diff --git a/src/function.js b/src/function.js
index 566400d..86db977 100644
--- a/src/function.js
+++ b/src/function.js
@@ -11,11 +11,13 @@ import { head, isIterable, concatIter, iter, tail } from './list.js'
  */
 export const id = x => x
 
+const bareValue = x => Array.isArray(x) || typeof x === 'string' || !isIterable(x)
+
 export const concat = dispatch(['fantasy-land/concat', 'concat'],
   (b, a) => {
-    if (Array.isArray(a) && (Array.isArray(b) || !isIterable(b))) {
+    if (Array.isArray(a) && bareValue(b)) {
       return a.concat(b)
-    } else if (Array.isArray(b) && (Array.isArray(a) || !isIterable(a))) {
+    } else if (Array.isArray(b) && bareValue(a)) {
       return b.concat(a)
     } else {
       return concatIter(iter(a), iter(b))
diff --git a/test/units/function.js b/test/units/function.js
index 4ef6512..6729cec 100644
--- a/test/units/function.js
+++ b/test/units/function.js
@@ -5,8 +5,13 @@ import { isIterable, iter } from '../..//src/list.js'
 export const Functions = [
   it('concat', () => {
     assertEq(concat(1, []), [1])
+    assertEq(concat('a', []), ['a'])
+
     assertEq(concat([], 1), [1])
+    assertEq(concat([], 'a'), ['a'])
+
     assertEq(concat([2], [1]), [1, 2])
+
     const a = concat([2], iter([1]))
     assert(isIterable(a), 'concat([2], iter([1])) returned a non-iterable')
     assertEq([...a], [1, 2])