diff --git a/src/composer.ts b/src/composer.ts
index 9a309f37d..2bc0deb1b 100644
--- a/src/composer.ts
+++ b/src/composer.ts
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ function getLocaleMessages(
   return ret
 }
 
-function addPreCompileMessages(
+export function addPreCompileMessages(
   messages: LocaleMessages,
   functions: MessageFunctions
 ): void {
@@ -226,7 +226,10 @@ function addPreCompileMessages(
   keys.forEach(key => {
     const compiled = functions[key]
     const { l, k } = JSON.parse(key)
-    const targetLocaleMessage = (messages[l] = messages[l] || {})
+    if (!messages[l]) {
+      messages[l] = {}
+    }
+    const targetLocaleMessage = messages[l]
     const paths = parsePath(k)
     if (paths != null) {
       const len = paths.length
@@ -234,14 +237,18 @@ function addPreCompileMessages(
       let i = 0
       while (i < len) {
         const path = paths[i]
-        const val = last[path]
-        if (val != null) {
-          last[path] = {}
+        if (i === len - 1) {
+          last[path] = compiled
+          break
+        } else {
+          let val = last[path]
+          if (!val) {
+            last[path] = val = {}
+          }
+          last = val
+          i++
         }
-        last = val
-        i++
       }
-      last = compiled
     }
   })
 }
diff --git a/test/composer.test.ts b/test/composer.test.ts
index 3c4d38cd3..88ea31214 100644
--- a/test/composer.test.ts
+++ b/test/composer.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,12 @@ jest.mock('../src/utils', () => ({
 }))
 import { warn } from '../src/utils'
 
-import { createComposer, MissingHandler } from '../src/composer'
+import {
+  createComposer,
+  MissingHandler,
+  addPreCompileMessages
+} from '../src/composer'
+import { generateFormatCacheKey } from '../src/utils'
 import { watch } from 'vue'
 
 describe('locale', () => {
@@ -716,4 +721,26 @@ describe('__i18n', () => {
   })
 })
 
+test('addPreCompileMessages', () => {
+  const messages = {}
+  const functions = Object.create(null)
+  const msg1 = () => {}
+  const msg2 = () => {}
+  functions[generateFormatCacheKey('en', 'hello', 'hello,world')] = msg1
+  functions[
+    generateFormatCacheKey('ja', 'foo.bar.hello', 'こんにちは、世界')
+  ] = msg2
+  addPreCompileMessages(messages, functions)
+  expect(messages['en']).toMatchObject({
+    hello: msg1
+  })
+  expect(messages['ja']).toMatchObject({
+    foo: {
+      bar: {
+        hello: msg2
+      }
+    }
+  })
+})
+
 /* eslint-enable @typescript-eslint/no-empty-function */