diff --git a/lib/active_record/virtual_attributes/virtual_fields.rb b/lib/active_record/virtual_attributes/virtual_fields.rb
index 90fb361e..55203e45 100644
--- a/lib/active_record/virtual_attributes/virtual_fields.rb
+++ b/lib/active_record/virtual_attributes/virtual_fields.rb
@@ -33,18 +33,20 @@ def virtual_field?(name)
         end
 
         def replace_virtual_fields(associations)
-          return associations if associations.blank?
+          return nil if associations.blank?
 
-          case associations
-          when String, Symbol
-            virtual_field?(associations) ? replace_virtual_fields(virtual_includes(associations)) : associations.to_sym
-          when Array
-            associations.collect { |association| replace_virtual_fields(association) }.compact
-          when Hash
-            replace_virtual_field_hash(associations)
-          else
-            associations
-          end
+          ret =
+            case associations
+            when String, Symbol
+              virtual_field?(associations) ? replace_virtual_fields(virtual_includes(associations)) : associations.to_sym
+            when Array
+              associations.filter_map { |association| replace_virtual_fields(association) }
+            when Hash
+              replace_virtual_field_hash(associations)
+            else
+              associations
+            end
+          simplify_includes(ret)
         end
 
         def replace_virtual_field_hash(associations)
@@ -98,6 +100,18 @@ def merge_includes(hash1, hash2)
             merge_includes(include_to_hash(v1), v2)
           end
         end
+
+        # @param [Hash|Array|Symbol|nil]
+        def simplify_includes(ret)
+          case ret
+          when Hash
+            ret.size <= 1 && ret.values.first.blank? ? ret.keys.first : ret
+          when Array
+            ret.size <= 1 ? ret.first : ret
+          else
+            ret
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
   end
@@ -267,7 +281,7 @@ def arel_column(field, &block)
       end
 
       def construct_join_dependency(associations, join_type) # :nodoc:
-        associations = klass.replace_virtual_fields(associations)
+        associations = klass.replace_virtual_fields(associations) || {}
         super
       end
     })
diff --git a/spec/virtual_attributes_spec.rb b/spec/virtual_attributes_spec.rb
index 95a76b3b..b0b723b6 100644
--- a/spec/virtual_attributes_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/virtual_attributes_spec.rb
@@ -127,10 +127,10 @@
         it ".replace_virtual_fields" do
           expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields(:vcol1)).to be_nil
           expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields(:ref1)).to eq(:ref1)
-          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields([:vcol1])).to eq([])
-          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields([:vcol1, :ref1])).to eq([:ref1])
-          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields(:vcol1 => {})).to eq({})
-          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields(:vcol1 => {}, :ref1 => {})).to eq(:ref1 => {})
+          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields([:vcol1].freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields([:vcol1, :ref1].freeze)).to eq(:ref1)
+          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields({:vcol1 => {}}.freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields({:vcol1 => {}, :ref1 => {}}.freeze)).to eq(:ref1)
         end
       end
     end
@@ -158,15 +158,15 @@
         end
 
         it ".replace_virtual_fields" do
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vcol1)).to             be_nil
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vcolsub1)).to          be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vcol1)).to be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vcolsub1)).to be_nil
           expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:ref1)).to eq(:ref1)
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vcol1])).to eq([])
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vcolsub1])).to eq([])
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vcolsub1, :vcol1, :ref1])).to eq([:ref1])
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vcol1    => {})).to eq({})
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vcolsub1 => {})).to eq({})
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vcolsub1 => {}, :vcol1 => {}, :ref1 => {})).to eq(:ref1 => {})
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vcol1].freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vcolsub1].freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vcolsub1, :vcol1, :ref1].freeze)).to eq(:ref1)
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields({:vcol1    => {}}.freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields({:vcolsub1 => {}}.freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields({:vcolsub1 => {}, :vcol1 => {}, :ref1 => {}}.freeze)).to eq(:ref1)
         end
       end
     end
@@ -341,10 +341,10 @@ def hosts
         it ".replace_virtual_fields" do
           expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields(:vref1)).to be_nil
           expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields(:ref1)).to eq(:ref1)
-          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields([:vref1])).to eq([])
-          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields([:vref1, :ref1])).to eq([:ref1])
-          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields(:vref1 => {})).to eq({})
-          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields(:vref1 => {}, :ref1 => {})).to eq(:ref1 => {})
+          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields([:vref1].freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields([:vref1, :ref1].freeze)).to eq(:ref1)
+          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields({:vref1 => {}}.freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(TestClass.replace_virtual_fields({:vref1 => {}, :ref1 => {}}.freeze)).to eq(:ref1)
         end
       end
     end
@@ -377,12 +377,12 @@ def hosts
           expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vref1)).to be_nil
           expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vrefsub1)).to be_nil
           expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:ref1)).to eq(:ref1)
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vref1])).to eq([])
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vrefsub1])).to eq([])
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vrefsub1, :vref1, :ref1])).to eq([:ref1])
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vref1 => {})).to eq({})
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vrefsub1 => {})).to eq({})
-          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields(:vrefsub1 => {}, :vref1 => {}, :ref1 => {})).to eq(:ref1 => {})
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vref1].freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vrefsub1].freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields([:vrefsub1, :vref1, :ref1].freeze)).to eq(:ref1)
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields({:vref1 => {}}.freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields({:vrefsub1 => {}}.freeze)).to be_nil
+          expect(test_sub_class.replace_virtual_fields({:vrefsub1 => {}, :vref1 => {}, :ref1 => {}}.freeze)).to eq(:ref1)
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/virtual_includes_spec.rb b/spec/virtual_includes_spec.rb
index 73988137..a8b8afb0 100644
--- a/spec/virtual_includes_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/virtual_includes_spec.rb
@@ -524,22 +524,27 @@
       expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields([:book_with_most_bookmarks, :books])).to eq([{:books => :bookmarks}, :books])
       expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields(["book_with_most_bookmarks", "books"])).to eq([{:books => :bookmarks}, :books])
       expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields([{:book_with_most_bookmarks => {}}, :books])).to eq([{:books => :bookmarks}, :books])
-      expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields([{:book_with_most_bookmarks => {}}, {:books => {}}])).to eq([{:books => :bookmarks}, {:books => {}}])
+      expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields([{:book_with_most_bookmarks => {}}, {:books => {}}])).to eq([{:books => :bookmarks}, :books])
     end
 
     it "handles hash form of delegates" do
-      expect(Book.replace_virtual_fields([{:author_name => {}}, {:author_name2 => {}}])).to eq([{:author => {}}, {:author => {}}])
+      expect(Book.replace_virtual_fields([{:author_name => {}}, {:author_name2 => {}}])).to eq([:author, :author])
     end
 
     it "handles non-'includes' virtual_attributes" do
       expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields(:nick_or_name)).to eq(nil)
-      expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields([:nick_or_name])).to eq([])
-      expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields(:nick_or_name => {})).to eq({})
+      expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields([:nick_or_name])).to eq(nil)
+      expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields(:nick_or_name => {})).to eq(nil)
     end
 
     it "handles deep includes with va indirect uses(:uses => :books => :bookmarks)" do
       expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields(:famous_co_authors => {})).to eq({:books => {:bookmarks => {}, :co_authors => {}}})
     end
+
+    it "handles arrays" do
+      value = Author.includes(:named_books).includes_values
+      expect(Author.replace_virtual_fields(value)).to eq(:books)
+    end
   end
 
   def preloaded(records, associations, preload_scope = nil)