Refactor destroy() for readability and add edge-case tests

Apply review feedback from Greg Marr on the json_value::destroy()
non-recursive, allocation-free destruction walk (#5135):

- last_child() now uses object->rbegin()->second instead of
  std::prev(object->end())->second; pop_last_child() keeps
  std::prev(end()) since erase() needs a forward iterator.
- is_empty_container() becomes has_no_children(), a switch that
  returns true for every non-container type as well as empty
  array/object, simplifying the "scalar or already-empty child"
  check at the call site. The local variable `last` is renamed to
  `cur_last_ref` for clarity.
- free_container() asserts the array/object is already empty before
  freeing it, and the object branches assert the expected type.
- destroy(value_t t) is now a thin dispatcher to destroy_string(),
  destroy_binary(), and destroy_container(t), each handling its own
  "not initialized" check and sharing the simple cases first in the
  switch.
- destroy_container() moves the top-level container into the local
  stand-in via a plain swap of the json_value union, instead of a
  manual copy plus clearing array/object by hand.
- The "cur has no children and there is no parent" case now frees
  cur and returns immediately, so the main loop is a plain
  while (true) with no trailing code after it.

Also adds edge-case tests for both json and ordered_json (mixes of
empty/non-empty arrays and objects, container children in first/last
position, single-element chains, top-level empty containers, and
destruction via erase()/assignment), plus a mixed-tree case in the
"destructor performs no allocation" test.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

include/nlohmann/json.hpp

@@ -612,100 +612,208 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
         /// constructor for rvalue binary arrays (internal type)
         json_value(binary_t&& value) : binary(create<binary_t>(std::move(value))) {}
 
-        void destroy(value_t t)
+        // raw, allocation-free transfer of m_data from src to dst: no
+        // set_parents()/assert_invariant() (the former is O(#children) per
+        // call under JSON_DIAGNOSTICS, which would make the walk below
+        // quadratic); dst takes ownership, src is left as value_t::null.
+        static void take(basic_json& dst, basic_json& src) noexcept
+        {
+            dst.m_data.m_type = src.m_data.m_type;
+            dst.m_data.m_value = src.m_data.m_value;
+            src.m_data.m_type = value_t::null;
+        }
+
+        // true if v is not an array/object, or is an already-empty one
+        static bool has_no_children(const basic_json& v) noexcept
+        {
+            switch (v.m_data.m_type)
+            {
+                case value_t::array:
+                    return v.m_data.m_value.array->empty();
+                case value_t::object:
+                    return v.m_data.m_value.object->empty();
+                default:
+                    return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        static basic_json& last_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;
+        }
+
+        // removes the last child of 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)
+        {
+            if (v.m_data.m_type == value_t::array)
+            {
+                v.m_data.m_value.array->pop_back();
+            }
+            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()));
+            }
+        }
+
+        // deallocates the (already empty) array/object held by v; this is
+        // the same allocator-based free the old recursive implementation
+        // used, just factored out so every level of the walk in destroy()
+        // can share it
+        static void free_container(basic_json& v) noexcept
+        {
+            if (v.m_data.m_type == value_t::array)
+            {
+                JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_value.array->empty());
+                AllocatorType<array_t> alloc;
+                std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, v.m_data.m_value.array);
+                std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, v.m_data.m_value.array, 1);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_type == value_t::object);
+                JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_value.object->empty());
+                AllocatorType<object_t> alloc;
+                std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, v.m_data.m_value.object);
+                std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, v.m_data.m_value.object, 1);
+            }
+            v.m_data.m_type = value_t::null; // avoid a double free if v is later destructed
+        }
+
+        void destroy_string() noexcept
+        {
+            if (string == nullptr)
+            {
+                // not initialized (e.g., due to exception in the ctor)
+                return;
+            }
+            AllocatorType<string_t> alloc;
+            std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, string);
+            std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, string, 1);
+        }
+
+        void destroy_binary() noexcept
+        {
+            if (binary == nullptr)
+            {
+                // not initialized (e.g., due to exception in the ctor)
+                return;
+            }
+            AllocatorType<binary_t> alloc;
+            std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, binary);
+            std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, binary, 1);
+        }
+
+        // t must be value_t::array or value_t::object
+        void destroy_container(value_t t) noexcept
         {
             if (
                 (t == value_t::object && object == nullptr) ||
-                (t == value_t::array && array == nullptr) ||
+                (t == value_t::array && array == nullptr)
-                (t == value_t::string && string == nullptr) ||
-                (t == value_t::binary && binary == nullptr)
             )
             {
                 // not initialized (e.g., due to exception in the ctor)
                 return;
             }
-            if (t == value_t::array || t == value_t::object)
-            {
-                // flatten the current json_value to a heap-allocated stack
-                std::vector<basic_json> stack;
 
