diff --git a/src/jsn.erl b/src/jsn.erl
index 393a1c3..2927dfe 100644
--- a/src/jsn.erl
+++ b/src/jsn.erl
@@ -989,7 +989,8 @@ keys_set(Keys, {P}, Value, Empty) when is_list(P) ->
 keys_set([Key | Rest], Object, Value, Empty)
   when is_binary(Key), (is_list(Object) orelse is_map(Object)) ->
     case key_get(Key, Object, jsn__undefined) of
-        E when Value =:= jsn__delete, (E =:= jsn__undefined orelse E =:= Empty) ->
+        E when Value =:= jsn__delete, Rest /= [],
+               (E =:= jsn__undefined orelse E =:= Empty) ->
             return_if_object(Object, Empty);
         E when E =:= jsn__undefined; E =:= Empty ->
             key_set(Key, Object, keys_set(Rest, Empty, Value, Empty)); 
diff --git a/test/jsn_tests.erl b/test/jsn_tests.erl
index 6797a9b..a707b26 100644
--- a/test/jsn_tests.erl
+++ b/test/jsn_tests.erl
@@ -295,6 +295,12 @@ delete_test_() ->
      ?_assertEqual(#{}, jsn:delete(Path3, #{})),
      ?_assertEqual([], jsn:delete(<<"foo">>, [{<<"foo">>, <<"bar">>}])),
      ?_assertEqual(#{}, jsn:delete(<<"foo">>, #{<<"foo">> => <<"bar">>})),
+     ?_assertEqual(#{}, jsn:delete(<<"foo">>, #{<<"foo">> => #{}})),
+     ?_assertEqual(#{}, jsn:delete(<<"foo">>, #{<<"foo">> => []})),
+     ?_assertEqual(#{<<"foo">> => #{}},
+                   jsn:delete(<<"foo.bar">>, #{<<"foo">> => #{<<"bar">> => #{}}})),
+     ?_assertEqual(#{<<"foo">> => #{<<"bar">> => #{}}},
+                   jsn:delete(<<"foo.baz">>, #{<<"foo">> => #{<<"bar">> => #{}}})),
      ?_assertEqual(jsn:new({Path2, [1,2,3]}, [{format, proplist}]),
                    jsn:delete(foo, Object1Plist)),
      ?_assertEqual(jsn:new({Path2, [1,2,3]}, [{format, map}]),