diff --git a/modules/core/src/convert.cpp b/modules/core/src/convert.cpp
index 24def2f097..b6c413040e 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/convert.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/convert.cpp
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ void cv::split(InputArray _m, OutputArrayOfArrays _mv)
         _mv.release();
         return;
     }
-    CV_Assert( !_mv.fixedType() || _mv.type() == m.depth() );
+    CV_Assert( !_mv.fixedType() || _mv.empty() || _mv.type() == m.depth() );
     _mv.create(m.channels(), 1, m.depth());
     Mat* dst = &_mv.getMatRef(0);
     split(m, dst);
diff --git a/modules/core/src/matrix.cpp b/modules/core/src/matrix.cpp
index a29a1b0772..2540013ac5 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/matrix.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/matrix.cpp
@@ -1469,9 +1469,6 @@ int _InputArray::type(int i) const
 {
     int k = kind();
 
-    if( k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_VECTOR_VECTOR || (flags & FIXED_TYPE))
-        return CV_MAT_TYPE(flags);
-
     if( k == MAT )
         return ((const Mat*)obj)->type();
 
@@ -1481,14 +1478,21 @@ int _InputArray::type(int i) const
     if( k == EXPR )
         return ((const MatExpr*)obj)->type();
 
+    if( k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_VECTOR_VECTOR )
+        return CV_MAT_TYPE(flags);
+
     if( k == NONE )
         return -1;
 
     if( k == STD_VECTOR_MAT )
     {
         const std::vector<Mat>& vv = *(const std::vector<Mat>*)obj;
+        if( vv.empty() )
+        {
+            CV_Assert((flags & FIXED_TYPE) != 0);
+            return CV_MAT_TYPE(flags);
+        }
         CV_Assert( i < (int)vv.size() );
-
         return vv[i >= 0 ? i : 0].type();
     }