-                // move the top-level items to stack
+            // Destroy the tree without recursing per nesting level and
-                if (t == value_t::array)
+            // without any heap allocation: a heap-allocated flattening
+            // stack (the previous implementation) can itself throw
+            // 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.
+            //
+            // This json_value is not itself a basic_json, so the
+            // top-level container is first moved into a local stand-in
+            // ("cur"); a default-constructed basic_json has a null
+            // pointer in its m_value (see data::m_value's initializer),
+            // so swapping it with *this leaves this union's own pointer
+            // null, and it is never looked at or freed a second time.
+            basic_json cur;
+            cur.m_data.m_type = t;
+            using std::swap;
+            swap(cur.m_data.m_value, *this);
+
+            basic_json prev; // value_t::null: no parent
+
+            while (true)
             {
-                    stack.reserve(array->size());
+                if (has_no_children(cur))
-                    std::move(array->begin(), array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
+                {
+                    if (prev.m_data.m_type == value_t::null)
+                    {
+                        free_container(cur);
+                        return; // back at the top with nothing left to do
                     }
-                else
+
+                    // ascend: detach the grandparent link from prev's
+                    // last 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);
+
+                    free_container(cur);
+
+                    take(cur, prev);
+                    take(prev, gp);
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                basic_json& cur_last_ref = last_child(cur);
+
+                if (has_no_children(cur_last_ref))
                 {
-                    stack.reserve(object->size());
+                    // scalar, or already-empty array/object
-                    for (auto&& it : *object)
+                    pop_last_child(cur);
-                    {
+                    continue;
-                        stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
+                }
+
+                // descend into the non-empty last 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(prev, cur);
+                take(cur, tmp);
             }
         }
 
-                while (!stack.empty())
+        void destroy(value_t t)
         {
-                    // move the last item to a local variable to be processed
-                    basic_json current_item(std::move(stack.back()));
-                    stack.pop_back();
-
-                    // if current_item is array/object, move
-                    // its children to the stack to be processed later
-                    if (current_item.is_array())
-                    {
-                        std::move(current_item.m_data.m_value.array->begin(), current_item.m_data.m_value.array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
-
-                        current_item.m_data.m_value.array->clear();
-                    }
-                    else if (current_item.is_object())
-                    {
-                        for (auto&& it : *current_item.m_data.m_value.object)
-                        {
-                            stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
-                        }
-
-                        current_item.m_data.m_value.object->clear();
-                    }
-
-                    // it's now safe that current_item gets destructed
-                    // since it doesn't have any children
-                }
-            }
-
             switch (t)
             {
-                case value_t::object:
-                {
-                    AllocatorType<object_t> alloc;
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, object);
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, object, 1);
-                    break;
-                }
-
-                case value_t::array:
-                {
-                    AllocatorType<array_t> alloc;
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, array);
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, array, 1);
-                    break;
-                }
-
                 case value_t::string:
-                {
+                    destroy_string();
-                    AllocatorType<string_t> alloc;
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, string);
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, string, 1);
                     break;
-                }
 
                 case value_t::binary:
-                {
+                    destroy_binary();
-                    AllocatorType<binary_t> alloc;
+                    break;
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, binary);
+
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, binary, 1);
+                case value_t::object:
+                case value_t::array:
+                    destroy_container(t);
                     break;
-                }
 
                 case value_t::null:
                 case value_t::boolean:
@@ -714,11 +822,9 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
                 case value_t::number_float:
                 case value_t::discarded:
                 default:
-                {
                     break;
             }
         }
-        }
     };
 
   private:

single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp

@@ -27734,100 +27734,208 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
         /// constructor for rvalue binary arrays (internal type)
         json_value(binary_t&& value) : binary(create<binary_t>(std::move(value))) {}
 
