.empty();
+        return stream( node().names().spliterator(), false ).map(
+            name -> Map.entry( name, get( JsonPath.keyOf( name ) ) ) );
     }
 
     /**
@@ -130,6 +132,15 @@ default List<String> names() {
         return isUndefined() || isEmpty() ? List.of() : stream( node().names().spliterator(), false ).toList();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return a stream of the absolute paths of the map/object members in oder of their declaration
+     * @throws JsonTreeException in case this node does exist but is not an object node
+     * @since 1.2
+     */
+    default Stream<JsonPath> paths() {
+        return isUndefined() || isEmpty() ? Stream.empty() : stream( node().paths().spliterator(), false );
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param action call with each entry in the map/object in order of their declaration
      * @throws JsonTreeException in case this node does exist but is not an object node
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonNode.java b/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonNode.java
index f5def39..2045678 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonNode.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonNode.java
@@ -402,6 +402,17 @@ default Iterable<String> keys() {
         throw new JsonTreeException( getType() + " node has no keys property." );
     }
 
+    /**
+     * OBS! Only defined when this node is of type {@link JsonNodeType#OBJECT}).
+     *
+     * @return the absolute paths of the members of this object in order of declaration
+     * @throws JsonTreeException if this node is not an object node that could have members
+     * @since 1.2
+     */
+    default Iterable<JsonPath> paths() {
+        throw new JsonTreeException( getType() + " node has no paths property." );
+    }
+
     /**
      * OBS! Only defined when this node is of type {@link JsonNodeType#OBJECT}).
      * <p>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonPath.java b/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonPath.java
index 493efb2..a47d05f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonPath.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonPath.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 
 import static java.lang.Integer.parseInt;
+import static java.util.Objects.requireNonNull;
 import static java.util.stream.Stream.concat;
 
 /**
@@ -35,6 +36,8 @@
  */
 public record JsonPath(List<String> segments) {
 
+    private static final System.Logger log = System.getLogger( JsonPath.class.getName() );
+
     /**
      * A path pointing to the root or self
      */
@@ -79,9 +82,61 @@ public static String keyOf( String name ) {
      * @return the plain name when possible and no segment is forced, otherwise the corresponding segment key
      */
     private static String keyOf( String name, boolean forceSegment ) {
-        if ( name.startsWith( "{" ) || name.startsWith( "[" ) ) return "." + name;
-        if ( name.indexOf( '.' ) >= 0 ) return "{" + name + "}";
-        return forceSegment ? "." + name : name;
+        boolean hasCurly = name.indexOf( '{' ) >= 0;
+        boolean hasSquare = name.indexOf( '[' ) >= 0;
+        boolean hasDot = name.indexOf( '.' ) >= 0;
+        // default case: no special characters in name
+        if (!hasCurly && !hasSquare && !hasDot) return forceSegment ? "." + name : name;
+        // common special case: has a dot (and possibly square) => needs curly escape
+        if ( !hasCurly && hasDot ) return curlyEscapeWithCheck( name );
+        // common special case: has a square but no curly or dot => only needs escaping when open + close square
+        if ( !hasCurly ) return hasInnerSquareSegment( name ) ? "{"+name+"}" : "." + name;
+        // edge special case: [...] but only opens at the start => dot works
+        if ( !hasDot && name.charAt( 0 ) == '[' && name.indexOf( '[', 1 ) < 0 ) return "."+name;
+        // edge special case: {...} but only opens at the start => dot works
+        if ( !hasDot && name.charAt( 0 ) == '{' && name.indexOf( '{', 1 ) < 0 ) return "."+name;
+        // special case: has curly open but no valid curly close => plain or dot works
+        if (indexOfInnerCurlySegmentEnd( name ) < 1) return name.charAt( 0 ) == '{' ? "."+name : name;
+        return curlyEscapeWithCheck( name );
+    }
+
+    private static boolean hasInnerSquareSegment(String name) {
+        int i = name.indexOf( '[', 1 );
+        while ( i >= 0 ) {
+            if (isSquareSegmentOpen( name, i )) return true;
+            i = name.indexOf( '[', i+1 );
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Searches for the end since possibly a curly escape is used and a valid inner curly end would be misunderstood.
+     */
+    private static int indexOfInnerCurlySegmentEnd(String name) {
+        int i = name.indexOf( '}', 1 );
+        while ( i >= 0 ) {
+            if (isCurlySegmentClose( name, i )) return i;
+            i = name.indexOf( '}', i+1 );
+        }
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    private static String curlyEscapeWithCheck( String name ) {
+        int end = indexOfInnerCurlySegmentEnd( name );
+        if (end > 0) {
+            // a } at the very end is ok since escaping that again {...} makes it an invalid end
+            // so then effectively there is no valid on in the escaped name
+            if (end < name.length()-1) {
+                log.log( System.Logger.Level.WARNING,
+                    "Path segment escape required but not supported for name `%s`, character at %d will be misunderstood as segment end".formatted(
+                        name, end ) );
+            }
+        }
+        return "{"+name+"}";
+    }
+
+    public JsonPath {
+        requireNonNull( segments );
     }
 
