diff --git a/numpyro/distributions/distribution.py b/numpyro/distributions/distribution.py
index ade4e9910..8bda77b18 100644
--- a/numpyro/distributions/distribution.py
+++ b/numpyro/distributions/distribution.py
@@ -1138,6 +1138,8 @@ def support(self):
         return constraints.independent(constraints.real, self.event_dim)
 
     def sample(self, key, sample_shape=()):
+        if not sample_shape:
+            return self.v
         shape = sample_shape + self.batch_shape + self.event_shape
         return jnp.broadcast_to(self.v, shape)
 
diff --git a/test/test_distributions.py b/test/test_distributions.py
index 6ebb990f2..2f7170d42 100644
--- a/test/test_distributions.py
+++ b/test/test_distributions.py
@@ -1102,15 +1102,16 @@ def gen_values_outside_bounds(constraint, size, key=random.PRNGKey(11)):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "jax_dist, sp_dist, params", CONTINUOUS + DISCRETE + DIRECTIONAL
+    "jax_dist_cls, sp_dist, params", CONTINUOUS + DISCRETE + DIRECTIONAL
 )
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("prepend_shape", [(), (2,), (2, 3)])
-def test_dist_shape(jax_dist, sp_dist, params, prepend_shape):
-    jax_dist = jax_dist(*params)
+def test_dist_shape(jax_dist_cls, sp_dist, params, prepend_shape):
+    jax_dist = jax_dist_cls(*params)
     rng_key = random.PRNGKey(0)
     expected_shape = prepend_shape + jax_dist.batch_shape + jax_dist.event_shape
     samples = jax_dist.sample(key=rng_key, sample_shape=prepend_shape)
-    assert isinstance(samples, jnp.ndarray)
+    if jax_dist_cls is not dist.Delta:
+        assert isinstance(samples, jnp.ndarray)
     assert jnp.shape(samples) == expected_shape
     if (
         sp_dist
@@ -2620,7 +2621,7 @@ def test_expand(jax_dist, sp_dist, params, prepend_shape, sample_shape):
     rng_key = random.PRNGKey(0)
     samples = expanded_dist.sample(rng_key, sample_shape)
     assert expanded_dist.batch_shape == new_batch_shape
-    assert samples.shape == sample_shape + new_batch_shape + jax_dist.event_shape
+    assert jnp.shape(samples) == sample_shape + new_batch_shape + jax_dist.event_shape
     assert expanded_dist.log_prob(samples).shape == sample_shape + new_batch_shape
     # test expand of expand
     assert (