diff --git a/narwhals/_arrow/namespace.py b/narwhals/_arrow/namespace.py
index 9e7fa9d8a..70d372a5f 100644
--- a/narwhals/_arrow/namespace.py
+++ b/narwhals/_arrow/namespace.py
@@ -439,8 +439,7 @@ def __call__(self: Self, df: ArrowDataFrame) -> Sequence[ArrowSeries]:
         try:
             value_series = parse_into_expr(self._then_value, namespace=plx)(df)[0]
         except TypeError:
-            # `self._otherwise_value` is a scalar and can't be converted to an expression
-            plx = condition.__narwhals_namespace__()
+            # `self._then_value` is a scalar and can't be converted to an expression
             value_series = plx._create_series_from_scalar(
                 self._then_value, reference_series=condition
             )
diff --git a/narwhals/_dask/namespace.py b/narwhals/_dask/namespace.py
index ed1a5bbbe..e9d78f180 100644
--- a/narwhals/_dask/namespace.py
+++ b/narwhals/_dask/namespace.py
@@ -402,16 +402,19 @@ def __call__(self, df: DaskLazyFrame) -> Sequence[dx.Series]:
         try:
             then_expr = parse_into_expr(self._then_value, namespace=plx)
             value_series = then_expr(df)[0]
+
             # literal or reduction case
-            if then_expr._returns_scalar:  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-                _df = condition.to_frame("a")
-                _df["tmp"] = value_series[0]
-                value_series = _df["tmp"]
+            is_scalar = then_expr._returns_scalar  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
         except TypeError:
-            # `self._otherwise_value` is a scalar and can't be converted to an expression
+            # `self._then_value` is a scalar and can't be converted to an expression
+            value_series = [self._then_value]
+            is_scalar = True
+
+        if is_scalar:
             _df = condition.to_frame("a")
-            _df["tmp"] = self._then_value
+            _df["tmp"] = value_series[0]
             value_series = _df["tmp"]
+
         value_series = cast("dx.Series", value_series)
         validate_comparand(condition, value_series)
 
diff --git a/narwhals/_pandas_like/namespace.py b/narwhals/_pandas_like/namespace.py
index 854229431..34b59ae43 100644
--- a/narwhals/_pandas_like/namespace.py
+++ b/narwhals/_pandas_like/namespace.py
@@ -461,29 +461,17 @@ def __call__(self, df: PandasLikeDataFrame) -> Sequence[PandasLikeSeries]:
 
         plx = df.__narwhals_namespace__()
         condition = parse_into_expr(self._condition, namespace=plx)(df)[0]
+
         try:
             value_series = parse_into_expr(self._then_value, namespace=plx)(df)[0]
-            if len(value_series) == 1:  # literal or reduction case
-                value_series = condition.__class__._from_iterable(
-                    [value_series[0]] * len(condition),
-                    name="literal",
-                    index=condition._native_series.index,
-                    implementation=self._implementation,
-                    backend_version=self._backend_version,
-                    version=self._version,
-                )
         except TypeError:
-            # `self._otherwise_value` is a scalar and can't be converted to an expression
-            value_series = condition.__class__._from_iterable(
-                [self._then_value] * len(condition),
-                name="literal",
-                index=condition._native_series.index,
-                implementation=self._implementation,
-                backend_version=self._backend_version,
-                version=self._version,
+            # `self._then_value` is a scalar and can't be converted to an expression
+            value_series = plx._create_series_from_scalar(
+                self._then_value, reference_series=condition
             )
-        value_series_native, condition_native = broadcast_align_and_extract_native(
-            value_series, condition
+
+        condition_native, value_series_native = broadcast_align_and_extract_native(
+            condition, value_series
         )
 
         if self._otherwise_value is None:
@@ -493,7 +481,9 @@ def __call__(self, df: PandasLikeDataFrame) -> Sequence[PandasLikeSeries]:
                 )
             ]
         try:
-            otherwise_expr = parse_into_expr(self._otherwise_value, namespace=plx)
+            otherwise_series = parse_into_expr(self._otherwise_value, namespace=plx)(df)[
+                0
+            ]
         except TypeError:
             # `self._otherwise_value` is a scalar and can't be converted to an expression
             return [
@@ -502,8 +492,14 @@ def __call__(self, df: PandasLikeDataFrame) -> Sequence[PandasLikeSeries]:
                 )
             ]
         else:
-            otherwise_series = otherwise_expr(df)[0]
-            return [value_series.zip_with(condition, otherwise_series)]
+            _, otherwise_native = broadcast_align_and_extract_native(
+                condition, otherwise_series
+            )
+            return [
+                value_series._from_native_series(
+                    value_series_native.where(condition_native, otherwise_native)
+                )
+            ]
 
     def then(self, value: PandasLikeExpr | PandasLikeSeries | Any) -> PandasThen:
         self._then_value = value