diff --git a/lib/compress.js b/lib/compress.js
index d0babad62b5..6de1ec4c06a 100644
--- a/lib/compress.js
+++ b/lib/compress.js
@@ -4265,8 +4265,17 @@ Compressor.prototype.compress = function(node) {
                 prop = +prop;
                 var len = value.elements.length;
                 if (prop > len + 4) return;
-                while (len < prop) value.elements[len++] = make_node(AST_Hole, value);
-                value.elements[prop] = node.right;
+                if (prop < len) {
+                    var element = value.elements[prop];
+                    if (element instanceof AST_Hole) {
+                        value.elements[prop] = node.right;
+                    } else {
+                        value.elements[prop] = make_sequence(node, [ element, node.right ]).optimize(compressor);
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    while (prop > len) value.elements[len++] = make_node(AST_Hole, value);
+                    value.elements[prop] = node.right;
+                }
                 return true;
             }
 
diff --git a/test/compress/join_vars.js b/test/compress/join_vars.js
index 87b0371e5ad..80c89f330cc 100644
--- a/test/compress/join_vars.js
+++ b/test/compress/join_vars.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ join_array_assignments_1: {
     }
     expect: {
         console.log(function () {
-            var a = ["moz", "baz", "bar", , , , , "moo"];
+            var a = [("foo", "moz"), "baz", "bar", , , , , "moo"];
             return a;
         }().join());
     }
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ join_array_assignments_4: {
     options = {
         evaluate: true,
         join_vars: true,
+        side_effects: true,
     }
     input: {
         console.log(function () {
@@ -1492,3 +1493,18 @@ issue_5175: {
     }
     expect_stdout: "PASS PASS"
 }
+
+issue_5831: {
+    options = {
+        evaluate: true,
+        join_vars: true,
+    }
+    input: {
+        var a = [ console.log("PASS") ];
+        a[0] = 42;
+    }
+    expect: {
+        var a = [ (console.log("PASS"), 42) ];
+    }
+    expect_stdout: "PASS"
+}