diff --git a/src/jse/jse.cpp b/src/jse/jse.cpp
index 78c86a2..8a17315 100644
--- a/src/jse/jse.cpp
+++ b/src/jse/jse.cpp
@@ -100,13 +100,31 @@ namespace jse
                     enriched.push_back(rule);
                 }
                 // if the rule is an include, expand the node with a copy of the included file
+                // include an embedded rule
+                else if (embedded_rules.find(rule.at("spec_file")) != embedded_rules.end())
+                {
+                    json embed_include_rules = embedded_rules[rule.at("spec_file")];
+                    // loop over all rules to add the prefix
+                    for (auto &i_rule : embed_include_rules)
+                    {
+                        string prefix = rule.at("pointer");
+                        string pointer = i_rule.at("pointer");
+                        string new_pointer = prepend_pointer(pointer, prefix);
+                        i_rule.at("pointer") = new_pointer;
+                    }
+
+                    // save modified rules
+                    for (const auto &i_rule : embed_include_rules)
+                        enriched.push_back(i_rule);
+                }
+                // include an rule from a file
                 else
                 {
                     bool replaced = false;
                     // the include file could be in any of the include directories
+                    string spec_file = rule.at("spec_file");
                     for (const auto &dir : dirs)
                     {
-                        string spec_file = rule.at("spec_file");
                         string f = dir + "/" + spec_file;
                         // check if the file exists
                         if (std::filesystem::is_regular_file(f))
@@ -367,7 +385,7 @@ namespace jse
     {
         assert(rule.at("type") == "float");
 
-        if (!input.is_number() && !input.is_null())
+        if (!input.is_number())
             return false;
 
         if (rule.contains("min") && input < rule["min"])
@@ -383,7 +401,7 @@ namespace jse
     {
         assert(rule.at("type") == "int");
 
-        if (!input.is_number_integer() && !input.is_null())
+        if (!input.is_number_integer())
             return false;
 
         if (rule.contains("min") && input < rule["min"])
diff --git a/src/jse/jse.h b/src/jse/jse.h
index 4dccfa2..350cd62 100644
--- a/src/jse/jse.h
+++ b/src/jse/jse.h
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ namespace jse
         // additional directories which can be used for relative paths
         std::vector<string> include_directories;
 
+        // additional rules that can be used
+        std::unordered_map<std::string, json> embedded_rules;
+
         // automatic boxing for primitive types
         // if all rules fail for a basic type, try boxing it once and try again
         bool boxing_primitive = true;
diff --git a/tests/test_validator.cpp b/tests/test_validator.cpp
index beb7ed6..04193d7 100644
--- a/tests/test_validator.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_validator.cpp
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ TEST_CASE("include_rule", "[validator]")
     REQUIRE(new_rules == matching);
 }
 
+
 TEST_CASE("file_01", "[validator]")
 {
     std::ifstream ifs1(root_path + "/input_01.json");
@@ -610,49 +611,3 @@ TEST_CASE("polymorphism", "[inject]")
     INFO(return_json);
     REQUIRE(return_json == output);
 }
-
-TEST_CASE("null_as_nan", "[validator][inject]")
-{
-    nlohmann::json rules = R"(
-        [
-            {
-                "pointer": "/",
-                "type": "object",
-                "required": ["f1"],
-                "optional": ["f2"]
-            },
-            {
-                "pointer": "/f1",
-                "type": "float"
-            },
-            {
-                "pointer": "/f2",
-                "type": "int",
-                "default": null
-            }
-        ]
-        )"_json;
-
-    nlohmann::json input = R"(
-        {
-            "f1": null,
-            "f2": null
-        }
-        )"_json;
-
-    JSE jse;
-    jse.strict = true;
-
-    bool r = jse.verify_json(input, rules);
-    REQUIRE(r);
-
-    input.erase("f2");
-    r = jse.verify_json(input, rules);
-    REQUIRE(r);
-
-    const json return_json = jse.inject_defaults(input, rules);
-    CHECK(return_json["f1"].is_null());
-    CHECK(return_json["f2"].is_null());
-
-    input["f2"] = std::nan("");
-}
\ No newline at end of file