diff --git a/src/jsonata.js b/src/jsonata.js
index aa40ccf4..bfc8db99 100644
--- a/src/jsonata.js
+++ b/src/jsonata.js
@@ -1759,6 +1759,11 @@ var jsonata = (function() {
         var input = this.input;
         if(typeof focus !== 'undefined') {
             input = focus;
+            // if the input is a JSON array, then wrap it in a singleton sequence so it gets treated as a single input
+            if(Array.isArray(input) && !isSequence(input)) {
+                input = createSequence(input);
+                input.outerWrapper = true;
+            }
         }
 
         try {
diff --git a/test/test-suite/groups/function-eval/case008.json b/test/test-suite/groups/function-eval/case008.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e22d718e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-suite/groups/function-eval/case008.json
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+[
+    {
+        "expr": "$eval(\"{ 'test': 1 }\", [])",
+        "data": {},
+        "bindings": {},
+        "result": {
+            "test": 1
+        }
+    },
+    {
+        "expr": "$eval(\"{ 'test': 1 }\")",
+        "data": [],
+        "bindings": {},
+        "result": {
+            "test": 1
+        }
+    },
+    {
+        "expr": "$eval(\"{ 'test': 1 }\", [1,2,3])",
+        "data": [],
+        "bindings": {},
+        "result": {
+            "test": 1
+        }
+    },
+    {
+        "expr": "$eval(\"{ 'test': 1 }\")",
+        "data": [1,2,3],
+        "bindings": {},
+        "result": {
+            "test": 1
+        }
+    }
+]