diff --git a/src/wp-includes/meta.php b/src/wp-includes/meta.php
index 577785c2163a0..96542f993fece 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/meta.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/meta.php
@@ -611,6 +611,7 @@ function get_metadata( $meta_type, $object_id, $meta_key = '', $single = false )
  * Retrieves raw metadata value for the specified object.
  *
  * @since 5.5.0
+ * @since 7.2.0 A cached value that is not an array is now treated as a cache miss.
  *
  * @param string $meta_type Type of object metadata is for. Accepts 'blog', 'post', 'comment', 'term',
  *                          'user', or any other object type with an associated meta table.
@@ -672,7 +673,8 @@ function get_metadata_raw( $meta_type, $object_id, $meta_key = '', $single = fal
 
 	$meta_cache = wp_cache_get( $object_id, $meta_type . '_meta' );
 
-	if ( ! $meta_cache ) {
+	// A cached value that is not an array is unusable, treat it as a cache miss.
+	if ( ! $meta_cache || ! is_array( $meta_cache ) ) {
 		$meta_cache = update_meta_cache( $meta_type, array( $object_id ) );
 		$meta_cache = $meta_cache[ $object_id ] ?? null;
 	}
@@ -753,6 +755,7 @@ function get_metadata_default( $meta_type, $object_id, $meta_key, $single = fals
  * Determines if a meta field with the given key exists for the given object ID.
  *
  * @since 3.3.0
+ * @since 7.2.0 A cached value that is not an array is now treated as a cache miss.
  *
  * @param string $meta_type Type of object metadata is for. Accepts 'blog', 'post', 'comment', 'term',
  *                          'user', or any other object type with an associated meta table.
@@ -778,9 +781,10 @@ function metadata_exists( $meta_type, $object_id, $meta_key ) {
 
 	$meta_cache = wp_cache_get( $object_id, $meta_type . '_meta' );
 
-	if ( ! $meta_cache ) {
+	// A cached value that is not an array is unusable, treat it as a cache miss.
+	if ( ! $meta_cache || ! is_array( $meta_cache ) ) {
 		$meta_cache = update_meta_cache( $meta_type, array( $object_id ) );
-		$meta_cache = $meta_cache[ $object_id ];
+		$meta_cache = $meta_cache[ $object_id ] ?? null;
 	}
 
 	if ( isset( $meta_cache[ $meta_key ] ) ) {
@@ -1126,6 +1130,7 @@ function delete_metadata_by_mid( $meta_type, $meta_id ) {
  * Updates the metadata cache for the specified objects.
  *
  * @since 2.9.0
+ * @since 7.2.0 A cached value that is not an array is now treated as a cache miss.
  *
  * @global wpdb $wpdb WordPress database abstraction object.
  *
@@ -1182,12 +1187,17 @@ function update_meta_cache( $meta_type, $object_ids ) {
 
 	$cache_group    = $meta_type . '_meta';
 	$non_cached_ids = array();
+	$invalid_ids    = array();
 	$cache          = array();
 	$cache_values   = wp_cache_get_multiple( $object_ids, $cache_group );
 
 	foreach ( $cache_values as $id => $cached_object ) {
 		if ( false === $cached_object ) {
 			$non_cached_ids[] = $id;
+		} elseif ( ! is_array( $cached_object ) ) {
+			// A cached value that is not an array is unusable, treat it as a cache miss.
+			$non_cached_ids[] = $id;
+			$invalid_ids[]    = $id;
 		} else {
 			$cache[ $id ] = $cached_object;
 		}
@@ -1229,6 +1239,16 @@ function update_meta_cache( $meta_type, $object_ids ) {
 		}
 		$data[ $id ] = $cache[ $id ];
 	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Remove unusable cached values so that the regenerated values can be added.
+	 * A delete followed by an add is used instead of wp_cache_set_multiple()
+	 * so that wp_suspend_cache_addition() is still respected.
+	 */
+	if ( ! empty( $invalid_ids ) ) {
+		wp_cache_delete_multiple( $invalid_ids, $cache_group );
+	}
+
 	wp_cache_add_multiple( $data, $cache_group );
 
