diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index 0209140a..7b0ef882 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ function recursivecopy!(
         T2 <: StaticArraysCore.StaticArray,
         N,
     }
-    return @inbounds for i in eachindex(a)
+    return @inbounds for i in eachindex(b, a)
         # TODO: Check for `setindex!`` and use `copy!(b[i],a[i])` or `b[i] = a[i]`, see #19
         b[i] = copy(a[i])
     end
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ values == [[1, 2], [3, 4]]
 ```
 """
 function copyat_or_push!(a::AbstractVector{T}, i::Int, x, perform_copy = true) where {T}
+    i >= firstindex(a) || throw(BoundsError(a, i))
     @inbounds if length(a) >= i
         if !ArrayInterface.ismutable(T) || !perform_copy
             # TODO: Check for `setindex!`` if T <: StaticArraysCore.StaticArray and use `copy!(b[i],a[i])`
diff --git a/test/Core/utils_test.jl b/test/Core/utils_test.jl
index 3ef3bb0c..da93cfba 100644
--- a/test/Core/utils_test.jl
+++ b/test/Core/utils_test.jl
@@ -2,6 +2,17 @@ using RecursiveArrayTools, StaticArrays
 using RecursiveArrayToolsShorthandConstructors
 using Test
 
+# A vector whose own indices do not start at 1, e.g. `ZeroVec(v)` has axes
+# `0:length(v)-1`, like `OffsetArrays.OffsetArray(v, 0:length(v)-1)`.
+struct ZeroVec{T} <: AbstractVector{T}
+    data::Vector{T}
+end
+Base.axes(z::ZeroVec) = (0:(length(z.data) - 1),)
+Base.size(z::ZeroVec) = size(z.data)
+Base.getindex(z::ZeroVec, i::Int) = z.data[i + 1]
+Base.setindex!(z::ZeroVec, v, i::Int) = (z.data[i + 1] = v)
+Base.IndexStyle(::Type{<:ZeroVec}) = IndexLinear()
+
 t = collect(range(0, stop = 10, length = 200))
 randomized = VectorOfArray([0.01randn(2) for i in 1:10])
 data = convert(Array, randomized)
@@ -152,6 +163,40 @@ end
     @test a.u[1][1] == 1.0
 end
 
+@testset "recursivecopy! destination shorter than source throws" begin
+    b = [MVector{2, Float64}(0, 0)]
+    a = [MVector{2, Float64}(1, 1), MVector{2, Float64}(2, 2)]
+    @test_throws DimensionMismatch recursivecopy!(b, a)
+
+    # matching lengths still work
+    b2 = [MVector{2, Float64}(0, 0), MVector{2, Float64}(0, 0)]
+    recursivecopy!(b2, a)
+    @test b2[1] == [1.0, 1.0]
+    @test b2[2] == [2.0, 2.0]
+end
+
+@testset "copyat_or_push! rejects indices below firstindex" begin
+    vals = [[1, 2], [3, 4]]
+    @test_throws BoundsError copyat_or_push!(vals, 0, [9, 9])
+    @test_throws BoundsError copyat_or_push!(vals, -1, [9, 9])
+    @test vals == [[1, 2], [3, 4]] # unchanged by the rejected calls
+
+    # normal update and append still work
+    copyat_or_push!(vals, 1, [9, 9])
+    @test vals[1] == [9, 9]
+    copyat_or_push!(vals, 3, [5, 6])
+    @test vals == [[9, 9], [3, 4], [5, 6]]
+
+    # a 0-based AbstractVector's own index 0 is in-bounds and must still
+    # update, matching master: the bounds check is against `firstindex(a)`,
+    # not the literal `1`.
+    z = ZeroVec([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
+    copyat_or_push!(z, 0, [9, 9])
+    @test z[0] == [9, 9]
+    @test z[1] == [3, 4]
+    @test_throws BoundsError copyat_or_push!(z, -1, [9, 9])
+end
+
 # OrdinaryDiffEq.jl#1365: recursivecopy must not broadcast-assign into an
 # immutable outer container such as SVector of arrays.
 @testset "recursivecopy VectorOfArray with SVector outer (ODE#1365)" begin