diff --git a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index aa8b1a6c6..f698163fe 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -638,21 +638,49 @@ private:
             }
         }
 
-        static basic_json& last_child(basic_json& v)
+        // The walk in destroy_container() may take the children of a
+        // container in any order, as long as it picks the same child again
+        // while that container is not modified in between. Arrays and
+        // objects with bidirectional iterators (std::map, ordered_map, ...)
+        // use their last child, which a vector-based container can remove
+        // in O(1). ObjectType only needs forward iterators, though (e.g.
+        // std::unordered_map), so other objects use their first child.
+        template<typename ObjectType_>
+        static typename ObjectType_::iterator walk_child_it(ObjectType_& o, std::bidirectional_iterator_tag /*unused*/)
+        {
+            return std::prev(o.end());
+        }
+
+        template<typename ObjectType_>
+        static typename ObjectType_::iterator walk_child_it(ObjectType_& o, std::forward_iterator_tag /*unused*/)
+        {
+            return o.begin();
+        }
+
+        template<typename ObjectType_>
+        static typename ObjectType_::iterator walk_child_it(ObjectType_& o)
+        {
+            JSON_ASSERT(!o.empty());
+            return walk_child_it(o, typename std::iterator_traits<typename ObjectType_::iterator>::iterator_category());
+        }
+
+        // the child of a non-empty array/object v that the walk in
+        // destroy_container() continues with (see walk_child_it() above)
+        static basic_json& walk_child(basic_json& v)
         {
             if (v.m_data.m_type == value_t::array)
             {
                 return v.m_data.m_value.array->back();
             }
             JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_type == value_t::object);
-            return v.m_data.m_value.object->rbegin()->second;
+            return walk_child_it(*v.m_data.m_value.object)->second;
         }
 
-        // removes the last child of a non-empty array/object v; this never
+        // removes walk_child(v) from a non-empty array/object v; this never
         // allocates, and since it is only ever called when that child is a
         // scalar or an already-empty array/object, destroying it never
         // recurses more than one level deep (see destroy() below)
-        static void pop_last_child(basic_json& v)
+        static void pop_walk_child(basic_json& v)
         {
             if (v.m_data.m_type == value_t::array)
             {
@@ -661,9 +689,7 @@ private:
             else
             {
                 JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_type == value_t::object);
-                // erase() needs a forward iterator, so std::prev(end()) is
-                // used here rather than rbegin() (see last_child() above)
-                v.m_data.m_value.object->erase(std::prev(v.m_data.m_value.object->end()));
+                v.m_data.m_value.object->erase(walk_child_it(*v.m_data.m_value.object));
             }
         }
 
@@ -734,14 +760,17 @@ public:
             // bad_alloc, which would escape this noexcept destructor and
             // terminate the program (#5135).
             //
-            // Instead, walk down the "last child" chain, reversing links
-            // as we go: cur is the container currently being emptied,
-            // and prev is its parent (value_t::null when there is none).
-            // Each parent's last child slot doubles as storage for that
-            // parent's own parent link while we are below it, so no
-            // extra memory is needed. We only ever remove a child once
-            // it is a scalar or an empty array/object, which neither
-            // allocates nor recurses more than one level deep.
+            // Instead, walk down a chain of children (always the one
+            // walk_child() picks), reversing links as we go: cur is the
+            // container currently being emptied, and prev is its parent
+            // (value_t::null when there is none). Each parent's
+            // walk_child() slot doubles as storage for that parent's own
+            // parent link while we are below it, so no extra memory is
+            // needed; the parent is not modified meanwhile, so
+            // walk_child() finds that same slot again on the way up. We
+            // only ever remove a child once it is a scalar or an empty
+            // array/object, which neither allocates nor recurses more
+            // than one level deep.
             //
             // This json_value is not itself a basic_json, so the
             // top-level container is first moved into a local stand-in
@@ -767,11 +796,11 @@ public:
                     }
 
                     // ascend: detach the grandparent link from prev's
-                    // last slot, drop that (now null) slot, free cur
+                    // walk_child() slot, drop that (now null) slot, free cur
                     // (it is empty), then move up one level
                     basic_json gp;
-                    take(gp, last_child(prev));
-                    pop_last_child(prev);
+                    take(gp, walk_child(prev));
+                    pop_walk_child(prev);
 
                     free_container(cur);
 
@@ -780,21 +809,21 @@ public:
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                basic_json& cur_last_ref = last_child(cur);
+                basic_json& cur_child_ref = walk_child(cur);
 