-        void destroy(value_t t)
+        // raw, allocation-free transfer of m_data from src to dst: no
+        // set_parents()/assert_invariant() (the former is O(#children) per
+        // call under JSON_DIAGNOSTICS, which would make the walk below
+        // quadratic); dst takes ownership, src is left as value_t::null.
+        static void take(basic_json& dst, basic_json& src) noexcept
+        {
+            dst.m_data.m_type = src.m_data.m_type;
+            dst.m_data.m_value = src.m_data.m_value;
+            src.m_data.m_type = value_t::null;
+        }
+
+        // true if v is not an array/object, or is an already-empty one
+        static bool has_no_children(const basic_json& v) noexcept
+        {
+            switch (v.m_data.m_type)
+            {
+                case value_t::array:
+                    return v.m_data.m_value.array->empty();
+                case value_t::object:
+                    return v.m_data.m_value.object->empty();
+                default:
+                    return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        static basic_json& last_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;
+        }
+
+        // removes the last child of 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)
+        {
+            if (v.m_data.m_type == value_t::array)
+            {
+                v.m_data.m_value.array->pop_back();
+            }
+            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()));
+            }
+        }
+
+        // deallocates the (already empty) array/object held by v; this is
+        // the same allocator-based free the old recursive implementation
+        // used, just factored out so every level of the walk in destroy()
+        // can share it
+        static void free_container(basic_json& v) noexcept
+        {
+            if (v.m_data.m_type == value_t::array)
+            {
+                JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_value.array->empty());
+                AllocatorType<array_t> alloc;
+                std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, v.m_data.m_value.array);
+                std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, v.m_data.m_value.array, 1);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_type == value_t::object);
+                JSON_ASSERT(v.m_data.m_value.object->empty());
+                AllocatorType<object_t> alloc;
+                std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, v.m_data.m_value.object);
+                std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, v.m_data.m_value.object, 1);
+            }
+            v.m_data.m_type = value_t::null; // avoid a double free if v is later destructed
+        }
+
+        void destroy_string() noexcept
+        {
+            if (string == nullptr)
+            {
+                // not initialized (e.g., due to exception in the ctor)
+                return;
+            }
+            AllocatorType<string_t> alloc;
+            std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, string);
+            std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, string, 1);
+        }
+
+        void destroy_binary() noexcept
+        {
+            if (binary == nullptr)
+            {
+                // not initialized (e.g., due to exception in the ctor)
+                return;
+            }
+            AllocatorType<binary_t> alloc;
+            std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, binary);
+            std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, binary, 1);
+        }
+
+        // t must be value_t::array or value_t::object
+        void destroy_container(value_t t) noexcept
         {
             if (
                 (t == value_t::object && object == nullptr) ||
-                (t == value_t::array && array == nullptr) ||
+                (t == value_t::array && array == nullptr)
-                (t == value_t::string && string == nullptr) ||
-                (t == value_t::binary && binary == nullptr)
             )
             {
                 // not initialized (e.g., due to exception in the ctor)
                 return;
             }
-            if (t == value_t::array || t == value_t::object)
-            {
-                // flatten the current json_value to a heap-allocated stack
-                std::vector<basic_json> stack;
 
