diff --git a/src/pl/plpython/expected/plpython_types.out b/src/pl/plpython/expected/plpython_types.out
index a470911c2e..c4e749a5a8 100644
--- a/src/pl/plpython/expected/plpython_types.out
+++ b/src/pl/plpython/expected/plpython_types.out
@@ -687,6 +687,15 @@ SELECT * FROM test_type_conversion_array_mixed2();
 ERROR:  invalid input syntax for type integer: "abc"
 CONTEXT:  while creating return value
 PL/Python function "test_type_conversion_array_mixed2"
+CREATE FUNCTION test_type_conversion_array_mixed3() RETURNS text[] AS $$
+return [[], 'a']
+$$ LANGUAGE plpython3u;
+SELECT * FROM test_type_conversion_array_mixed3();
+ test_type_conversion_array_mixed3 
+-----------------------------------
+ {[],a}
+(1 row)
+
 CREATE FUNCTION test_type_conversion_mdarray_malformed() RETURNS int[] AS $$
 return [[1,2,3],[4,5]]
 $$ LANGUAGE plpython3u;
diff --git a/src/pl/plpython/plpy_typeio.c b/src/pl/plpython/plpy_typeio.c
index 7018c9d404..864b5f1765 100644
--- a/src/pl/plpython/plpy_typeio.c
+++ b/src/pl/plpython/plpy_typeio.c
@@ -1136,7 +1136,7 @@ PLySequence_ToArray(PLyObToDatum *arg, PyObject *plrv,
 	int			i;
 	Datum	   *elems;
 	bool	   *nulls;
-	int64		len;
+	int			len;
 	int			ndim;
 	int			dims[MAXDIM];
 	int			lbs[MAXDIM];
@@ -1155,7 +1155,6 @@ PLySequence_ToArray(PLyObToDatum *arg, PyObject *plrv,
 	 * Determine the number of dimensions, and their sizes.
 	 */
 	ndim = 0;
-	len = 1;
 
 	Py_INCREF(plrv);
 
@@ -1174,17 +1173,6 @@ PLySequence_ToArray(PLyObToDatum *arg, PyObject *plrv,
 		if (dims[ndim] < 0)
 			PLy_elog(ERROR, "could not determine sequence length for function return value");
 
-		if (dims[ndim] > MaxAllocSize)
-			ereport(ERROR,
-					(errcode(ERRCODE_PROGRAM_LIMIT_EXCEEDED),
-					 errmsg("array size exceeds the maximum allowed")));
-
-		len *= dims[ndim];
-		if (len > MaxAllocSize)
-			ereport(ERROR,
-					(errcode(ERRCODE_PROGRAM_LIMIT_EXCEEDED),
-					 errmsg("array size exceeds the maximum allowed")));
-
 		if (dims[ndim] == 0)
 		{
 			/* empty sequence */
@@ -1214,15 +1202,18 @@ PLySequence_ToArray(PLyObToDatum *arg, PyObject *plrv,
 					 errmsg("return value of function with array return type is not a Python sequence")));
 
 		ndim = 1;
-		len = dims[0] = PySequence_Length(plrv);
+		dims[0] = PySequence_Length(plrv);
 	}
 
+	/* Allocate space for work arrays, after detecting array size overflow */
+	len = ArrayGetNItems(ndim, dims);
+	elems = palloc(sizeof(Datum) * len);
+	nulls = palloc(sizeof(bool) * len);
+
 	/*
 	 * Traverse the Python lists, in depth-first order, and collect all the
 	 * elements at the bottom level into 'elems'/'nulls' arrays.
 	 */
-	elems = palloc(sizeof(Datum) * len);
-	nulls = palloc(sizeof(bool) * len);
 	currelem = 0;
 	PLySequence_ToArray_recurse(arg->u.array.elm, plrv,
 								dims, ndim, 0,
diff --git a/src/pl/plpython/sql/plpython_types.sql b/src/pl/plpython/sql/plpython_types.sql
index 40f4f79d99..9702a10a72 100644
--- a/src/pl/plpython/sql/plpython_types.sql
+++ b/src/pl/plpython/sql/plpython_types.sql
@@ -328,6 +328,13 @@ $$ LANGUAGE plpython3u;
 
 SELECT * FROM test_type_conversion_array_mixed2();
 
+CREATE FUNCTION test_type_conversion_array_mixed3() RETURNS text[] AS $$
+return [[], 'a']
+$$ LANGUAGE plpython3u;
+
+SELECT * FROM test_type_conversion_array_mixed3();
+
+
 CREATE FUNCTION test_type_conversion_mdarray_malformed() RETURNS int[] AS $$
 return [[1,2,3],[4,5]]
 $$ LANGUAGE plpython3u;