diff --git a/python/mlcroissant/mlcroissant/_src/core/json_ld.py b/python/mlcroissant/mlcroissant/_src/core/json_ld.py
index 5f1d118b..c9a78330 100644
--- a/python/mlcroissant/mlcroissant/_src/core/json_ld.py
+++ b/python/mlcroissant/mlcroissant/_src/core/json_ld.py
@@ -147,7 +147,10 @@ def box_singleton_list(element: Any) -> list[Any] | None:
 
 def recursively_populate_jsonld(entry_node: Json, id_to_node: dict[str, Json]) -> Any:
     """Changes in place `entry_node` with its children."""
-    if "@value" in entry_node:
+    if not isinstance(entry_node, dict):
+        # If entry_node is not dict, just return it without doing anything.
+        return entry_node
+    elif "@value" in entry_node:
         if entry_node.get("@type") == namespace.RDF.JSON:
             # Stringified JSON is loaded as a dict.
             return json.loads(entry_node["@value"])
diff --git a/python/mlcroissant/mlcroissant/_src/core/json_ld_test.py b/python/mlcroissant/mlcroissant/_src/core/json_ld_test.py
index 88d05997..fde3412e 100644
--- a/python/mlcroissant/mlcroissant/_src/core/json_ld_test.py
+++ b/python/mlcroissant/mlcroissant/_src/core/json_ld_test.py
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@
 import json
 
 from etils import epath
+import pytest
 
+from mlcroissant._src.core.json_ld import recursively_populate_jsonld
 from mlcroissant._src.core.rdf import make_context
+from mlcroissant._src.core.types import Json
 from mlcroissant._src.datasets import Dataset
 from mlcroissant._src.tests.versions import parametrize_version
 
@@ -68,3 +71,16 @@ def test_make_context():
         "transform": "cr:transform",
         "foo": "bar",
     }
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ["data"],
+    [
+        [{}],
+        [{"value": 3}],
+        [{"singelton_array": ["a"]}],
+        [{"array": ["a", "b", "c"]}],
+    ],
+)
+def test_sanity_recursively_populate_jsonld(data: Json) -> None:
+    recursively_populate_jsonld(data, {})