diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/defense.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/defense.py
index 5e50c63d9..1637fa4a7 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/defense.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/defense.py
@@ -8,33 +8,34 @@ from .common import InfoExtractor
 
 class DefenseGouvFrIE(InfoExtractor):
     IE_NAME = 'defense.gouv.fr'
-    _VALID_URL = (r'http://.*?\.defense\.gouv\.fr/layout/set/'
-                  r'ligthboxvideo/base-de-medias/webtv/(.*)')
+    _VALID_URL = r'http://.*?\.defense\.gouv\.fr/layout/set/ligthboxvideo/base-de-medias/webtv/(?P<id>[^/?#]*)'
 
     _TEST = {
         'url': 'http://www.defense.gouv.fr/layout/set/ligthboxvideo/base-de-medias/webtv/attaque-chimique-syrienne-du-21-aout-2013-1',
-        'file': '11213.mp4',
         'md5': '75bba6124da7e63d2d60b5244ec9430c',
-        "info_dict": {
-            "title": "attaque-chimique-syrienne-du-21-aout-2013-1"
+        'info_dict': {
+            'id': '11213',
+            'ext': 'mp4',
+            'title': 'attaque-chimique-syrienne-du-21-aout-2013-1'
         }
     }
 
     def _real_extract(self, url):
-        title = re.match(self._VALID_URL, url).group(1)
+        title = self._match_id(url)
         webpage = self._download_webpage(url, title)
+
         video_id = self._search_regex(
             r"flashvars.pvg_id=\"(\d+)\";",
             webpage, 'ID')
 
         json_url = ('http://static.videos.gouv.fr/brightcovehub/export/json/'
                     + video_id)
-        info = self._download_webpage(json_url, title,
-                                      'Downloading JSON config')
-        video_url = json.loads(info)['renditions'][0]['url']
+        info = self._download_json(json_url, title, 'Downloading JSON config')
+        video_url = info['renditions'][0]['url']
 
-        return {'id': video_id,
-                'ext': 'mp4',
-                'url': video_url,
-                'title': title,
-                }
+        return {
+            'id': video_id,
+            'ext': 'mp4',
+            'url': video_url,
+            'title': title,
+        }