-                // move the top-level items to stack
+            // Destroy the tree without recursing per nesting level and
-                if (t == value_t::array)
+            // without any heap allocation: a heap-allocated flattening
+            // stack (the previous implementation) can itself throw
+            // 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.
+            //
+            // This json_value is not itself a basic_json, so the
+            // top-level container is first moved into a local stand-in
+            // ("cur"); a default-constructed basic_json has a null
+            // pointer in its m_value (see data::m_value's initializer),
+            // so swapping it with *this leaves this union's own pointer
+            // null, and it is never looked at or freed a second time.
+            basic_json cur;
+            cur.m_data.m_type = t;
+            using std::swap;
+            swap(cur.m_data.m_value, *this);
+
+            basic_json prev; // value_t::null: no parent
+
+            while (true)
             {
-                    stack.reserve(array->size());
+                if (has_no_children(cur))
-                    std::move(array->begin(), array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
+                {
+                    if (prev.m_data.m_type == value_t::null)
+                    {
+                        free_container(cur);
+                        return; // back at the top with nothing left to do
                     }
-                else
+
+                    // ascend: detach the grandparent link from prev's
+                    // last 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);
+
+                    free_container(cur);
+
+                    take(cur, prev);
+                    take(prev, gp);
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                basic_json& cur_last_ref = last_child(cur);
+
+                if (has_no_children(cur_last_ref))
                 {
-                    stack.reserve(object->size());
+                    // scalar, or already-empty array/object
-                    for (auto&& it : *object)
+                    pop_last_child(cur);
-                    {
+                    continue;
-                        stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
+                }
+
+                // descend into the non-empty last 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(prev, cur);
+                take(cur, tmp);
             }
         }
 
-                while (!stack.empty())
+        void destroy(value_t t)
         {
-                    // move the last item to a local variable to be processed
-                    basic_json current_item(std::move(stack.back()));
-                    stack.pop_back();
-
-                    // if current_item is array/object, move
-                    // its children to the stack to be processed later
-                    if (current_item.is_array())
-                    {
-                        std::move(current_item.m_data.m_value.array->begin(), current_item.m_data.m_value.array->end(), std::back_inserter(stack));
-
-                        current_item.m_data.m_value.array->clear();
-                    }
-                    else if (current_item.is_object())
-                    {
-                        for (auto&& it : *current_item.m_data.m_value.object)
-                        {
-                            stack.push_back(std::move(it.second));
-                        }
-
-                        current_item.m_data.m_value.object->clear();
-                    }
-
-                    // it's now safe that current_item gets destructed
-                    // since it doesn't have any children
-                }
-            }
-
             switch (t)
             {
-                case value_t::object:
-                {
-                    AllocatorType<object_t> alloc;
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, object);
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, object, 1);
-                    break;
-                }
-
-                case value_t::array:
-                {
-                    AllocatorType<array_t> alloc;
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, array);
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, array, 1);
-                    break;
-                }
-
                 case value_t::string:
-                {
+                    destroy_string();
-                    AllocatorType<string_t> alloc;
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, string);
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, string, 1);
                     break;
-                }
 
                 case value_t::binary:
-                {
+                    destroy_binary();
-                    AllocatorType<binary_t> alloc;
+                    break;
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::destroy(alloc, binary);
+
-                    std::allocator_traits<decltype(alloc)>::deallocate(alloc, binary, 1);
+                case value_t::object:
+                case value_t::array:
+                    destroy_container(t);
                     break;
-                }
 
                 case value_t::null:
                 case value_t::boolean:
@@ -27836,11 +27944,9 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
                 case value_t::number_float:
                 case value_t::discarded:
                 default:
-                {
                     break;
             }
         }
-        }
     };
 
   private:

