lazymike
diff --git a/‎numpy/core/_methods.py‎
Lines changed: 3 additions & 2 deletions b/‎numpy/core/_methods.py‎
Lines changed: 3 additions & 2 deletions
diff --git a/‎numpy/core/tests/test_numeric.py‎
Lines changed: 8 additions & 0 deletions b/‎numpy/core/tests/test_numeric.py‎
Lines changed: 8 additions & 0 deletions
@@ -91,8 +91,9 @@ def _var(a, axis=None, dtype=None, out=None, ddof=0, keepdims=False):
         arrmean = arrmean.dtype.type(arrmean / rcount)
 
     # Compute sum of squared deviations from mean
-    # Note that x may not be inexact
-    x = arr - arrmean
+    # Note that x may not be inexact and that we need it to be an array,
+    # not a scalar.
+    x = asanyarray(arr - arrmean)
     if issubclass(arr.dtype.type, nt.complexfloating):
         x = um.multiply(x, um.conjugate(x), out=x).real
     else:
 
@@ -1473,6 +1473,10 @@ def test_basic(self):
         assert_almost_equal(var(self.A), self.real_var)
         assert_almost_equal(std(self.A)**2, self.real_var)
 
+    def test_scalars(self):
+        assert_equal(var(1), 0)
+        assert_equal(std(1), 0)
+
     def test_ddof1(self):
         assert_almost_equal(var(self.A, ddof=1),
                             self.real_var*len(self.A)/float(len(self.A)-1))
@@ -1492,6 +1496,10 @@ def test_basic(self):
         assert_almost_equal(var(A), real_var)
         assert_almost_equal(std(A)**2, real_var)
 
+    def test_scalars(self):
+        assert_equal(var(1j), 0)
+        assert_equal(std(1j), 0)
+
 
 class TestCreationFuncs(TestCase):
     #Test ones, zeros, empty and filled