diff --git a/cJSON.c b/cJSON.c
index b0e744e..acb28b1 100644
--- a/cJSON.c
+++ b/cJSON.c
@@ -1865,7 +1865,7 @@ static cJSON_bool add_item_to_array(cJSON *array, cJSON *item)
 {
     cJSON *child = NULL;
 
-    if ((item == NULL) || (array == NULL))
+    if ((item == NULL) || (array == NULL) || (array == item))
     {
         return false;
     }
@@ -1904,9 +1904,9 @@ static cJSON_bool add_item_to_array(cJSON *array, cJSON *item)
 }
 
 /* Add item to array/object. */
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item)
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item)
 {
-    add_item_to_array(array, item);
+    return add_item_to_array(array, item);
 }
 
 #if defined(__clang__) || (defined(__GNUC__)  && ((__GNUC__ > 4) || ((__GNUC__ == 4) && (__GNUC_MINOR__ > 5))))
@@ -1930,7 +1930,7 @@ static cJSON_bool add_item_to_object(cJSON * const object, const char * const st
     char *new_key = NULL;
     int new_type = cJSON_Invalid;
 
-    if ((object == NULL) || (string == NULL) || (item == NULL))
+    if ((object == NULL) || (string == NULL) || (item == NULL) || (object == item))
     {
         return false;
     }
@@ -1962,35 +1962,35 @@ static cJSON_bool add_item_to_object(cJSON * const object, const char * const st
     return add_item_to_array(object, item);
 }
 
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item)
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item)
 {
-    add_item_to_object(object, string, item, &global_hooks, false);
+    return add_item_to_object(object, string, item, &global_hooks, false);
 }
 
 /* Add an item to an object with constant string as key */
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemToObjectCS(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item)
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemToObjectCS(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item)
 {
-    add_item_to_object(object, string, item, &global_hooks, true);
+    return add_item_to_object(object, string, item, &global_hooks, true);
 }
 
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item)
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item)
 {
     if (array == NULL)
     {
-        return;
+        return cJSON_False;
     }
 
-    add_item_to_array(array, create_reference(item, &global_hooks));
+    return add_item_to_array(array, create_reference(item, &global_hooks));
 }
 
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item)
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item)
 {
     if ((object == NULL) || (string == NULL))
     {
-        return;
+        return cJSON_False;
     }
 
-    add_item_to_object(object, string, create_reference(item, &global_hooks), &global_hooks, false);
+    return add_item_to_object(object, string, create_reference(item, &global_hooks), &global_hooks, false);
 }
 
 CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON*) cJSON_AddNullToObject(cJSON * const object, const char * const name)
diff --git a/cJSON.h b/cJSON.h
index 2c53562..826f3a1 100644
--- a/cJSON.h
+++ b/cJSON.h
@@ -221,15 +221,15 @@ CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateDoubleArray(const double *numbers, int count);
 CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateStringArray(const char *const *strings, int count);
 
 /* Append item to the specified array/object. */
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item);
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item);
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item);
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item);
 /* Use this when string is definitely const (i.e. a literal, or as good as), and will definitely survive the cJSON object.
  * WARNING: When this function was used, make sure to always check that (item->type & cJSON_StringIsConst) is zero before
  * writing to `item->string` */
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemToObjectCS(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item);
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemToObjectCS(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item);
 /* Append reference to item to the specified array/object. Use this when you want to add an existing cJSON to a new cJSON, but don't want to corrupt your existing cJSON. */
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item);
-CJSON_PUBLIC(void) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item);
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToArray(cJSON *array, cJSON *item);
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON_bool) cJSON_AddItemReferenceToObject(cJSON *object, const char *string, cJSON *item);
 
 /* Remove/Detach items from Arrays/Objects. */
 CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_DetachItemViaPointer(cJSON *parent, cJSON * const item);
diff --git a/tests/misc_tests.c b/tests/misc_tests.c
index 20a5ddd..161407e 100644
--- a/tests/misc_tests.c
+++ b/tests/misc_tests.c
@@ -332,13 +332,15 @@ static void cjson_replace_item_in_object_should_preserve_name(void)
     cJSON root[1] = {{ NULL, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, 0, NULL }};
     cJSON *child = NULL;
     cJSON *replacement = NULL;
+    cJSON_bool flag = cJSON_False;
 
     child = cJSON_CreateNumber(1);
     TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(child);
     replacement = cJSON_CreateNumber(2);
     TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(replacement);
 
-    cJSON_AddItemToObject(root, "child", child);
+    flag  = cJSON_AddItemToObject(root, "child", child);
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE_MESSAGE(flag, "add item to object failed");
     cJSON_ReplaceItemInObject(root, "child", replacement);
 
     TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(root->child == replacement);
@@ -531,6 +533,22 @@ static void cjson_create_array_reference_should_create_an_array_reference(void)
     cJSON_Delete(number_reference);
 }
 
+static void cjson_add_item_to_object_or_array_should_not_add_itself(void)
+{
+    cJSON *object = cJSON_CreateObject();
+    cJSON *array = cJSON_CreateArray();
+    cJSON_bool flag = cJSON_False;
+
+    flag = cJSON_AddItemToObject(object, "key", object);
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE_MESSAGE(flag, "add an object to itself should fail");
+
+    flag = cJSON_AddItemToArray(array, array);
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE_MESSAGE(flag, "add an array to itself should fail");
+
+    cJSON_Delete(object);
+    cJSON_Delete(array);
+}
+
 static void cjson_add_item_to_object_should_not_use_after_free_when_string_is_aliased(void)
 {
     cJSON *object = cJSON_CreateObject();
@@ -607,6 +625,7 @@ int CJSON_CDECL main(void)
     RUN_TEST(cjson_create_string_reference_should_create_a_string_reference);
     RUN_TEST(cjson_create_object_reference_should_create_an_object_reference);
     RUN_TEST(cjson_create_array_reference_should_create_an_array_reference);
+    RUN_TEST(cjson_add_item_to_object_or_array_should_not_add_itself);
     RUN_TEST(cjson_add_item_to_object_should_not_use_after_free_when_string_is_aliased);
     RUN_TEST(cjson_delete_item_from_array_should_not_broken_list_structure);