tests/src/unit-allocator.cpp

@@ -602,3 +602,88 @@ TEST_CASE("bad my_allocator::construct")
         j["test"].push_back("should not leak");
     }
 }
+
+namespace
+{
+std::size_t counting_allocator_allocations = 0;
+std::size_t counting_allocator_deallocations = 0;
+
+template<class T>
+struct counting_allocator : std::allocator<T>
+{
+    using std::allocator<T>::allocator;
+
+    T* allocate(std::size_t n)
+    {
+        ++counting_allocator_allocations;
+        return std::allocator<T>::allocate(n);
+    }
+
+    void deallocate(T* p, std::size_t n)
+    {
+        ++counting_allocator_deallocations;
+        std::allocator<T>::deallocate(p, n);
+    }
+
+    template <class U>
+    struct rebind
+    {
+        using other = counting_allocator<U>;
+    };
+};
+} // namespace
+
+TEST_CASE("destructor performs no allocation, only deallocation")
+{
+    // see https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/4842 and
+    // https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/5135: destroying nested
+    // arrays/objects used to allocate a temporary stack (first with
+    // std::allocator, later - after #4842 - with the provided allocator).
+    // Since that stack could itself throw bad_alloc from inside the
+    // noexcept destructor (#5135), destroy() no longer allocates anything:
+    // it only ever frees what is already there.
+    using counting_json = nlohmann::basic_json<std::map,
+          std::vector,
+          std::string,
+          bool,
+          std::int64_t,
+          std::uint64_t,
+          double,
+          counting_allocator>;
+
+    SECTION("array")
+    {
+        auto* j = new counting_json({1, {2, {3, 4}}, 5}); // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory)
+        const auto allocations_before = counting_allocator_allocations;
+        const auto deallocations_before = counting_allocator_deallocations;
+        delete j; // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory)
+        CHECK(counting_allocator_allocations == allocations_before);
+        CHECK(counting_allocator_deallocations > deallocations_before);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("object")
+    {
+        auto* j = new counting_json({{"a", {{"b", {1, 2}}}}, {"c", 3}}); // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory)
+        const auto allocations_before = counting_allocator_allocations;
+        const auto deallocations_before = counting_allocator_deallocations;
+        delete j; // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory)
+        CHECK(counting_allocator_allocations == allocations_before);
+        CHECK(counting_allocator_deallocations > deallocations_before);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("mixed tree of empty/non-empty arrays and objects")
+    {
+        auto* j = new counting_json( // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory)
+        {
+            {"empty_obj", counting_json::object()},
+            {"empty_arr", counting_json::array()},
+            {"nested", {{"a", counting_json::array({1, 2, counting_json::object()})}, {"b", 3}}},
+            {"tail", counting_json::array({counting_json::array({1}), 2, counting_json::array({3})})}
+        });
+        const auto allocations_before = counting_allocator_allocations;
+        const auto deallocations_before = counting_allocator_deallocations;
+        delete j; // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory)
+        CHECK(counting_allocator_allocations == allocations_before);
+        CHECK(counting_allocator_deallocations > deallocations_before);
+    }
+}

tests/src/unit-regression2.cpp

@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ using ordered_json = nlohmann::ordered_json;
 #endif
 
 #include <cstdio>
+#include <cstdlib>
 #include <list>
+#include <new>
 #include <tuple>
 #include <type_traits>
 #include <utility>
@@ -107,6 +109,84 @@ DOCTEST_CLANG_SUPPRESS_WARNING("-Wexit-time-destructors")
 
 using float_json = nlohmann::basic_json<std::map, std::vector, std::string, bool, std::int64_t, std::uint64_t, float>;
 
+#if (defined(__cpp_exceptions) || defined(__EXCEPTIONS) || defined(_CPPUNWIND)) && !defined(JSON_NOEXCEPTION)
+namespace
+{
+// An allocator whose allocate() can be told to fail on demand, so tests can
+// check that ~basic_json() tolerates - in fact, after #5135, never even
+// triggers - an allocation failure. This replaces an earlier version of
+// this test that overrode the process-wide ::operator new/::operator
+// delete, which affected every allocation in the whole unit-regression2
+// binary rather than just the values under test.
+std::size_t failing_allocator_allocations = 0;
+std::size_t failing_allocator_deallocations = 0;
+bool fail_next_allocation = false;
+
+template<class T>
+struct failing_allocator : std::allocator<T>
+{
+    using std::allocator<T>::allocator;
+
+    failing_allocator() noexcept = default;
+    template<class U>
+    failing_allocator(const failing_allocator<U>& /*unused*/) noexcept {} // NOLINT(google-explicit-constructor)
+
+    T* allocate(std::size_t n)
+    {
+        if (fail_next_allocation)
+        {
+            fail_next_allocation = false;
+            throw std::bad_alloc();
+        }
+        ++failing_allocator_allocations;
+        return std::allocator<T>::allocate(n);
+    }
+
+    void deallocate(T* p, std::size_t n)
+    {
+        ++failing_allocator_deallocations;
+        std::allocator<T>::deallocate(p, n);
+    }
+
+    template<class U>
+    struct rebind
+    {
+        using other = failing_allocator<U>;
+    };
+};
+
+using failing_json = nlohmann::basic_json<std::map, std::vector, std::string, bool,
+      std::int64_t, std::uint64_t, double, failing_allocator>;
+using failing_ordered_json = nlohmann::basic_json<nlohmann::ordered_map, std::vector, std::string, bool,
+      std::int64_t, std::uint64_t, double, failing_allocator>;
+
+// builds `depth` levels of nesting around a scalar, iteratively (never
+// recursing: each wrap only moves the previous, already-built value, which
+// is O(1)), each level an array or an object depending on `nest_objects`
+template<class BasicJsonType>
+BasicJsonType make_deep_nest(std::size_t depth, bool nest_objects)
+{
+    BasicJsonType v = 0;
+    for (std::size_t i = 0; i < depth; ++i)
+    {
+        if (nest_objects)
+        {
+            BasicJsonType wrapper = BasicJsonType::object();
+            wrapper["x"] = std::move(v);
+            v = std::move(wrapper);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            BasicJsonType wrapper = BasicJsonType::array();
+            wrapper.push_back(std::move(v));
+            v = std::move(wrapper);
+        }
+    }
+    return v;
+}
+} // namespace
+#endif
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // for #1647
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -940,4 +1020,211 @@ TEST_CASE("regression test - excessive binary container size honors allow_except
     CHECK(json::from_cbor(std::vector<std::uint8_t> {0x9b, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0x02}, true, false).is_discarded());
 }
 
