diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 024d607dee..d6561b42d2 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ parameter and result types, not just their source-level shape. Use
   works without single-quoting.
 - `std/uri`: The `?` operator now appends query parameters to an existing query
   string instead of replacing it. Fixes [#19782](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/issues/19782).
+- `std/jsonutils`: `fromJson` now throws an exception when converting to `array`/`seq` if the JSON isn't an array instead of silently failing
 
 ## Language changes
 
diff --git a/lib/std/jsonutils.nim b/lib/std/jsonutils.nim
index d378812b69..688bbdb565 100644
--- a/lib/std/jsonutils.nim
+++ b/lib/std/jsonutils.nim
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ proc fromJson*[T](a: var T, b: JsonNode, opt = Joptions()) =
       a = T()
       fromJson(a[], b, opt)
   elif T is array:
+    checkJson b.kind == JArray
     checkJson a.len == b.len, "Json array size doesn't match for " & $T
     var i = 0
     for ai in mitems(a):
@@ -248,6 +249,7 @@ proc fromJson*[T](a: var T, b: JsonNode, opt = Joptions()) =
     for val in b.getElems:
       incl a, jsonTo(val, E)
   elif T is seq:
+    checkJson b.kind == JArray
     a.setLen b.len
     for i, val in b.getElems:
       fromJson(a[i], val, opt)
diff --git a/tests/stdlib/tjsonutils.nim b/tests/stdlib/tjsonutils.nim
index b57cb3e914..3411faa8b6 100644
--- a/tests/stdlib/tjsonutils.nim
+++ b/tests/stdlib/tjsonutils.nim
@@ -451,6 +451,12 @@ template fn() =
       let json = inner.toJson(ToJsonOptions(enumMode: joptEnumSymbol))
       doAssert $json == """{"x":"hello","y":"A"}"""
 
+    block arrayTypeCheck:
+      let json = """{"key": "value"}""".parseJson()
+      var output: seq[int]
+      doAssertRaises(ValueError):
+        output.fromJson(json)
+
     block: # bug #21638
       type Something = object