diff --git a/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/operator[].md b/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/operator[].md
index 3195870e4..bcb6ddc77 100644
--- a/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/operator[].md
+++ b/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/operator[].md
@@ -128,10 +128,13 @@ Strong exception safety: if an exception occurs, the original value stays intact
 
         When the JSON pointer traverses intermediate levels that don't exist at all yet (not just a missing
         leaf), each missing level is created as an array or an object depending on whether the corresponding
-        pointer token parses as a non-negative integer: a numeric token creates an array, a non-numeric token
-        creates an object. For example, on an initially `#!json null` value, `/foo/0/0/0` creates nested arrays,
-        while `/foo/one/one/one` creates nested objects. This is not specified by the JSON Pointer RFC; it is
-        this library's own, intentional disambiguation rule. See also [JSON Pointer](../../features/json_pointer.md).
+        pointer token is a valid array index: a token that is a nonempty sequence of digits without a leading
+        `0` (or the token `-`) creates an array, and every other token creates an object. For example, on an
+        initially `#!json null` value, `/foo/0/0/0` creates nested arrays, while `/foo/one/one/one` creates
+        nested objects. Tokens such as `01` or the empty token cannot be array indices (cf. RFC 6901, Sect. 4)
+        and therefore create objects, just as they would if the level already existed as an object. This is not
+        specified by the JSON Pointer RFC; it is this library's own, intentional disambiguation rule. See also
+        [JSON Pointer](../../features/json_pointer.md).
 
 ## Examples
 
diff --git a/include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp b/include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp
index 576ba62cc..425d547c8 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp
@@ -396,15 +396,19 @@ class json_pointer
             // convert null values to arrays or objects before continuing
             if (ptr->is_null())
             {
-                // check if the reference token is a number
-                const bool nums =
-                    std::all_of(reference_token.begin(), reference_token.end(),
-                                [](const unsigned char x)
+                // check if the reference token is a valid array index, that is
+                // a nonempty sequence of digits without a leading '0'
+                // (cf. RFC 6901, Sect. 4); tokens that could never be a valid
+                // array index (such as "01" or "") are treated as object keys
+                const bool nums = !reference_token.empty()
+                                  && (reference_token.size() == 1 || reference_token[0] != '0')
+                                  && std::all_of(reference_token.begin(), reference_token.end(),
+                                                 [](const unsigned char x)
                 {
                     return std::isdigit(x);
                 });
 
-                // change value to an array for numbers or "-" or to object otherwise
+                // change value to an array for array indices or "-" or to object otherwise
                 *ptr = (nums || reference_token == "-")
                        ? detail::value_t::array
                        : detail::value_t::object;
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index 958ac5fc9..55375aa00 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -15937,15 +15937,19 @@ class json_pointer
             // convert null values to arrays or objects before continuing
             if (ptr->is_null())
             {
-                // check if the reference token is a number
-                const bool nums =
-                    std::all_of(reference_token.begin(), reference_token.end(),
-                                [](const unsigned char x)
+                // check if the reference token is a valid array index, that is
+                // a nonempty sequence of digits without a leading '0'
+                // (cf. RFC 6901, Sect. 4); tokens that could never be a valid
+                // array index (such as "01" or "") are treated as object keys
+                const bool nums = !reference_token.empty()
+                                  && (reference_token.size() == 1 || reference_token[0] != '0')
+                                  && std::all_of(reference_token.begin(), reference_token.end(),
+                                                 [](const unsigned char x)
                 {
                     return std::isdigit(x);
                 });
 
-                // change value to an array for numbers or "-" or to object otherwise
+                // change value to an array for array indices or "-" or to object otherwise
                 *ptr = (nums || reference_token == "-")
                        ? detail::value_t::array
                        : detail::value_t::object;
diff --git a/tests/src/unit-json_pointer.cpp b/tests/src/unit-json_pointer.cpp
index a8ed4a89e..4b3f8f52c 100644
--- a/tests/src/unit-json_pointer.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/unit-json_pointer.cpp
@@ -396,6 +396,72 @@ TEST_CASE("JSON pointers")
         }
     }
 
+    SECTION("creating intermediate levels")
+    {
+        SECTION("tokens that are valid array indices create arrays")
+        {
+            json j;
+            j["/0"_json_pointer] = 1;
+            CHECK(j == json({1}));
+
+            json j2;
+            j2["/2"_json_pointer] = 1;
+            CHECK(j2 == json({nullptr, nullptr, 1}));
+
+            json j3;
+            j3["/-"_json_pointer] = 1;
+            CHECK(j3 == json({1}));
+
+            json j4;
+            j4["/foo/0/0"_json_pointer] = 1;
+            CHECK(j4 == json({{"foo", {{1}}}}));
+        }
+
+        SECTION("tokens that are no valid array indices create objects")
+        {
+            json j;
+            j["/one"_json_pointer] = 1;
+            CHECK(j == json({{"one", 1}}));
+
+            // leading '0' can never be a valid array index (RFC 6901, Sect. 4)
+            json j2;
+            j2["/01"_json_pointer] = 1;
+            CHECK(j2 == json({{"01", 1}}));
+
+            // the empty token is a valid object key, but no valid array index
+            json j3;
+            j3["/"_json_pointer] = 1;
+            CHECK(j3 == json({{"", 1}}));
+        }
+
+        SECTION("creating a level yields the same result as reusing it (#5357)")
+        {
+            json j;
+            j["/a/b/01/d"_json_pointer] = "value";
+
+            json j_init = json::object();
+            j_init["/a/b"_json_pointer] = json::object();
+            j_init["/a/b/01/d"_json_pointer] = "value";
+
+            const json expected = json::parse(R"({"a":{"b":{"01":{"d":"value"}}}})");
+            CHECK(j == expected);
+            CHECK(j_init == expected);
+
+            // unflatten uses the same key
+            const json flat = {{"/a/b/01/d", "value"}};
+            CHECK(flat.unflatten() == expected);
+        }
+
+        SECTION("existing arrays still reject invalid indices")
+        {
+            json j = {1, 2, 3};
+            CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(j["/01"_json_pointer],
+                                 "[json.exception.parse_error.106] parse error: array index '01' must not begin with '0'", json::parse_error&);
+            CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(j.at("/01"_json_pointer),
+                                 "[json.exception.parse_error.106] parse error: array index '01' must not begin with '0'", json::parse_error&);
+        }
+    }
+
     SECTION("flatten")
     {
         json j =