diff --git a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/ColumnView.java b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/ColumnView.java
index e0cc96263b3..2df89177d5f 100644
--- a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/ColumnView.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/ColumnView.java
@@ -1394,9 +1394,11 @@ public ColumnView replaceChildrenWithViews(int[] indices,
     List<ColumnView> newChildren = new ArrayList<>(getNumChildren());
     IntStream.range(0, getNumChildren()).forEach(i -> {
       ColumnView view = map.remove(i);
+      ColumnView child = getChildColumnView(i);
       if (view == null) {
-        newChildren.add(getChildColumnView(i));
+        newChildren.add(child);
       } else {
+        assert (child.getRowCount() == view.getRowCount());
         newChildren.add(view);
       }
     });
@@ -1431,7 +1433,7 @@ public ColumnView replaceChildrenWithViews(int[] indices,
    */
   public ColumnView replaceListChild(ColumnView child) {
     assert(type == DType.LIST);
-    return replaceChildrenWithViews(new int[]{1}, new ColumnView[]{child});
+    return replaceChildrenWithViews(new int[]{0}, new ColumnView[]{child});
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/java/src/test/java/ai/rapids/cudf/ColumnVectorTest.java b/java/src/test/java/ai/rapids/cudf/ColumnVectorTest.java
index 0675ece4863..554a1fd0629 100644
--- a/java/src/test/java/ai/rapids/cudf/ColumnVectorTest.java
+++ b/java/src/test/java/ai/rapids/cudf/ColumnVectorTest.java
@@ -4005,7 +4005,7 @@ void testReplaceLeafNodeInList() {
 
   @Test
   void testReplaceLeafNodeInListWithIllegal() {
-    assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> {
+    assertThrows(AssertionError.class, () -> {
       try (ColumnVector child1 =
                ColumnVector.decimalFromDoubles(DType.create(DType.DTypeEnum.DECIMAL64, 3),
                    RoundingMode.HALF_UP, 770.892, 961.110);