diff --git a/data/complex_array.mat b/data/complex_array.mat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a9d34e
Binary files /dev/null and b/data/complex_array.mat differ
diff --git a/data/test_data.json b/data/test_data.json
index 33f390f..077c28e 100644
--- a/data/test_data.json
+++ b/data/test_data.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "loadmat": {
+    "complex_array.mat": {"a": [[{"__complex__":[0,0]},{"__complex__":[0,1]}],[{"__complex__":[1,0]},{"__complex__":[0,2]}],[{"__complex__":[2,2]},{"__complex__":[0,0]}]]},
     "cell_array.mat": {"c": [["big", "little"], [1, 2, 3]]},
     "char_array.mat": {"a": ["123", "456"]},
     "struct_array.mat": {"s": {"color": ["red", "red"], "x": [3, 4], "type": ["big", "little"]}},
diff --git a/mat4py/.gitignore b/mat4py/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a348e50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mat4py/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/__pycache__/
diff --git a/mat4py/loadmat.py b/mat4py/loadmat.py
index 259818e..ff9cb4f 100644
--- a/mat4py/loadmat.py
+++ b/mat4py/loadmat.py
@@ -270,10 +270,16 @@ def read_numeric_array(fd, endian, header, data_etypes):
     """Read a numeric matrix.
     Returns an array with rows of the numeric matrix.
     """
-    if header['is_complex']:
-        raise ParseError('Complex arrays are not supported')
     # read array data (stored as column-major)
-    data = read_elements(fd, endian, data_etypes)
+    if(header["is_complex"]):
+        realData = read_elements(fd, endian, data_etypes)
+        imagData = read_elements(fd, endian, data_etypes)
+        data = list()
+        for dataIndex in range(0,len(realData)):
+            data.append(complex(realData[dataIndex],imagData[dataIndex]))
+        data = tuple(data)
+    else:
+        data = read_elements(fd, endian, data_etypes)
     if not isinstance(data, Sequence):
         # not an array, just a value
         return data
diff --git a/mat4py/savemat.py b/mat4py/savemat.py
index c64bf7c..1511ed8 100644
--- a/mat4py/savemat.py
+++ b/mat4py/savemat.py
@@ -176,8 +176,13 @@ def write_var_header(fd, header):
 
     # write tag bytes,
     # and array flags + class and nzmax (null bytes)
+    if(not ('is_complex' in header.keys())):
+        header['is_complex'] = False
     fd.write(struct.pack('b3xI', etypes['miUINT32']['n'], 8))
-    fd.write(struct.pack('b3x4x', mclasses[header['mclass']]))
+    if(header['is_complex']):
+        fd.write(struct.pack('bb2x4x', mclasses[header['mclass']],8))
+    else:
+        fd.write(struct.pack('b3x4x', mclasses[header['mclass']]))
 
     # write dimensions array
     write_elements(fd, 'miINT32', header['dims'])
@@ -221,7 +226,19 @@ def write_numeric_array(fd, header, array):
         array = list(chain.from_iterable(izip(*array)))
 
     # write matrix data to memory file
-    write_elements(bd, header['mtp'], array)
+    if(not ('is_complex' in header.keys())):
+        header['is_complex'] = False
+
+    if(header['is_complex']):
+        arrayReal = list()
+        arrayImag = list()
+        for valueIndex in range(0,len(array)):
+            arrayReal.append(array[valueIndex].real)
+            arrayImag.append(array[valueIndex].imag)
+        write_elements(bd, header['mtp'], arrayReal)
+        write_elements(bd, header['mtp'], arrayImag)
+    else:
+        write_elements(bd, header['mtp'], array)
 
     # write the variable to disk file
     data = bd.getvalue()
@@ -392,6 +409,13 @@ def guess_header(array, name=''):
                 'mclass': 'mxDOUBLE_CLASS', 'mtp': 'miDOUBLE',
                 'dims': (1, len(array))})
 
+        elif isarray(array, lambda i: isinstance(i, complex), 1):
+            # 1D double array
+            header.update({
+                'mclass': 'mxDOUBLE_CLASS', 'mtp': 'miDOUBLE',
+                'dims': (1, len(array)),
+                'is_complex' : True})
+
         elif (isarray(array, lambda i: isinstance(i, Sequence), 1) and
                 any(diff(len(s) for s in array))):
             # sequence of unequal length, assume cell array
@@ -428,6 +452,14 @@ def guess_header(array, name=''):
                     'mtp': 'miDOUBLE',
                     'dims': (len(array), len(array[0]))})
 
+            elif isarray(array, lambda i: isinstance(i, complex)):
+                # 2D double array
+                header.update({
+                    'mclass': 'mxDOUBLE_CLASS',
+                    'mtp': 'miDOUBLE',
+                    'is_complex' : True,
+                    'dims': (len(array), len(array[0]))})
+
         elif isarray(array, lambda i: isinstance(
                 i, (int, float, basestring, Sequence, Mapping))):
             # mixed contents, make it a cell array
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index e95ff0f..c844f55 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -1,17 +1,15 @@
-
 import sys
 if sys.version_info[0] == 2:
     # unittest2 required with python2 for subTest() functionality
     import unittest2 as unittest
 else:
     import unittest
-import json
+from json_tricks import dumps, load # https://json-tricks.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
 import os
 
 import mat4py
 
-
-test_data = json.load(open('data/test_data.json'))
+test_data = load(open('data/test_data.json'))
 
 
 class TestSequenceFunctions(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -59,4 +57,6 @@ def test_save_load_mat2(self):
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
+    # a = (complex(0,1),complex(2,0))
+    # print(dumps(a))
     unittest.main()