+#if (defined(__cpp_exceptions) || defined(__EXCEPTIONS) || defined(_CPPUNWIND)) && !defined(JSON_NOEXCEPTION)
+TEST_CASE("regression test #5135 - destructor never allocates, even under memory pressure")
+{
+    // Before the fix, ~basic_json() flattened a nested array/object into a
+    // heap-allocated std::vector to avoid recursing; that allocation could
+    // itself throw bad_alloc, which escapes a noexcept destructor and
+    // terminates the program. destroy() no longer allocates anything, so
+    // none of the sections below ever observe fail_next_allocation being
+    // consumed: CHECK(fail_next_allocation) confirms it was never touched.
+
+    SECTION("the original report: a small, mixed array/object nest")
+    {
+        failing_allocator_allocations = 0;
+        failing_allocator_deallocations = 0;
+        {
+            failing_json j = failing_json::array(
+            {
+                failing_json::array({1, 2}),
+                failing_json::object({{"key", failing_json::array({3})}})
+            });
+            fail_next_allocation = true;
+        } // j is destroyed here, with every further allocation set to fail
+
+        CHECK(fail_next_allocation);
+        fail_next_allocation = false;
+        CHECK(failing_allocator_deallocations > 0);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("100000-deep nested array")
+    {
+        std::size_t allocations_before = 0;
+        {
+            failing_json j = make_deep_nest<failing_json>(100000, false);
+            allocations_before = failing_allocator_allocations;
+            fail_next_allocation = true;
+        }
+
+        CHECK(fail_next_allocation);
+        fail_next_allocation = false;
+        CHECK(failing_allocator_allocations == allocations_before);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("100000-deep nested object")
+    {
+        std::size_t allocations_before = 0;
+        {
+            failing_json j = make_deep_nest<failing_json>(100000, true);
+            allocations_before = failing_allocator_allocations;
+            fail_next_allocation = true;
+        }
+
+        CHECK(fail_next_allocation);
+        fail_next_allocation = false;
+        CHECK(failing_allocator_allocations == allocations_before);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("100000-deep nested ordered_json")
+    {
+        std::size_t allocations_before = 0;
+        {
+            failing_ordered_json j = make_deep_nest<failing_ordered_json>(100000, true);
+            allocations_before = failing_allocator_allocations;
+            fail_next_allocation = true;
+        }
+
+        CHECK(fail_next_allocation);
+        fail_next_allocation = false;
+        CHECK(failing_allocator_allocations == allocations_before);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("wide and deep: 1000 arrays of 1000 elements, each a small nested object")
+    {
+        std::size_t allocations_before = 0;
+        {
+            failing_json wide = failing_json::array();
+            for (std::size_t i = 0; i < 1000; ++i)
+            {
+                failing_json inner = failing_json::array();
+                for (std::size_t k = 0; k < 1000; ++k)
+                {
+                    inner.push_back(failing_json::object({{"a", 1}, {"b", failing_json::array({1, 2, 3})}}));
+                }
+                wide.push_back(std::move(inner));
+            }
+
+            allocations_before = failing_allocator_allocations;
+            fail_next_allocation = true;
+        }
+
+        CHECK(fail_next_allocation);
+        fail_next_allocation = false;
+        CHECK(failing_allocator_allocations == allocations_before);
+    }
+}
+#endif
+
+namespace
+{
+// a single-element chain of `depth` arrays, built iteratively (never
+// recursing: each wrap only moves the previous, already-built value)
+template<class BasicJsonType>
+BasicJsonType make_single_chain(std::size_t depth)
+{
+    BasicJsonType v = 1;
+    for (std::size_t i = 0; i < depth; ++i)
+    {
+        BasicJsonType wrapper = BasicJsonType::array();
