diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/jsonfuncs.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/jsonfuncs.c
index 2d41455127..3dfdbf9d56 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/jsonfuncs.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/jsonfuncs.c
@@ -3332,7 +3332,7 @@ jsonb_concat(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 		out = JsonbValueToJsonb(res);
 	}
 
-	PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
+	PG_RETURN_JSONB(out);
 }
 
 
@@ -3349,7 +3349,6 @@ jsonb_delete(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	text	   *key = PG_GETARG_TEXT_PP(1);
 	char	   *keyptr = VARDATA_ANY(key);
 	int			keylen = VARSIZE_ANY_EXHDR(key);
-	Jsonb	   *out = palloc(VARSIZE(in));
 	JsonbParseState *state = NULL;
 	JsonbIterator *it;
 	uint32		r;
@@ -3357,10 +3356,13 @@ jsonb_delete(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 			   *res = NULL;
 	bool		skipNested = false;
 
-	SET_VARSIZE(out, VARSIZE(in));
+	if (JB_ROOT_IS_SCALAR(in))
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE),
+				 errmsg("cannot delete from scalar")));
 
 	if (JB_ROOT_COUNT(in) == 0)
-		PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
+		PG_RETURN_JSONB(in);
 
 	it = JsonbIteratorInit(&in->root);
 
@@ -3382,13 +3384,9 @@ jsonb_delete(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 		res = pushJsonbValue(&state, r, r < WJB_BEGIN_ARRAY ? &v : NULL);
 	}
 
-	if (res == NULL || (res->type == jbvArray && res->val.array.nElems == 0) ||
-		(res->type == jbvObject && res->val.object.nPairs == 0))
-		SET_VARSIZE(out, VARHDRSZ);
-	else
-		out = JsonbValueToJsonb(res);
+	Assert(res != NULL);
 
-	PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
+	PG_RETURN_JSONB(JsonbValueToJsonb(res));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -3403,7 +3401,6 @@ jsonb_delete_idx(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 {
 	Jsonb	   *in = PG_GETARG_JSONB(0);
 	int			idx = PG_GETARG_INT32(1);
-	Jsonb	   *out = palloc(VARSIZE(in));
 	JsonbParseState *state = NULL;
 	JsonbIterator *it;
 	uint32		r,
@@ -3412,11 +3409,13 @@ jsonb_delete_idx(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	JsonbValue	v,
 			   *res = NULL;
 
+	if (JB_ROOT_IS_SCALAR(in))
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE),
+				 errmsg("cannot delete from scalar")));
+
 	if (JB_ROOT_COUNT(in) == 0)
-	{
-		memcpy(out, in, VARSIZE(in));
-		PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
-	}
+		PG_RETURN_JSONB(in);
 
 	it = JsonbIteratorInit(&in->root);
 
@@ -3435,10 +3434,7 @@ jsonb_delete_idx(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	}
 
 	if (idx >= n)
-	{
-		memcpy(out, in, VARSIZE(in));
-		PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
-	}
+		PG_RETURN_JSONB(in);
 
 	pushJsonbValue(&state, r, r < WJB_BEGIN_ARRAY ? &v : NULL);
 
@@ -3457,13 +3453,9 @@ jsonb_delete_idx(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 		res = pushJsonbValue(&state, r, r < WJB_BEGIN_ARRAY ? &v : NULL);
 	}
 
-	if (res == NULL || (res->type == jbvArray && res->val.array.nElems == 0) ||
-		(res->type == jbvObject && res->val.object.nPairs == 0))
-		SET_VARSIZE(out, VARHDRSZ);
-	else
-		out = JsonbValueToJsonb(res);
+	Assert (res != NULL);
 
