diff --git a/crates/polars-utils/src/idx_vec.rs b/crates/polars-utils/src/idx_vec.rs
index c0f7098a207d..13ecfbb89448 100644
--- a/crates/polars-utils/src/idx_vec.rs
+++ b/crates/polars-utils/src/idx_vec.rs
@@ -99,8 +99,10 @@ impl<T> UnitVec<T> {
         }
     }
 
+    /// # Panics
+    /// Panics if `new_cap <= 1` or `new_cap < self.len`
     fn realloc(&mut self, new_cap: usize) {
-        assert!(new_cap >= self.len);
+        assert!(new_cap > 1 && new_cap >= self.len);
         unsafe {
             let mut me = std::mem::ManuallyDrop::new(Vec::with_capacity(new_cap));
             let buffer = me.as_mut_ptr();
@@ -121,9 +123,17 @@ impl<T> UnitVec<T> {
     }
 
     pub fn with_capacity(capacity: usize) -> Self {
-        let mut new = Self::new();
-        new.reserve(capacity);
-        new
+        if capacity <= 1 {
+            Self::new()
+        } else {
+            let mut me = std::mem::ManuallyDrop::new(Vec::with_capacity(capacity));
+            let data = me.as_mut_ptr();
+            Self {
+                len: 0,
+                capacity: NonZeroUsize::new(capacity).unwrap(),
+                data,
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     #[inline]
@@ -178,13 +188,13 @@ impl<T> Drop for UnitVec<T> {
 impl<T> Clone for UnitVec<T> {
     fn clone(&self) -> Self {
         unsafe {
-            let mut me = std::mem::ManuallyDrop::new(Vec::with_capacity(self.len));
-            let buffer = me.as_mut_ptr();
-            std::ptr::copy(self.data_ptr(), buffer, self.len);
-            UnitVec {
-                data: buffer,
-                len: self.len,
-                capacity: NonZeroUsize::new(std::cmp::max(self.len, 1)).unwrap(),
+            if self.capacity.get() == 1 {
+                Self { ..*self }
+            } else {
+                let mut copy = Self::with_capacity(self.len);
+                std::ptr::copy(self.data_ptr(), copy.data_ptr_mut(), self.len);
+                copy.len = self.len;
+                copy
             }
         }
     }
@@ -295,11 +305,57 @@ macro_rules! unitvec {
     );
     ($elem:expr) => (
         {let mut new = $crate::idx_vec::UnitVec::new();
+        let v = $elem;
         // SAFETY: first element always fits.
-        unsafe { new.push_unchecked($elem) };
+        unsafe { new.push_unchecked(v) };
         new}
     );
     ($($x:expr),+ $(,)?) => (
             vec![$($x),+].into()
     );
 }
+
+mod tests {
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic]
+    fn test_unitvec_realloc_zero() {
+        super::UnitVec::<usize>::new().realloc(0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic]
+    fn test_unitvec_realloc_one() {
+        super::UnitVec::<usize>::new().realloc(1);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic]
+    fn test_untivec_realloc_lt_len() {
+        super::UnitVec::<usize>::from(&[1, 2][..]).realloc(1)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_unitvec_clone() {
+        {
+            let v = unitvec![1usize];
+            assert_eq!(v, v.clone());
+        }
+
+        for n in [
+            26903816120209729usize,
+            42566276440897687,
+            44435161834424652,
+            49390731489933083,
+            51201454727649242,
+            83861672190814841,
+            92169290527847622,
+            92476373900398436,
+            95488551309275459,
+            97499984126814549,
+        ] {
+            let v = unitvec![n];
+            assert_eq!(v, v.clone());
+        }
+    }
+}