diff --git a/packages/node_modules/pouchdb-core/src/adapter.js b/packages/node_modules/pouchdb-core/src/adapter.js
index d8b7fbe37a..808b597f18 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/pouchdb-core/src/adapter.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/pouchdb-core/src/adapter.js
@@ -190,6 +190,10 @@ function attachmentNameError(name) {
   return false;
 }
 
+function isNotSingleDoc(doc) {
+  return doc === null || typeof doc !== 'object' || Array.isArray(doc);
+}
+
 function isValidRev(rev) {
   return typeof rev === 'string' && /^\d+-/.test(rev);
 }
@@ -201,7 +205,7 @@ class AbstractPouchDB extends EventEmitter {
         callback = opts;
         opts = {};
       }
-      if (typeof doc !== 'object' || Array.isArray(doc)) {
+      if (isNotSingleDoc(doc)) {
         return callback(createError(NOT_AN_OBJECT));
       }
       this.bulkDocs({docs: [doc]}, opts, yankError(callback, doc._id));
@@ -212,7 +216,7 @@ class AbstractPouchDB extends EventEmitter {
         cb = opts;
         opts = {};
       }
-      if (typeof doc !== 'object' || Array.isArray(doc)) {
+      if (isNotSingleDoc(doc)) {
         return cb(createError(NOT_AN_OBJECT));
       }
       invalidIdError(doc._id);
@@ -785,7 +789,7 @@ class AbstractPouchDB extends EventEmitter {
       }
 
       for (var i = 0; i < req.docs.length; ++i) {
-        if (typeof req.docs[i] !== 'object' || Array.isArray(req.docs[i])) {
+        if (isNotSingleDoc(req.docs[i])) {
           return callback(createError(NOT_AN_OBJECT));
         }
       }
diff --git a/tests/integration/test.basics.js b/tests/integration/test.basics.js
index b86187c322..b0c50ce4a3 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test.basics.js
+++ b/tests/integration/test.basics.js
@@ -794,23 +794,39 @@ adapters.forEach(function (adapter) {
       });
     });
 
-    it('Error when document is not an object', function (done) {
-      var db = new PouchDB(dbs.name);
-      var doc1 = [{ _id: 'foo' }, { _id: 'bar' }];
-      var doc2 = 'this is not an object';
-      var count = 5;
-      var callback = function (err) {
-        should.exist(err);
-        count--;
-        if (count === 0) {
-          done();
-        }
-      };
-      db.post(doc1, callback);
-      db.post(doc2, callback);
-      db.put(doc1, callback);
-      db.put(doc2, callback);
-      db.bulkDocs({docs: [doc1, doc2]}, callback);
+    [
+      undefined,
+      null,
+      [],
+      [{ _id: 'foo' }, { _id: 'bar' }],
+      'this is not an object',
+      String('this is not an object'),
+      //new String('this is not an object'), actually, this _is_ an object
+    ].forEach((badDoc, idx) => {
+      describe(`Should error when document is not an object #${idx}`, () => {
+        let db;
+
+        const expectNotAnObject = fn => async () => {
+          let threw;
+          try {
+            await fn();
+          } catch (err) {
+            threw = true;
+            err.message.should.equal('Document must be a JSON object');
+          }
+          if (!threw) {
+            throw new Error('should have thrown');
+          }
+        };
+
+        beforeEach(() => {
+          db = new PouchDB(dbs.name);
+        });
+
+        it('should error for .post()', expectNotAnObject(() => db.post(badDoc)));
+        it('should error for .put()', expectNotAnObject(() => db.put(badDoc)));
+        it('should error for .bulkDocs()', expectNotAnObject(() => db.bulkDocs({docs: [badDoc]})));
+      });
     });
 
     it('Test instance update_seq updates correctly', function (done) {