-	PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
+	PG_RETURN_JSONB(JsonbValueToJsonb(res));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -3475,7 +3467,6 @@ jsonb_replace(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	Jsonb	   *in = PG_GETARG_JSONB(0);
 	ArrayType  *path = PG_GETARG_ARRAYTYPE_P(1);
 	Jsonb	   *newval = PG_GETARG_JSONB(2);
-	Jsonb	   *out = palloc(VARSIZE(in) + VARSIZE(newval));
 	JsonbValue *res = NULL;
 	Datum	   *path_elems;
 	bool	   *path_nulls;
@@ -3488,31 +3479,27 @@ jsonb_replace(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_ARRAY_SUBSCRIPT_ERROR),
 				 errmsg("wrong number of array subscripts")));
 
+	if (JB_ROOT_IS_SCALAR(in))
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE),
+				 errmsg("cannot replace path in scalar")));
+
 	if (JB_ROOT_COUNT(in) == 0)
-	{
-		memcpy(out, in, VARSIZE(in));
-		PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
-	}
+		PG_RETURN_JSONB(in);
 
 	deconstruct_array(path, TEXTOID, -1, false, 'i',
 					  &path_elems, &path_nulls, &path_len);
 
 	if (path_len == 0)
-	{
-		memcpy(out, in, VARSIZE(in));
-		PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
-	}
+		PG_RETURN_JSONB(in);
 
 	it = JsonbIteratorInit(&in->root);
 
 	res = replacePath(&it, path_elems, path_nulls, path_len, &st, 0, newval);
 
-	if (res == NULL)
-		SET_VARSIZE(out, VARHDRSZ);
-	else
-		out = JsonbValueToJsonb(res);
+	Assert (res != NULL);
 
-	PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
+	PG_RETURN_JSONB(JsonbValueToJsonb(res));
 }
 
 
@@ -3524,7 +3511,6 @@ jsonb_delete_path(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 {
 	Jsonb	   *in = PG_GETARG_JSONB(0);
 	ArrayType  *path = PG_GETARG_ARRAYTYPE_P(1);
-	Jsonb	   *out = palloc(VARSIZE(in));
 	JsonbValue *res = NULL;
 	Datum	   *path_elems;
 	bool	   *path_nulls;
@@ -3537,31 +3523,27 @@ jsonb_delete_path(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_ARRAY_SUBSCRIPT_ERROR),
 				 errmsg("wrong number of array subscripts")));
 
+	if (JB_ROOT_IS_SCALAR(in))
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE),
+				 errmsg("cannot delete path in scalar")));
+
 	if (JB_ROOT_COUNT(in) == 0)
-	{
-		memcpy(out, in, VARSIZE(in));
-		PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
-	}
+		PG_RETURN_JSONB(in);
 
 	deconstruct_array(path, TEXTOID, -1, false, 'i',
 					  &path_elems, &path_nulls, &path_len);
 
 	if (path_len == 0)
-	{
-		memcpy(out, in, VARSIZE(in));
-		PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
-	}
+		PG_RETURN_JSONB(in);
 
 	it = JsonbIteratorInit(&in->root);
 
 	res = replacePath(&it, path_elems, path_nulls, path_len, &st, 0, NULL);
 
-	if (res == NULL)
-		SET_VARSIZE(out, VARHDRSZ);
-	else
-		out = JsonbValueToJsonb(res);
+	Assert (res != NULL);
 
-	PG_RETURN_POINTER(out);
+	PG_RETURN_JSONB(JsonbValueToJsonb(res));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/jsonb.out b/src/test/regress/expected/jsonb.out
index 83201fb6ca..c589cd1522 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/jsonb.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/jsonb.out
@@ -3175,3 +3175,60 @@ select '{"n":null, "a":1, "b":[1,2], "c":{"1":2}, "d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::jsonb - '{d
  {"a": 1, "b": [1, 2], "c": {"1": 2}, "d": {"1": [3]}, "n": null}
 (1 row)
 
