diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/upsert.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/upsert.rs
index ec852e7e5d..fd193e0df8 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/upsert.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/upsert.rs
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ fn upsert(
                 if let Some(v) = input.next() {
                     pre_elems.push(v);
                 } else {
-                    return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(idx - 1, *span));
+                    return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(idx, *span));
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/upsert.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/upsert.rs
index a1a1ae699c..7ee7a8fd97 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/upsert.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/upsert.rs
@@ -87,3 +87,23 @@ fn uses_optional_index_argument_updating() {
 
     assert_eq!(actual.out, "[[a]; [8], [8]]");
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn index_does_not_exist() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: ".", pipeline(
+        r#"[1,2,3] | upsert 4 4"#
+    ));
+
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("index too large (max: 3)"));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn upsert_empty() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: ".", pipeline(
+        r#"[] | upsert 1 1"#
+    ));
+
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("index too large (max: 0)"));
+}