-                if (has_no_children(cur_last_ref))
+                if (has_no_children(cur_child_ref))
                 {
                     // scalar, or already-empty array/object
-                    pop_last_child(cur);
+                    pop_walk_child(cur);
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                // descend into the non-empty last child, reversing the
+                // descend into the non-empty child, reversing the
                 // link: its slot takes over prev, and the child becomes
                 // the new cur
                 basic_json tmp;
-                take(tmp, cur_last_ref);
-                take(cur_last_ref, prev);
+                take(tmp, cur_child_ref);
+                take(cur_child_ref, prev);
                 take(prev, cur);
                 take(cur, tmp);
             }
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index 00e345dd3..b6e5ca7c5 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -27877,21 +27877,49 @@ private:
             }
         }
 
-        static basic_json& last_child(basic_json& v)
+        // The walk in destroy_container() may take the children of a
+        // container in any order, as long as it picks the same child again
+        // while that container is not modified in between. Arrays and
+        // objects with bidirectional iterators (std::map, ordered_map, ...)
+        // use their last child, which a vector-based container can remove
+        // in O(1). ObjectType only needs forward iterators, though (e.g.
+        // std::unordered_map), so other objects use their first child.
+        template<typename ObjectType_>
+        static typename ObjectType_::iterator walk_child_it(ObjectType_& o, std::bidirectional_iterator_tag /*unused*/)
+        {
+            return std::prev(o.end());
+        }
+
+        template<typename ObjectType_>
+        static typename ObjectType_::iterator walk_child_it(ObjectType_& o, std::forward_iterator_tag /*unused*/)
+        {
+            return o.begin();
+        }
+
+        template<typename ObjectType_>
+        static typename ObjectType_::iterator walk_child_it(ObjectType_& o)
+        {
+            JSON_ASSERT(!o.empty());
+            return walk_child_it(o, typename std::iterator_traits<typename ObjectType_::iterator>::iterator_category());
+        }
+
+        // the child of a non-empty array/object v that the walk in
+        // destroy_container() continues with (see walk_child_it() above)
+        static basic_json& walk_child(basic_json& v)
         {
             if (v.m_data.m_type == value_t::array)
             {
                 return v.m_data.m_value.array->back();
             }
             JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_type == value_t::object);
-            return v.m_data.m_value.object->rbegin()->second;
+            return walk_child_it(*v.m_data.m_value.object)->second;
         }
 
-        // removes the last child of a non-empty array/object v; this never
+        // removes walk_child(v) from a non-empty array/object v; this never
         // allocates, and since it is only ever called when that child is a
         // scalar or an already-empty array/object, destroying it never
         // recurses more than one level deep (see destroy() below)
-        static void pop_last_child(basic_json& v)
+        static void pop_walk_child(basic_json& v)
         {
             if (v.m_data.m_type == value_t::array)
             {
@@ -27900,9 +27928,7 @@ private:
             else
             {
                 JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_type == value_t::object);
-                // erase() needs a forward iterator, so std::prev(end()) is
-                // used here rather than rbegin() (see last_child() above)
-                v.m_data.m_value.object->erase(std::prev(v.m_data.m_value.object->end()));
+                v.m_data.m_value.object->erase(walk_child_it(*v.m_data.m_value.object));
             }
         }
 
@@ -27973,14 +27999,17 @@ public:
             // bad_alloc, which would escape this noexcept destructor and
             // terminate the program (#5135).
             //
-            // Instead, walk down the "last child" chain, reversing links
-            // as we go: cur is the container currently being emptied,
-            // and prev is its parent (value_t::null when there is none).
-            // Each parent's last child slot doubles as storage for that
-            // parent's own parent link while we are below it, so no
-            // extra memory is needed. We only ever remove a child once
-            // it is a scalar or an empty array/object, which neither
-            // allocates nor recurses more than one level deep.
+            // Instead, walk down a chain of children (always the one
+            // walk_child() picks), reversing links as we go: cur is the
+            // container currently being emptied, and prev is its parent
+            // (value_t::null when there is none). Each parent's
+            // walk_child() slot doubles as storage for that parent's own
+            // parent link while we are below it, so no extra memory is
+            // needed; the parent is not modified meanwhile, so
+            // walk_child() finds that same slot again on the way up. We
+            // only ever remove a child once it is a scalar or an empty
+            // array/object, which neither allocates nor recurses more
+            // than one level deep.
             //
             // This json_value is not itself a basic_json, so the
             // top-level container is first moved into a local stand-in
@@ -28006,11 +28035,11 @@ public:
                     }
 
