diff --git a/localstack-core/localstack/services/apigateway/next_gen/execute_api/integrations/mock.py b/localstack-core/localstack/services/apigateway/next_gen/execute_api/integrations/mock.py
index 731a8b8f4f245..84ddecc05862e 100644
--- a/localstack-core/localstack/services/apigateway/next_gen/execute_api/integrations/mock.py
+++ b/localstack-core/localstack/services/apigateway/next_gen/execute_api/integrations/mock.py
@@ -63,48 +63,44 @@ def parse_invalid_json(self, body: str) -> dict:
         CDK creates a MOCK OPTIONS route with in valid json. `{statusCode: 200}`
         Aws probably has a custom token parser. We can implement one
         at some point if we have user requests for it"""
+
+        def convert_null_value(value) -> str:
+            if (value := value.strip()) in ("null", ""):
+                return '""'
+            return value
+
         try:
             statuscode = ""
             matched = re.match(r"^\s*{(.+)}\s*$", body).group(1)
-            splits = [m.strip() for m in matched.split(",")]
+            pairs = [m.strip() for m in matched.split(",")]
             # TODO this is not right, but nested object would otherwise break the parsing
-            kvs = [s.split(":", maxsplit=1) for s in splits]
-            for kv in kvs:
-                assert len(kv) == 2
-                k, v = kv
-                k = k.strip()
-                v = v.strip()
-
-                assert k
-                assert v
-
-                if k == "statusCode":
-                    statuscode = int(v)
+            key_values = [s.split(":", maxsplit=1) for s in pairs if s]
+            for key_value in key_values:
+                assert len(key_value) == 2
+                key, value = [convert_null_value(el) for el in key_value]
+
+                if key in ("statusCode", "'statusCode'", '"statusCode"'):
+                    statuscode = int(value)
                     continue
 
-                if (first_char := k[0]) in "[{":
-                    raise Exception
-                if first_char in "'\"":
-                    assert len(k) > 2
-                    assert k[-1] == first_char
-                    k = k[1:-1]
+                assert (leading_key_char := key[0]) not in "[{"
+                if leading_key_char in "'\"":
+                    assert len(key) >= 2
+                    assert key[-1] == leading_key_char
 
-                if (v_first_char := v[0]) in "[{'\"":
-                    assert len(v) > 2
-                    if v_first_char == "{":
+                if (leading_value_char := value[0]) in "[{'\"":
+                    assert len(value) >= 2
+                    if leading_value_char == "{":
                         # TODO reparse objects
-                        assert v[-1] == "}"
-                    elif v_first_char == "[":
+                        assert value[-1] == "}"
+                    elif leading_value_char == "[":
                         # TODO validate arrays
-                        assert v[-1] == "]"
+                        assert value[-1] == "]"
                     else:
-                        assert v[-1] == v_first_char
-                        v = v[1:-1]
-
-                if k == "statusCode":
-                    statuscode = int(v)
+                        assert value[-1] == leading_value_char
 
             return {"statusCode": statuscode}
+
         except Exception as e:
             LOG.debug(
                 "Error Parsing an invalid json, %s", e, exc_info=LOG.isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG)
diff --git a/tests/unit/services/apigateway/test_mock_integration.py b/tests/unit/services/apigateway/test_mock_integration.py
index fca3de5a3bc44..2fd1799d1c594 100644
--- a/tests/unit/services/apigateway/test_mock_integration.py
+++ b/tests/unit/services/apigateway/test_mock_integration.py
@@ -56,13 +56,25 @@ def test_custom_parser(self, create_default_context):
         mock_integration = RestApiMockIntegration()
 
         valid_templates = [
+            "{ statusCode: 200 }",  # this is what the CDK creates when configuring CORS for rest apis
             "{statusCode: 200,super{ f}oo: [ba r]}",
             "{statusCode: 200, \"value\": 'goog'}",
             "{statusCode: 200, foo}: [ba r]}",
             "{statusCode: 200, foo'}: [ba r]}",
             "{statusCode: 200, }foo: [ba r]}",
+            "{statusCode: 200, }foo: ''}",
+            '{statusCode: 200, " ": " "}',
+            '{statusCode: 200, "": ""}',
+            "{'statusCode': 200, '': ''}",
+            '{"statusCode": 200, "": ""}',
+            '{"statusCode": 200 , }',
+            '{"statusCode": 200 ,, }',  # Because?? :cry-bear:
+            '{"statusCode": 200 , null: null }',
         ]
         invalid_templates = [
+            "{\"statusCode': 200 }",
+            "{'statusCode\": 200 }",
+            "{'statusCode: 200 }",
             "statusCode: 200",
             "{statusCode: 200, {foo: [ba r]}",
             # This test fails as we do not support nested objects
@@ -72,7 +84,7 @@ def test_custom_parser(self, create_default_context):
         for valid_template in valid_templates:
             ctx = create_default_context(body=valid_template)
             response = mock_integration.invoke(ctx)
-            assert response["status_code"] == 200
+            assert response["status_code"] == 200, valid_template
 
         for invalid_template in invalid_templates:
             ctx = create_default_context(body=invalid_template)