diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/15-change.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/15-change.js
index b1bc881a5..0eb18eff3 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/15-change.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/15-change.js
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                                             RED.util.setMessageProperty(msg,property,undefined);
                                         } else if (rule.t === 'set') {
                                             if (!RED.util.setMessageProperty(msg,property,value)) {
-                                                node.warn(RED._("change.errors.no-override",{prop:property}));
+                                                node.warn(RED._("change.errors.no-override",{property:property}));
                                             }
                                         } else if (rule.t === 'change') {
                                             current = RED.util.getMessageProperty(msg,property);
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/en-US/messages.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/en-US/messages.json
index eea9b1b59..db3da0ff8 100755
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/en-US/messages.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/en-US/messages.json
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@
             "invalid-from": "Invalid 'from' property: __error__",
             "invalid-json": "Invalid 'to' JSON property",
             "invalid-expr": "Invalid JSONata expression: __error__",
-            "no-override": "Can't overwrite primitive type with object __prop__."
+            "no-override": "Cannot set property of non-object type: __property__"
         }
     },
     "range": {
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/util/lib/util.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/util/lib/util.js
index e5e270723..f69ca890a 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/util/lib/util.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/util/lib/util.js
@@ -371,14 +371,14 @@ function setObjectProperty(msg,prop,value,createMissing) {
     var length = msgPropParts.length;
     var obj = msg;
     var key;
-    var flag = true;
     for (var i=0;i<length-1;i++) {
         key = msgPropParts[i];
         if (typeof key === 'string' || (typeof key === 'number' && !Array.isArray(obj))) {
             if (obj.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
                 if (length > 1 && ((typeof obj[key] !== "object" && typeof obj[key] !== "function") || obj[key] === null)) {
-                    //console.log("Can't override primitive type with object.");
-                    flag = false;
+                    // Break out early as we cannot create a property beneath
+                    // this type of value
+                    return false;
                 }
                 obj = obj[key];
             } else if (createMissing) {
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ function setObjectProperty(msg,prop,value,createMissing) {
                 }
                 obj = obj[key];
             } else {
-                return null;
+                return false;
             }
         } else if (typeof key === 'number') {
             // obj is an array
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ function setObjectProperty(msg,prop,value,createMissing) {
                     }
                     obj = obj[key];
                 } else {
-                    return null;
+                    return false;
                 }
             } else {
                 obj = obj[key];
@@ -420,11 +420,11 @@ function setObjectProperty(msg,prop,value,createMissing) {
         if (typeof obj === "object" && obj !== null) {
             obj[key] = value;
         } else {
-            //console.log("Can't override primitive type with object.");
-            flag = false;
-        }  
+            // Cannot set a property of a non-object/array
+            return false;
+        }
     }
-    return flag;
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*!
diff --git a/test/unit/@node-red/util/lib/util_spec.js b/test/unit/@node-red/util/lib/util_spec.js
index f8c77d68a..aa46bc0e1 100644
--- a/test/unit/@node-red/util/lib/util_spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/@node-red/util/lib/util_spec.js
@@ -189,7 +189,8 @@ describe("@node-red/util/util", function() {
             // setMessageProperty strips off `msg.` prefixes.