+        wrapper.push_back(std::move(v));
+        v = std::move(wrapper);
+    }
+    return v;
+}
+
+// copies value first, to make sure nothing was corrupted by building it,
+// then lets both the copy and the original destruct via normal scope exit
+template<class BasicJsonType>
+void check_destroy_edge_case(const BasicJsonType& value)
+{
+    const BasicJsonType copy = value;
+    CHECK(copy == value);
+}
+} // namespace
+
+TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE("regression test #5135 - destroy() edge cases", BasicJsonType, json, ordered_json)
+{
+    using binary_t = typename BasicJsonType::binary_t;
+
+    SECTION("mix of empty objects, empty arrays, non-empty containers, and scalars")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType root = BasicJsonType::array();
+        root.push_back(BasicJsonType::object());
+        root.push_back(BasicJsonType::array());
+        root.push_back(BasicJsonType::object({{"k", 1}}));
+        root.push_back(BasicJsonType::array({1, 2, 3}));
+        root.push_back(nullptr);
+        root.push_back(true);
+        root.push_back(42);
+        root.push_back(3.14);
+        root.push_back("a string");
+        root.push_back(BasicJsonType(binary_t({1, 2, 3})));
+        check_destroy_edge_case(root);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("container child in first position only")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType root = BasicJsonType::array({BasicJsonType::array({1, 2}), 3, 4, 5});
+        check_destroy_edge_case(root);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("container child in last position only")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType root = BasicJsonType::array({1, 2, 3, BasicJsonType::array({4, 5})});
+        check_destroy_edge_case(root);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("container children in first and last position")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType root = BasicJsonType::array({BasicJsonType::array({1}), 2, 3, BasicJsonType::array({4})});
+        check_destroy_edge_case(root);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("single-element chain, 1000 levels deep")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType root = make_single_chain<BasicJsonType>(1000);
+        check_destroy_edge_case(root);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("top-level empty array")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType root = BasicJsonType::array();
+        check_destroy_edge_case(root);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("top-level empty object")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType root = BasicJsonType::object();
+        check_destroy_edge_case(root);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("object whose last child is a non-empty array whose last child is an empty object")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType inner_array = BasicJsonType::array({1, 2, BasicJsonType::object()});
+        BasicJsonType root = BasicJsonType::object({{"a", 1}, {"b", inner_array}});
+        check_destroy_edge_case(root);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("destruction via erase() on a deeply nested child")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType root = BasicJsonType::array();
+        root.push_back(make_single_chain<BasicJsonType>(500));
+        root.push_back(BasicJsonType::object({{"k", BasicJsonType::array({1, 2, 3})}}));
+        // erase() must destroy the removed subtree without recursing or
+        // allocating beyond what erase() itself needs
+        root.erase(0);
+        CAPTURE(root.size())
+        CHECK(root.size() == 1);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("destruction via assignment on a deep tree")
+    {
+        BasicJsonType root = make_single_chain<BasicJsonType>(2000);
+        // assigning a new value destroys the old one in place
+        root = nullptr;
+        CHECK(root.is_null());
+    }
+}
+
 DOCTEST_CLANG_SUPPRESS_WARNING_POP