diff --git a/ksql-common/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/serde/FormatInfo.java b/ksql-common/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/serde/FormatInfo.java
index be89be01e126..9a8c5fbb5a24 100644
--- a/ksql-common/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/serde/FormatInfo.java
+++ b/ksql-common/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/serde/FormatInfo.java
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ private FormatInfo(
     }
 
     this.delimiter = Objects.requireNonNull(delimiter, "delimiter");
+
+    if (format != Format.DELIMITED && delimiter.isPresent()) {
+      throw new KsqlException("Delimiter only supported with DELIMITED format");
+    }
+
   }
 
   public Format getFormat() {
diff --git a/ksql-common/src/test/java/io/confluent/ksql/serde/FormatInfoTest.java b/ksql-common/src/test/java/io/confluent/ksql/serde/FormatInfoTest.java
index fd3554b23ef1..2e410950a5ad 100644
--- a/ksql-common/src/test/java/io/confluent/ksql/serde/FormatInfoTest.java
+++ b/ksql-common/src/test/java/io/confluent/ksql/serde/FormatInfoTest.java
@@ -123,4 +123,24 @@ public void shouldGetAvroSchemaName() {
     assertThat(FormatInfo.of(AVRO, Optional.empty(), Optional.empty()).getFullSchemaName(),
         is(Optional.empty()));
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldThrowWhenAttemptingToUseValueDelimiterWithAvroFormat() {
+    // Then:
+    expectedException.expect(KsqlException.class);
+    expectedException.expectMessage("Delimiter only supported with DELIMITED format");
+
+    // When:
+    FormatInfo.of(Format.AVRO, Optional.of("something"), Optional.of(Delimiter.of('x')));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldThrowWhenAttemptingToUseValueDelimiterWithJsonFormat() {
+    // Then:
+    expectedException.expect(KsqlException.class);
+    expectedException.expectMessage("Delimiter only supported with DELIMITED format");
+
+    // When:
+    FormatInfo.of(Format.JSON, Optional.empty(), Optional.of(Delimiter.of('x')));
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ksql-engine/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/analyzer/Analyzer.java b/ksql-engine/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/analyzer/Analyzer.java
index d5d0c29786d6..525254a711c1 100644
--- a/ksql-engine/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/analyzer/Analyzer.java
+++ b/ksql-engine/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/analyzer/Analyzer.java
@@ -258,6 +258,16 @@ private Format getValueFormat(final Sink sink) {
     }
 
     private Optional<Delimiter> getValueDelimiter(final Sink sink) {
+      if (getValueFormat(sink) != Format.DELIMITED) {
+        // the delimiter is not inherited across non-delimited types
+        // (e.g. if source A is DELIMITED with |, and I create sink B
+        // with JSON from A and then sink C with DELIMITED from B, C
+        // will use the default delimiter, as opposed to |)
+        // see https://github.com/confluentinc/ksql/issues/4368 for
+        // more context
+        return Optional.empty();
+      }
+
       if (sink.getProperties().getValueDelimiter().isPresent()) {
         return sink.getProperties().getValueDelimiter();
       }
diff --git a/ksql-functional-tests/src/test/resources/query-validation-tests/delimited.json b/ksql-functional-tests/src/test/resources/query-validation-tests/delimited.json
index dd6364057c1e..935020433f74 100644
--- a/ksql-functional-tests/src/test/resources/query-validation-tests/delimited.json
+++ b/ksql-functional-tests/src/test/resources/query-validation-tests/delimited.json
@@ -165,6 +165,24 @@
         {"topic": "S2", "key": "100", "value": "100\t100\t500", "timestamp": 0},
         {"topic": "S2", "key": "100", "value": "100\t100\t100", "timestamp": 0}
       ]
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "validate cannot specify delimiter with json format",
+      "statements": [
+        "CREATE STREAM TEST WITH (kafka_topic='test_topic', value_format='JSON', value_delimiter='|');"
+      ],
+      "topics": [
+        {
+          "name": "test_topic",
+          "format": "JSON"
+        }
+      ],
+      "expectedException": {
+        "type": "io.confluent.ksql.util.KsqlStatementException",
+        "message": "Delimiter only supported with DELIMITED format"
+      },
+      "inputs": [],
+      "outputs": []
     }
   ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file