diff --git a/jax/_src/array.py b/jax/_src/array.py
index c99698a4153c..b88cde61f221 100644
--- a/jax/_src/array.py
+++ b/jax/_src/array.py
@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@
 
 def _get_device(a: ArrayImpl) -> Device:
   devices = a.sharding._internal_device_list  # pytype: disable=attribute-error
-  assert len(devices) == 1
+  if len(devices) != 1:
+    raise ValueError(
+        "When making an array from single-device arrays the input arrays must "
+        f"have one shard each. An argument array had {len(devices)} shard(s).")
   return devices[0]
 
 
@@ -195,17 +198,67 @@ def __init__(self, aval: core.ShapedArray, sharding: Sharding,
 
     self.aval = aval
     self._sharding = sharding
-    self._arrays = [a._arrays[0] for a in arrays]
     self._committed = committed
     self._npy_value = None
+    arrays = [a._arrays[0] for a in arrays]
 
     # Don't rearrange if skip_checks is enabled because this assumes that the
     # input buffers are already arranged properly. This usually happens when
     # Array's are created as output of a JAX transformation
     # (like pjit, etc).
     if not _skip_checks or config.enable_checks.value:
-      self._check_and_rearrange()
+      arrays = self._check_and_rearrange_arrays(
+          arrays, self._sharding, self.aval)
+    self._arrays = arrays  # type: ignore
 
+  def _check_and_rearrange_arrays(self, arrays, sharding, aval):
+    device_id_to_buffer = {_get_device(db).id: db for db in arrays}
+
+    addressable_dev = sharding.addressable_devices
+    if len(arrays) != len(addressable_dev):
+      raise ValueError(
+          f"Expected {len(addressable_dev)} per-device arrays "
+          "(this is how many devices are addressable by the sharding), but "
+          f"got {len(arrays)}")
+
+    array_device_ids = set(device_id_to_buffer.keys())
+    addressable_device_ids = {d.id for d in addressable_dev}
+    if len(array_device_ids) != len(arrays):
+      buffer_device_ids = [_get_device(db).id for db in arrays]
+      raise ValueError(
+          "When making an array from single-device arrays, the input arrays"
+          " must be from distinct devices, but got device IDs"
+          f" {buffer_device_ids}")
+
+    # Calculate a symmetric difference because the device ids between sharding
+    # and _arrays should match.
+    diff = array_device_ids ^ addressable_device_ids
+    if diff:
+      dev_in_sharding_not_in_arrays = addressable_device_ids - array_device_ids
+      dev_in_arrays_not_in_sharding = array_device_ids - addressable_device_ids
+      err_msg = (
+          "Addressable devices and per-device arrays devices do not match.")
+      if dev_in_sharding_not_in_arrays:
+        err_msg += (f" Sharding contains devices {dev_in_sharding_not_in_arrays} "
+                    "that are not present in per-device arrays.")
+      if dev_in_arrays_not_in_sharding:
+        err_msg += (f" Per-device arrays contain devices {dev_in_arrays_not_in_sharding} "
+                    "that are not present in the sharding.")
+      raise ValueError(err_msg)
+
+    _validate_shape_and_dtype_for_per_device_arrays(
+        arrays,
+        sharding=sharding,
+        aval=aval,
+        expected_shape=sharding.shard_shape(aval.shape),
+    )
+
+    # Rearrange arrays based on the device assignment.
+    addressable_da = sharding._addressable_device_assignment
+    return [device_id_to_buffer[device.id] for device in addressable_da]
+
+  # TODO(emilyaf): Remove this method and its callsite in py_array.cc once
+  # xla_extension_version < 310 is no longer supported.
   def _check_and_rearrange(self):
     device_id_to_buffer = {_get_device(db).id: db for db in self._arrays}
 
diff --git a/tests/array_test.py b/tests/array_test.py
index 2b1f53f4bea5..99517295c2b4 100644
--- a/tests/array_test.py
+++ b/tests/array_test.py
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ def test_duplicated_devices_in_arrays(self):
     # Sharding device ids = {0, 1}
     s = jax.sharding.NamedSharding(mesh, P('x'))
     inp_data = np.arange(math.prod(shape), dtype=np.float32).reshape(shape)
-    # _arrays device ids = {0, 2}
+    # _arrays device ids = {0, 0}
     bufs = [jax.device_put(inp_data, jax.devices()[0]) for _ in range(2)]
     with self.assertRaisesRegex(
         ValueError,