+-- empty structure and error conditions for delete and replace
+select '"a"'::jsonb - 'a'; -- error
+ERROR:  cannot delete from scalar
+select '{}'::jsonb - 'a';
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ {}
+(1 row)
+
+select '[]'::jsonb - 'a';
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ []
+(1 row)
+
+select '"a"'::jsonb - 1; -- error
+ERROR:  cannot delete from scalar
+select '{}'::jsonb -  1 ;
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ {}
+(1 row)
+
+select '[]'::jsonb - 1;
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ []
+(1 row)
+
+select '"a"'::jsonb - '{a}'::text[]; -- error
+ERROR:  cannot delete path in scalar
+select '{}'::jsonb - '{a}'::text[];
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ {}
+(1 row)
+
+select '[]'::jsonb - '{a}'::text[];
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ []
+(1 row)
+
+select jsonb_replace('"a"','{a}','"b"'); --error
+ERROR:  cannot replace path in scalar
+select jsonb_replace('{}','{a}','"b"');
+ jsonb_replace 
+---------------
+ {}
+(1 row)
+
+select jsonb_replace('[]','{1}','"b"');
+ jsonb_replace 
+---------------
+ []
+(1 row)
+
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/jsonb_1.out b/src/test/regress/expected/jsonb_1.out
index c8cb513391..c4b51e56e3 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/jsonb_1.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/jsonb_1.out
@@ -3175,3 +3175,60 @@ select '{"n":null, "a":1, "b":[1,2], "c":{"1":2}, "d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::jsonb - '{d
  {"a": 1, "b": [1, 2], "c": {"1": 2}, "d": {"1": [3]}, "n": null}
 (1 row)
 
+-- empty structure and error conditions for delete and replace
+select '"a"'::jsonb - 'a'; -- error
+ERROR:  cannot delete from scalar
+select '{}'::jsonb - 'a';
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ {}
+(1 row)
+
+select '[]'::jsonb - 'a';
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ []
+(1 row)
+
+select '"a"'::jsonb - 1; -- error
+ERROR:  cannot delete from scalar
+select '{}'::jsonb -  1 ;
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ {}
+(1 row)
+
+select '[]'::jsonb - 1;
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ []
+(1 row)
+
+select '"a"'::jsonb - '{a}'::text[]; -- error
+ERROR:  cannot delete path in scalar
+select '{}'::jsonb - '{a}'::text[];
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ {}
+(1 row)
+
+select '[]'::jsonb - '{a}'::text[];
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ []
+(1 row)
+
+select jsonb_replace('"a"','{a}','"b"'); --error
+ERROR:  cannot replace path in scalar
+select jsonb_replace('{}','{a}','"b"');
+ jsonb_replace 
+---------------
+ {}
+(1 row)
+
+select jsonb_replace('[]','{1}','"b"');
+ jsonb_replace 
+---------------
+ []
+(1 row)
+
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/jsonb.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/jsonb.sql
index 808da9c027..382a7fb6ae 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/jsonb.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/jsonb.sql
@@ -767,3 +767,19 @@ select jsonb_delete('{"n":null, "a":1, "b":[1,2], "c":{"1":2}, "d":{"1":[2,3]}}'
 select '{"n":null, "a":1, "b":[1,2], "c":{"1":2}, "d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::jsonb - '{n}'::text[];
 select '{"n":null, "a":1, "b":[1,2], "c":{"1":2}, "d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::jsonb - '{b,-1}'::text[];
 select '{"n":null, "a":1, "b":[1,2], "c":{"1":2}, "d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::jsonb - '{d,1,0}'::text[];
+
+
+-- empty structure and error conditions for delete and replace
+
+select '"a"'::jsonb - 'a'; -- error
+select '{}'::jsonb - 'a';
+select '[]'::jsonb - 'a';
+select '"a"'::jsonb - 1; -- error
+select '{}'::jsonb -  1 ;
+select '[]'::jsonb - 1;
+select '"a"'::jsonb - '{a}'::text[]; -- error
+select '{}'::jsonb - '{a}'::text[];
+select '[]'::jsonb - '{a}'::text[];
+select jsonb_replace('"a"','{a}','"b"'); --error
+select jsonb_replace('{}','{a}','"b"');
+select jsonb_replace('[]','{1}','"b"');