                     // ascend: detach the grandparent link from prev's
-                    // last slot, drop that (now null) slot, free cur
+                    // walk_child() slot, drop that (now null) slot, free cur
                     // (it is empty), then move up one level
                     basic_json gp;
-                    take(gp, last_child(prev));
-                    pop_last_child(prev);
+                    take(gp, walk_child(prev));
+                    pop_walk_child(prev);
 
                     free_container(cur);
 
@@ -28019,21 +28048,21 @@ public:
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                basic_json& cur_last_ref = last_child(cur);
+                basic_json& cur_child_ref = walk_child(cur);
 
-                if (has_no_children(cur_last_ref))
+                if (has_no_children(cur_child_ref))
                 {
                     // scalar, or already-empty array/object
-                    pop_last_child(cur);
+                    pop_walk_child(cur);
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                // descend into the non-empty last child, reversing the
+                // descend into the non-empty child, reversing the
                 // link: its slot takes over prev, and the child becomes
                 // the new cur
                 basic_json tmp;
-                take(tmp, cur_last_ref);
-                take(cur_last_ref, prev);
+                take(tmp, cur_child_ref);
+                take(cur_child_ref, prev);
                 take(prev, cur);
                 take(cur, tmp);
             }
diff --git a/tests/src/unit-custom-object-type.cpp b/tests/src/unit-custom-object-type.cpp
index a579e0b2d..0eaaf2d3c 100644
--- a/tests/src/unit-custom-object-type.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/unit-custom-object-type.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
 
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 
+#include <cstddef>
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <iterator>
 #include <map>
 #include <string>
 #include <type_traits>
@@ -196,6 +198,198 @@ struct void_erase_map : std::map<Key, T, Compare, Allocator>
 
 using void_erase_json = nlohmann::basic_json<void_erase_map>;
 
