diff --git a/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/i18n.config.ts b/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/i18n.config.ts
index edecfa78e..395c1f4e7 100644
--- a/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/i18n.config.ts
+++ b/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/i18n.config.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 export default {
+  fallbackLocale: 'nl',
   messages: {
     nl: {
       about: 'Over deze site',
diff --git a/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/layer-simple/i18n.config.ts b/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/layer-simple/i18n.config.ts
index d5ebc188f..1274da31b 100644
--- a/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/layer-simple/i18n.config.ts
+++ b/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/layer-simple/i18n.config.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 export default {
+  fallbackLocale: 'en',
   messages: {
     fr: {
       thanks: 'Merci!',
       about: 'Should be overridden'
     },
     nl: {
-      thanks: 'Bedankt!'
+      thanks: 'Bedankt!',
+      uniqueTranslation: 'Unieke vertaling'
     },
     en: {
       about: 'About this site',
diff --git a/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/pages/index.vue b/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/pages/index.vue
index 1bdb2ccef..7776dcfe9 100644
--- a/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/pages/index.vue
+++ b/specs/fixtures/layer_consumer/pages/index.vue
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ useHead({
     <div id="layer-message">{{ $t('thanks') }}</div>
     <div id="snake-case">{{ $t('snakeCaseText') }}</div>
     <div id="pascal-case">{{ $t('pascalCaseText') }}</div>
+    <div id="fallback-message">{{ $t('uniqueTranslation') }}</div>
     <LangSwitcher />
     <section>
       <strong><code>useHead</code> with <code>useLocaleHead</code></strong
diff --git a/specs/layers/layers_vuei18n_options.spec.ts b/specs/layers/layers_vuei18n_options.spec.ts
index aa37c7588..fc8e4f72f 100644
--- a/specs/layers/layers_vuei18n_options.spec.ts
+++ b/specs/layers/layers_vuei18n_options.spec.ts
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ describe('nuxt layers vuei18n options', async () => {
     await page.click(`#set-locale-link-en`)
     expect(await getText(page, '#snake-case')).toEqual('About-this-site')
     expect(await getText(page, '#pascal-case')).toEqual('AboutThisSite')
+    expect(await getText(page, '#fallback-message')).toEqual('Unieke vertaling')
 
     await page.click(`#set-locale-link-fr`)
     expect(await getText(page, '#snake-case')).toEqual('À-propos-de-ce-site')
     expect(await getText(page, '#pascal-case')).toEqual('ÀProposDeCeSite')
+    expect(await getText(page, '#fallback-message')).toEqual('Unieke vertaling')
   })
 })
diff --git a/src/gen.ts b/src/gen.ts
index d368870f7..b919cffd4 100644
--- a/src/gen.ts
+++ b/src/gen.ts
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ export function generateLoaderOptions(
           const skipped = ['messages']
 
           for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(cfg).filter(([k]) => !skipped.includes(k))) {
-            if(nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n?.[k] === undefined) {
+            if(nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n?.[k] === undefined || typeof nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n?.[k] !== 'object') {
               nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n[k] = v
             } else {
               deepCopy(v, nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n[k])
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/gen.test.ts.snap b/test/__snapshots__/gen.test.ts.snap
index 75a9da63a..ea0189e94 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/gen.test.ts.snap
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/gen.test.ts.snap
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export const resolveNuxtI18nOptions = async (context) => {
           const skipped = ['messages']
 
           for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(cfg).filter(([k]) => !skipped.includes(k))) {
-            if(nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n?.[k] === undefined) {
+            if(nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n?.[k] === undefined || typeof nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n?.[k] !== 'object') {
               nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n[k] = v
             } else {
               deepCopy(v, nuxtI18nOptions.vueI18n[k])