diff --git a/crates/calc/src/recalc.rs b/crates/calc/src/recalc.rs
index b391821d7..aa9da716f 100644
--- a/crates/calc/src/recalc.rs
+++ b/crates/calc/src/recalc.rs
@@ -517,9 +517,11 @@ impl PassHost<'_> {
                     let data = a.data.iter().map(|x| if matches!(x, Value::Empty) { Value::Number(0.0) } else { x.clone() }).collect();
                     Array::new(a.rows, a.cols, data).map(std::sync::Arc::new).unwrap_or(a)
                 };
-                if a.rows > 1 || a.cols > 1 {
-                    self.spills.insert(k, a.clone());
-                }
+                // A dynamic-array formula anchors a spill range even while its result is one
+                // value -- a FILTER matching one row, a SORT or UNIQUE over one item -- so `C1#`
+                // is the 1 x 1 range and `ROWS(C1#)` is 1, as in Excel (#1491). A formula that
+                // returns a scalar never reaches this arm, so it does not become an anchor.
+                self.spills.insert(k, a.clone());
                 a.data.first().cloned().unwrap_or_default()
             }
             Value::Empty => Value::Number(0.0),
diff --git a/crates/calc/src/tests.rs b/crates/calc/src/tests.rs
index 97f7a8350..15562b7c5 100644
--- a/crates/calc/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/calc/src/tests.rs
@@ -1294,3 +1294,41 @@ fn median_large_values_recalculate_dependents() {
         assert!((t.num(cell) + 1.3).abs() < 1e-14);
     }
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn a_dynamic_array_of_one_value_still_anchors_a_spill() {
+    // In Excel a dynamic-array formula anchors a spill range even while its result is a single
+    // value, so `C1#` is the 1 x 1 range and ROWS/SUM/COUNT of it work. GridCraft gave #REF!
+    // (and COUNT 0), so every formula counting a filtered list broke the moment the list had
+    // exactly one entry (#1491). Values and cells follow the reported fixture.
+    let mut t = T::new();
+    for i in 1..=5 {
+        t.set(&format!("A{i}"), &i.to_string());
+        t.set(&format!("B{i}"), "7");
+    }
+    t.set("C1", "=FILTER(A1:A5,A1:A5>4)");
+    t.set("C3", "=SORT(FILTER(A1:A5,A1:A5=3))");
+    t.set("C5", "=UNIQUE(B1:B5)");
+    // Control: the same FILTER matching two rows, which worked before.
+    t.set("C9", "=FILTER(A1:A5,A1:A5>3)");
+
+    t.set("E1", "=ROWS(C1#)");
+    t.set("E2", "=SUM(C1#)");
+    t.set("E3", "=ROWS(C3#)");
+    t.set("E5", "=COUNT(C5#)");
+    t.set("E9", "=ROWS(C9#)");
+    assert_eq!(t.get("E1"), Value::from(1.0));
+    assert_eq!(t.get("E2"), Value::from(5.0));
+    assert_eq!(t.get("E3"), Value::from(1.0));
+    assert_eq!(t.get("E5"), Value::from(1.0));
+    assert_eq!(t.get("E9"), Value::from(2.0), "a spilling array is unchanged");
+
+    // The anchors still show their first value, as they did.
+    assert_eq!(t.get("C1"), Value::from(5.0));
+    assert_eq!(t.get("C5"), Value::from(7.0));
+
+    // A formula whose result is a scalar never becomes an anchor: `#` on it is still #REF!.
+    t.set("D1", "=1+1");
+    t.set("E11", "=ROWS(D1#)");
+    assert_eq!(t.get("E11"), Value::Error(CellError::Ref));
+}