 	return $cache;
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/meta.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/meta.php
index 6431a158610a5..c0d6d05df7528 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/meta.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/meta.php
@@ -131,6 +131,115 @@ public function test_metadata_exists_with_filter() {
 		remove_filter( 'get_user_metadata', '__return_zero' );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Non-array values that can not be used as a meta cache entry.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<string, array{mixed}>
+	 */
+	public function data_non_array_cache_values(): array {
+		return array(
+			'object'  => array( new stdClass() ),
+			'string'  => array( 'meta_value' ),
+			'integer' => array( 1 ),
+			'float'   => array( 1.5 ),
+			'true'    => array( true ),
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 66091
+	 *
+	 * @dataProvider data_non_array_cache_values
+	 *
+	 * @param mixed $cached_value Value to place in the meta cache.
+	 */
+	public function test_metadata_exists_treats_non_array_cache_value_as_miss( $cached_value ): void {
+		wp_cache_set( self::$author->ID, $cached_value, 'user_meta' );
+
+		$this->assertTrue( metadata_exists( 'user', self::$author->ID, 'meta_key' ) );
+		$this->assertFalse( metadata_exists( 'user', self::$author->ID, 'foobarbaz' ) );
+		$this->assertIsArray( wp_cache_get( self::$author->ID, 'user_meta' ), 'The unusable cache value should have been replaced.' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 66091
+	 *
+	 * @dataProvider data_non_array_cache_values
+	 *
+	 * @param mixed $cached_value Value to place in the meta cache.
+	 */
+	public function test_get_metadata_treats_non_array_cache_value_as_miss( $cached_value ): void {
+		wp_cache_set( self::$author->ID, $cached_value, 'user_meta' );
+
+		$this->assertSame( 'meta_value', get_metadata( 'user', self::$author->ID, 'meta_key', true ) );
+		$this->assertSame( array( 'meta_value' ), get_metadata( 'user', self::$author->ID, 'meta_key' ) );
+		$this->assertIsArray( wp_cache_get( self::$author->ID, 'user_meta' ), 'The unusable cache value should have been replaced.' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 66091
+	 *
+	 * @dataProvider data_non_array_cache_values
+	 *
+	 * @param mixed $cached_value Value to place in the meta cache.
+	 */
+	public function test_get_metadata_with_empty_key_treats_non_array_cache_value_as_miss( $cached_value ): void {
+		wp_cache_set( self::$author->ID, $cached_value, 'user_meta' );
+
+		$meta = get_metadata( 'user', self::$author->ID );
+
+		$this->assertIsArray( $meta );
+		$this->assertSame( array( 'meta_value' ), $meta['meta_key'] );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 66091
+	 *
+	 * @dataProvider data_non_array_cache_values
+	 *
+	 * @param mixed $cached_value Value to place in the meta cache.
+	 */
+	public function test_update_meta_cache_replaces_non_array_cache_value( $cached_value ): void {
+		wp_cache_set( self::$author->ID, $cached_value, 'user_meta' );
+
+		$meta_cache = update_meta_cache( 'user', array( self::$author->ID ) );
+
+		$this->assertIsArray( $meta_cache[ self::$author->ID ] );
+		$this->assertSame( array( 'meta_value' ), $meta_cache[ self::$author->ID ]['meta_key'] );
+
+		$cached = wp_cache_get( self::$author->ID, 'user_meta' );
+		$this->assertIsArray( $cached, 'The unusable cache value should have been replaced.' );
+		$this->assertSame( array( 'meta_value' ), $cached['meta_key'] );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 66091
+	 */
+	public function test_update_meta_cache_replaces_non_array_cache_value_for_object_without_meta(): void {
+		$term_id = self::factory()->term->create();
+
+		wp_cache_set( $term_id, new stdClass(), 'term_meta' );
+
+		$meta_cache = update_meta_cache( 'term', array( $term_id ) );
+
+		$this->assertSame( array(), $meta_cache[ $term_id ] );
+		$this->assertSame( array(), wp_cache_get( $term_id, 'term_meta' ) );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 66091
+	 */
+	public function test_update_meta_cache_removes_non_array_cache_value_while_cache_addition_is_suspended(): void {
+		wp_cache_set( self::$author->ID, new stdClass(), 'user_meta' );
+
+		wp_suspend_cache_addition( true );
+		$meta_cache = update_meta_cache( 'user', array( self::$author->ID ) );
+		wp_suspend_cache_addition( false );
+
+		$this->assertSame( array( 'meta_value' ), $meta_cache[ self::$author->ID ]['meta_key'] );
+		$this->assertFalse( wp_cache_get( self::$author->ID, 'user_meta' ), 'The unusable cache value should be removed but not replaced while cache addition is suspended.' );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @ticket 18158
 	 */