diff --git a/wp-includes/cron.php b/wp-includes/cron.php
index 1666a09b27..18fe14196e 100644
--- a/wp-includes/cron.php
+++ b/wp-includes/cron.php
@@ -302,6 +302,10 @@ function wp_schedule_event( $timestamp, $recurrence, $hook, $args = array(), $wp
 	$key = md5( serialize( $event->args ) );
 
 	$crons = _get_cron_array();
+	if ( ! is_array( $crons ) ) {
+		$crons = array();
+	}
+
 	$crons[ $event->timestamp ][ $event->hook ][ $key ] = array(
 		'schedule' => $event->schedule,
 		'args'     => $event->args,
@@ -1125,8 +1129,7 @@ function wp_get_ready_cron_jobs() {
 	}
 
 	$crons = _get_cron_array();
-
-	if ( false === $crons ) {
+	if ( ! is_array( $crons ) ) {
 		return array();
 	}
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 465e82c1a8..8dbc24083f 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '5.9-alpha-51618';
+$wp_version = '5.9-alpha-51619';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.