+// wraps an iterator, but only offers the LegacyForwardIterator operations,
+// like the iterators of std::unordered_map and other hash maps
+template<class BaseIterator>
+class forward_only_iterator
+{
+    BaseIterator m_it{};
+
+  public:
+    using iterator_category = std::forward_iterator_tag;
+    using value_type = typename std::iterator_traits<BaseIterator>::value_type;
+    using difference_type = typename std::iterator_traits<BaseIterator>::difference_type;
+    using pointer = typename std::iterator_traits<BaseIterator>::pointer;
+    using reference = typename std::iterator_traits<BaseIterator>::reference;
+
+    forward_only_iterator() = default;
+    explicit forward_only_iterator(BaseIterator it) : m_it(it) {}
+
+    BaseIterator base() const
+    {
+        return m_it;
+    }
+
+    reference operator*() const
+    {
+        return *m_it;
+    }
+    pointer operator->() const
+    {
+        return &*m_it;
+    }
+    forward_only_iterator& operator++()
+    {
+        ++m_it;
+        return *this;
+    }
+    forward_only_iterator operator++(int)
+    {
+        auto result = *this;
+        ++m_it;
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    friend bool operator==(const forward_only_iterator& lhs, const forward_only_iterator& rhs)
+    {
+        return lhs.m_it == rhs.m_it;
+    }
+    friend bool operator!=(const forward_only_iterator& lhs, const forward_only_iterator& rhs)
+    {
+        return lhs.m_it != rhs.m_it;
+    }
+};
+
+// An ObjectType whose iterators are forward-only, as those of hash maps are;
+// it has no rbegin() and its iterators no operator--. A hash map is not used
+// directly for the same reason as in no_key_compare_map above.
+template<class Key, class T, class Compare, class Allocator>
+class forward_only_map
+{
+    using map_t = std::map<Key, T, Compare, Allocator>;
+    map_t data;
+
+  public:
+    using key_type = typename map_t::key_type;
+    using mapped_type = typename map_t::mapped_type;
+    using value_type = typename map_t::value_type;
+    using size_type = typename map_t::size_type;
+    using allocator_type = typename map_t::allocator_type;
+    using iterator = forward_only_iterator<typename map_t::iterator>;
+    using const_iterator = forward_only_iterator<typename map_t::const_iterator>;
+
+    forward_only_map() noexcept(std::is_nothrow_default_constructible<map_t>::value) : data() {}
+
+    template<class InputIt>
+    forward_only_map(InputIt first, InputIt last) : data(first, last) {}
+
+    iterator begin() noexcept
+    {
+        return iterator(data.begin());
+    }
+    iterator end() noexcept
+    {
+        return iterator(data.end());
+    }
+    const_iterator begin() const noexcept
+    {
+        return const_iterator(data.begin());
+    }
+    const_iterator end() const noexcept
+    {
+        return const_iterator(data.end());
+    }
+    const_iterator cbegin() const noexcept
+    {
+        return const_iterator(data.cbegin());
+    }
+    const_iterator cend() const noexcept
+    {
+        return const_iterator(data.cend());
+    }
+
+    bool empty() const noexcept
+    {
+        return data.empty();
+    }
+    size_type size() const noexcept
+    {
+        return data.size();
+    }
+    size_type max_size() const noexcept
+    {
+        return data.max_size();
+    }
+    void clear() noexcept
+    {
+        data.clear();
+    }
+
+    iterator find(const key_type& key)
+    {
+        return iterator(data.find(key));
+    }
+    const_iterator find(const key_type& key) const
+    {
+        return const_iterator(data.find(key));
+    }
+    size_type count(const key_type& key) const
+    {
+        return data.count(key);
+    }
+
+    std::pair<iterator, bool> emplace(const key_type& key, const mapped_type& value)
+    {
+        const auto result = data.emplace(key, value);
+        return {iterator(result.first), result.second};
+    }
+
+    std::pair<iterator, bool> insert(const value_type& value)
+    {
+        const auto result = data.insert(value);
+        return {iterator(result.first), result.second};
+    }
+
+    template<class InputIt>
+    void insert(InputIt first, InputIt last)
+    {
+        data.insert(first, last);
+    }
+
+    mapped_type& operator[](const key_type& key)
+    {
+        return data[key];
+    }
+
+    mapped_type& at(const key_type& key)
+    {
+        return data.at(key);
+    }
+    const mapped_type& at(const key_type& key) const
+    {
+        return data.at(key);
+    }
+
+    iterator erase(iterator pos)
+    {
+        return iterator(data.erase(pos.base()));
+    }
+    iterator erase(iterator first, iterator last)
+    {
+        return iterator(data.erase(first.base(), last.base()));
+    }
+    size_type erase(const key_type& key)
+    {
+        return data.erase(key);
+    }
+
+    void swap(forward_only_map& other) noexcept(noexcept(data.swap(other.data)))
+    {
+        data.swap(other.data);
+    }
+
+    friend bool operator==(const forward_only_map& lhs, const forward_only_map& rhs)
+    {
+        return lhs.data == rhs.data;
+    }
+    friend bool operator<(const forward_only_map& lhs, const forward_only_map& rhs)
+    {
+        return lhs.data < rhs.data;
+    }
+};
+
+using forward_only_json = nlohmann::basic_json<forward_only_map>;
+
 } // namespace
 
 TEST_CASE("object type whose erase() returns void")
@@ -322,3 +516,46 @@ TEST_CASE("object type without key_compare")
     }
 }
 
+
+TEST_CASE("object type with forward-only iterators")
+{
+    CHECK(std::is_same<std::iterator_traits<forward_only_json::object_t::iterator>::iterator_category,
+          std::forward_iterator_tag>::value);
+
+    SECTION("destroying nested objects and arrays")
+    {
+        forward_only_json j;
+        j["a"] = 1;
+        j["b"]["c"] = "x";
+        j["b"]["d"] = forward_only_json::array();
+        j["b"]["d"].push_back(forward_only_json::object());
+        j["b"]["d"].push_back(true);
+        j["b"]["e"]["f"]["g"] = nullptr;
+        j["h"] = forward_only_json::object();
+        j["i"]["j"] = 2;
+
+        CHECK(j.size() == 4);
+        CHECK(j["b"].size() == 3);
+        CHECK(j["b"]["d"].size() == 2);
+        CHECK(j["b"]["e"]["f"]["g"].is_null());
+
+        CHECK(j.erase("b") == 1);
+        CHECK(j.size() == 3);
+        j = 42;
+        CHECK(j == 42);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("destroying a deeply nested object")
+    {
+        constexpr std::size_t depth = 100000;
+        forward_only_json j;
+        forward_only_json* cur = &j;
+        for (std::size_t i = 0; i < depth; ++i)
+        {
+            (*cur)["s"] = i;
+            cur = &(*cur)["o"];
+        }
+        CHECK(j["o"]["o"]["s"] == 2);
+        // destroyed at the end of scope without recursing per level
+    }
+}