     /**
@@ -235,7 +290,7 @@ private static List<String> splitIntoSegments( String path )
             if ( isDotSegmentOpen( path, i ) ) {
                 i++; // advance past the .
                 if ( i < len && path.charAt( i ) != '.' ) {
-                    i++; // if it is not a dot the first char after the . is never the end
+                    i++; // if it is not a dot the first char after the . is never a start of next segment
                     while ( i < len && !isDotSegmentClose( path, i ) ) i++;
                 }
             } else if ( isSquareSegmentOpen( path, i ) ) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonTree.java b/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonTree.java
index 0b84d16..86090f9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonTree.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonTree.java
@@ -27,21 +27,19 @@
  */
 package org.hisp.dhis.jsontree;
 
-import org.hisp.dhis.jsontree.JsonNodeOperation.Insert;
 import org.hisp.dhis.jsontree.internal.Maybe;
 import org.hisp.dhis.jsontree.internal.Surly;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
-import java.util.AbstractMap.SimpleEntry;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
+import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.function.IntConsumer;
 import java.util.function.Predicate;
 import java.util.stream.StreamSupport;
@@ -352,25 +350,30 @@ public Entry<String, JsonNode> next() {
                     } else if ( member.endIndex() < startIndexVal ) {
                         // duplicate keys case: just skip the duplicate
                         startIndex = expectCommaSeparatorOrEnd( json, skipNodeAutodetect( json, startIndexVal ), '}' );
-                        return new SimpleEntry<>( name, member );
+                        return Map.entry( name, member );
                     }
                     startIndex = expectCommaSeparatorOrEnd( json, member.endIndex(), '}' );
-                    return new SimpleEntry<>( name, member );
+                    return Map.entry( name, member );
                 }
             };
         }
 
+        @Override
+        public Iterable<JsonPath> paths() {
+            return keys(path::extendedWith);
+        }
+
         @Override
         public Iterable<String> names() {
-            return keys(false);
+            return keys(name -> name);
         }
 
         @Override
         public Iterable<String> keys() {
-            return keys(true);
+            return keys(JsonPath::keyOf);
         }
 
-        private Iterable<String> keys(boolean escape) {
+        private <E> Iterable<E> keys( Function<String, E> toKey) {
             return () -> new Iterator<>() {
                 private final char[] json = tree.json;
                 private final Map<JsonPath, JsonNode> nodesByPath = tree.nodesByPath;
@@ -382,7 +385,7 @@ public boolean hasNext() {
                 }
 
                 @Override
-                public String next() {
+                public E next() {
                     if ( !hasNext() )
                         throw new NoSuchElementException( "next() called without checking hasNext()" );
                     LazyJsonString.Span property = LazyJsonString.parseString( json, startIndex );
@@ -395,7 +398,7 @@ public String next() {
                     startIndex = member == null || member.endIndex() < startIndex // (duplicates)
                         ? expectCommaSeparatorOrEnd( json, skipNodeAutodetect( json, startIndex ), '}' )
                         : expectCommaSeparatorOrEnd( json, member.endIndex(), '}' );
-                    return escape ? JsonPath.keyOf( name ) : name;
+                    return toKey.apply( name );
                 }
             };
         }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonMapTest.java b/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonMapTest.java
index d656ad2..36e1253 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonMapTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonMapTest.java
@@ -158,8 +158,8 @@ void testEntries_Special() {
         String json = """
             {".":1, "{uid}":2, "[6]":3, "x{y}z": 4}""";
         JsonMap<JsonNumber> map = JsonMixed.of( json ).asMap( JsonNumber.class );
-        assertEquals( List.of( entry( "{.}", 1 ), entry( ".{uid}", 2 ),
-                entry( ".[6]", 3 ), entry( "x{y}z", 4 ) ),
+        assertEquals( List.of( entry( ".", 1 ), entry( "{uid}", 2 ),
+                entry( "[6]", 3 ), entry( "x{y}z", 4 ) ),
             map.entries().map( e -> entry( e.getKey(), e.getValue().intValue() ) ).toList() );
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonObjectTest.java b/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonObjectTest.java
index 044a259..429d6b2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonObjectTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/hisp/dhis/jsontree/JsonObjectTest.java
@@ -59,6 +59,29 @@ void testNames_Special() {
         assertEquals( List.of( ".", "{uid}", "[0]" ), value.names() );
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testPaths_Special() {
+        //language=json
+        String json = """
+            {"root": {".":1,"{uid}":2,"[0]": 3,"normal":4}}""";
+        JsonObject value = JsonMixed.of( json ).getObject( "root" );
+        assertEquals( List.of( JsonPath.of( ".root{.}" ), JsonPath.of( ".root.{uid}" ), JsonPath.of( ".root.[0]" ),
+                JsonPath.of( ".root.normal" ) ),
+            value.paths().toList() );
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testPaths_OpenAPI() {
+        //language=json
+        String json = """
+            {"paths": {"/api/dataElements/{uid:[a-zA-Z0-9]{11}}": {"get": {"id": "opx"}, "delete": {"id":"opy"}}}}""";
+        JsonObject paths = JsonMixed.of( json ).getObject( "paths" );
+        assertEquals( List.of("/api/dataElements/{uid:[a-zA-Z0-9]{11}}"), paths.names() );
+        JsonObject ops = paths.getObject( JsonPath.keyOf( "/api/dataElements/{uid:[a-zA-Z0-9]{11}}" ) );
+        assertEquals( List.of("get", "delete"), ops.keys().toList() );
+        assertEquals( "opy", ops.getObject( "delete" ).getString( "id" ).string() );
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testProject() {
         //language=json