diff --git a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index a337c1c69..65d2201db 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -1133,51 +1133,53 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 
         void destroy(value_t t) noexcept
         {
-            // flatten the current json_value to a heap-allocated stack
-            std::vector<basic_json> stack;
+            if (t == value_t::array || t == value_t::object)
+            {
+                // flatten the current json_value to a heap-allocated stack
+                std::vector<basic_json> stack;
 
-            // move the top-level items to stack
-            if (t == value_t::array)
-            {
-                stack.reserve(array->size());
-                std::move(array->begin(), array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
-            }
-            else if (t == value_t::object)
-            {
-                stack.reserve(object->size());
-                for (auto&& it : *object)
+                // move the top-level items to stack
+                if (t == value_t::array)
                 {
-                    stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
+                    stack.reserve(array->size());
+                    std::move(array->begin(), array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
                 }
-            }
-
-            while (!stack.empty())
-            {
-                // move the last item to local variable to be processed
-                basic_json current_item(std::move(stack.back()));
-                stack.pop_back();
-
-                // if current_item is array/object, move
-                // its children to the stack to be processed later
-                if (current_item.is_array())
+                else
                 {
-                    std::move(current_item.m_value.array->begin(), current_item.m_value.array->end(),
-                              std::back_inserter(stack));
-
-                    current_item.m_value.array->clear();
-                }
-                else if (current_item.is_object())
-                {
-                    for (auto&& it : *current_item.m_value.object)
+                    stack.reserve(object->size());
+                    for (auto&& it : *object)
                     {
                         stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
                     }
-
-                    current_item.m_value.object->clear();
                 }
 
-                // it's now safe that current_item get destructed
-                // since it doesn't have any children
+                while (!stack.empty())
+                {
+                    // move the last item to local variable to be processed
+                    basic_json current_item(std::move(stack.back()));
+                    stack.pop_back();
+
+                    // if current_item is array/object, move
+                    // its children to the stack to be processed later
+                    if (current_item.is_array())
+                    {
+                        std::move(current_item.m_value.array->begin(), current_item.m_value.array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
+
+                        current_item.m_value.array->clear();
+                    }
+                    else if (current_item.is_object())
+                    {
+                        for (auto&& it : *current_item.m_value.object)
+                        {
+                            stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
+                        }
+
+                        current_item.m_value.object->clear();
+                    }
+
+                    // it's now safe that current_item get destructed
+                    // since it doesn't have any children
+                }
             }
 
             switch (t)
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index 429964dd7..7ed12f19a 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -18168,51 +18168,53 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 
         void destroy(value_t t) noexcept
         {
-            // flatten the current json_value to a heap-allocated stack
-            std::vector<basic_json> stack;
+            if (t == value_t::array || t == value_t::object)
+            {
+                // flatten the current json_value to a heap-allocated stack
+                std::vector<basic_json> stack;
 
-            // move the top-level items to stack
-            if (t == value_t::array)
-            {
-                stack.reserve(array->size());
-                std::move(array->begin(), array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
-            }
-            else if (t == value_t::object)
-            {
-                stack.reserve(object->size());
-                for (auto&& it : *object)
+                // move the top-level items to stack
+                if (t == value_t::array)
                 {
-                    stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
+                    stack.reserve(array->size());
+                    std::move(array->begin(), array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
                 }
-            }
-
-            while (!stack.empty())
-            {
-                // move the last item to local variable to be processed
-                basic_json current_item(std::move(stack.back()));
-                stack.pop_back();
-
-                // if current_item is array/object, move
-                // its children to the stack to be processed later
-                if (current_item.is_array())
+                else
                 {
-                    std::move(current_item.m_value.array->begin(), current_item.m_value.array->end(),
-                              std::back_inserter(stack));
-
-                    current_item.m_value.array->clear();
-                }
-                else if (current_item.is_object())
-                {
-                    for (auto&& it : *current_item.m_value.object)
+                    stack.reserve(object->size());
+                    for (auto&& it : *object)
                     {
                         stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
                     }
-
-                    current_item.m_value.object->clear();
                 }
 
-                // it's now safe that current_item get destructed
-                // since it doesn't have any children
+                while (!stack.empty())
+                {
+                    // move the last item to local variable to be processed
+                    basic_json current_item(std::move(stack.back()));
+                    stack.pop_back();
+
+                    // if current_item is array/object, move
+                    // its children to the stack to be processed later
+                    if (current_item.is_array())
+                    {
+                        std::move(current_item.m_value.array->begin(), current_item.m_value.array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
+
+                        current_item.m_value.array->clear();
+                    }
+                    else if (current_item.is_object())
+                    {
+                        for (auto&& it : *current_item.m_value.object)
+                        {
+                            stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
+                        }
+
+                        current_item.m_value.object->clear();
+                    }
+
+                    // it's now safe that current_item get destructed
+                    // since it doesn't have any children
+                }
             }
 
             switch (t)