             // setObjectProperty does not
             var obj = {};
-            util.setObjectProperty(obj,"msg.a","bar");
+            var result = util.setObjectProperty(obj,"msg.a","bar");
+            result.should.be.true();
             obj.should.have.property("msg");
             obj.msg.should.have.property("a","bar");
         })
@@ -197,59 +198,111 @@ describe("@node-red/util/util", function() {
     describe('setMessageProperty', function() {
         it('sets a property', function() {
             var msg = {a:"foo"};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a","bar");
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a","bar");
+            result.should.be.true();
             msg.a.should.eql('bar');
         });
         it('sets a deep level property', function() {
             var msg = {a:{b:{c:"foo"}}};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c","bar");
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c","bar");
+            result.should.be.true();
             msg.a.b.c.should.eql('bar');
         });
         it('creates missing parent properties by default', function() {
             var msg = {a:{}};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c","bar");
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c","bar");
+            result.should.be.true();
             msg.a.b.c.should.eql('bar');
         })
         it('does not create missing parent properties', function() {
             var msg = {a:{}};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c","bar",false);
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c","bar",false);
+            result.should.be.false();
             should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
         })
-        it('does not create missing parent properties with array', function () {
+        it('does not create missing parent properties of array', function () {
             var msg = {a:{}};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a.b[1].c", "bar", false);
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a.b[1].c", "bar", false);
+            result.should.be.false();
             should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
         })
+
+        it('does not create missing parent properties of string', function() {
+            var msg = {a:"foo"};
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a.b.c", "bar", false);
+            result.should.be.false();
+            should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
+        })
+        it('does not set property of existing string property', function() {
+            var msg = {a:"foo"};
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a.b", "bar", false);
+            result.should.be.false();
+            should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
+        })
+
+        it('does not set property of existing number property', function() {
+            var msg = {a:123};
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a.b", "bar", false);
+            result.should.be.false();
+            should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
+        })
+        it('does not create missing parent properties of number', function() {
+            var msg = {a:123};
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a.b.c", "bar", false);
+            result.should.be.false();
+            should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
+        })
+
+        it('does not set property of existing boolean property', function() {
+            var msg = {a:true};
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a.b", "bar", false);
+            result.should.be.false();
+            should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
+        })
+        it('does not create missing parent properties of boolean', function() {
+            var msg = {a:true};
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a.b.c", "bar", false);
+            result.should.be.false();
+            should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
+        })
+
+
         it('deletes property if value is undefined', function() {
             var msg = {a:{b:{c:"foo"}}};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c",undefined);
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c",undefined);
+            result.should.be.true();
             should.not.exist(msg.a.b.c);
         })
         it('does not create missing parent properties if value is undefined', function() {
             var msg = {a:{}};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c",undefined);
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b.c",undefined);
+            result.should.be.false();
             should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
         });
         it('sets a property with array syntax', function() {
             var msg = {a:{b:["foo",{c:["",""]}]}};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b[1].c[1]","bar");
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b[1].c[1]","bar");
+            result.should.be.true();
             msg.a.b[1].c[1].should.eql('bar');
         });
         it('creates missing array elements - final property', function() {
             var msg = {a:[]};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a[2]","bar");
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a[2]","bar");
+            result.should.be.true();
             msg.a.should.have.length(3);
             msg.a[2].should.eql("bar");
         });
         it('creates missing array elements - mid property', function() {
             var msg = {};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a[2].b","bar");
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a[2].b","bar");
+            result.should.be.true();
             msg.a.should.have.length(3);
             msg.a[2].b.should.eql("bar");
         });
         it('creates missing array elements - multi-arrays', function() {
             var msg = {};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a[2][2]","bar");
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a[2][2]","bar");
+            result.should.be.true();
             msg.a.should.have.length(3);
             msg.a.should.be.instanceOf(Array);
             msg.a[2].should.have.length(3);
@@ -258,19 +311,22 @@ describe("@node-red/util/util", function() {
         });
         it('does not create missing array elements - mid property', function () {
             var msg = {a:[]};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a[1][1]", "bar", false);
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg, "msg.a[1][1]", "bar", false);
+            result.should.be.false();
             msg.a.should.empty();
         });
         it('does not create missing array elements - final property', function() {
             var msg = {a:{}};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b[2]","bar",false);
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a.b[2]","bar",false);
+            result.should.be.false();
             should.not.exist(msg.a.b);
             // check it has not been misinterpreted
             msg.a.should.not.have.property("b[2]");
         });
         it('deletes property inside array if value is undefined', function() {
             var msg = {a:[1,2,3]};
-            util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a[1]",undefined);
+            var result = util.setMessageProperty(msg,"msg.a[1]",undefined);
+            result.should.be.true();
             msg.a.should.have.length(2);
             msg.a[0].should.eql(1);
             msg.a[1].should.eql(3);
@@ -511,7 +567,7 @@ describe("@node-red/util/util", function() {
               result.should.eql('foo');
           });
           it('accesses moment from an expression', function() {
-              var expr = util.prepareJSONataExpression('$moment("2020-05-27", "YYYY-MM-DD").add("days", 7).add("months", 1).format("YYYY-MM-DD")',{});
+              var expr = util.prepareJSONataExpression('$moment("2020-05-27", "YYYY-MM-DD").add(7, "days").add(1, "months").format("YYYY-MM-DD")',{});
               var result = util.evaluateJSONataExpression(expr,{});
               result.should.eql('2020-07-03');
           });