diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_dataframe/mod.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_dataframe/mod.rs
index d6227b7135..b3b0d949e1 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_dataframe/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/dataframe/values/nu_dataframe/mod.rs
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ impl NuDataFrame {
         let column = conversion::create_column(&series, row, row + 1, span)?;
 
         if column.len() == 0 {
-            Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(series.len(), span))
+            Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(span))
         } else {
             let value = column
                 .into_iter()
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs
index 3fd449327a..5087e68f3d 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ fn update(
             for idx in 0..*val {
                 if let Some(v) = input.next() {
                     pre_elems.push(v);
+                } else if idx == 0 {
+                    return Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(*span));
                 } else {
                     return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(idx - 1, *span));
                 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/get.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/get.rs
index 81442f537c..693bd0967d 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/get.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/get.rs
@@ -199,11 +199,17 @@ fn errors_fetching_by_index_out_of_bounds() {
             "#
         ));
 
-        assert!(actual.err.contains("Row number too large (max: 3)"),);
+        assert!(actual.err.contains("Row number too large (max: 2)"),);
         assert!(actual.err.contains("too large"),);
     })
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn errors_fetching_by_accessing_empty_list() {
+    let actual = nu!(cwd: ".", pipeline(r#"[] | get 3"#));
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("Row number too large (empty content)"),);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn quoted_column_access() {
     let actual = nu!(
diff --git a/crates/nu-engine/src/call_ext.rs b/crates/nu-engine/src/call_ext.rs
index 78a684b638..4e604ec9d3 100644
--- a/crates/nu-engine/src/call_ext.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-engine/src/call_ext.rs
@@ -90,9 +90,11 @@ impl CallExt for Call {
         if let Some(expr) = self.positional_nth(pos) {
             let result = eval_expression(engine_state, stack, expr)?;
             FromValue::from_value(&result)
+        } else if self.positional_len() == 0 {
+            Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(self.head))
         } else {
             Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(
-                self.positional_len(),
+                self.positional_len() - 1,
                 self.head,
             ))
         }
diff --git a/crates/nu-plugin/src/protocol/evaluated_call.rs b/crates/nu-plugin/src/protocol/evaluated_call.rs
index b1dd2bd9e7..81adbc6357 100644
--- a/crates/nu-plugin/src/protocol/evaluated_call.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-plugin/src/protocol/evaluated_call.rs
@@ -96,9 +96,11 @@ impl EvaluatedCall {
     pub fn req<T: FromValue>(&self, pos: usize) -> Result<T, ShellError> {
         if let Some(value) = self.nth(pos) {
             FromValue::from_value(&value)
+        } else if self.positional.is_empty() {
+            Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(self.head))
         } else {
             Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(
-                self.positional.len(),
+                self.positional.len() - 1,
                 self.head,
             ))
         }
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
index 0f50e7d60f..a77850da87 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
@@ -358,6 +358,15 @@ Either make sure {0} is a string, or add a 'to_string' entry for it in ENV_CONVE
     #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::access_beyond_end), url(docsrs))]
     AccessBeyondEnd(usize, #[label = "index too large (max: {0})"] Span),
 
+    /// You attempted to access an index when it's empty.
+    ///
+    /// ## Resolution
+    ///
+    /// Check your lengths and try again.
+    #[error("Row number too large (empty content).")]
+    #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::access_beyond_end), url(docsrs))]
+    AccessEmptyContent(#[label = "index too large (empty content)"] Span),
+
     /// You attempted to access an index beyond the available length of a stream.
     ///
     /// ## Resolution
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs
index 79f6554daa..5303cad8be 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs
@@ -641,8 +641,10 @@ impl Value {
                         Value::List { vals: val, .. } => {
                             if let Some(item) = val.get(*count) {
                                 current = item.clone();
+                            } else if val.is_empty() {
+                                return Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(*origin_span))
                             } else {
-                                return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(val.len(), *origin_span));
+                                return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(val.len() - 1, *origin_span));
                             }
                         }
                         Value::Binary { val, .. } => {
@@ -651,8 +653,10 @@ impl Value {
                                     val: *item as i64,
                                     span: *origin_span,
                                 };
+                            } else if val.is_empty() {
+                                return Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(*origin_span))
                             } else {
-                                return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(val.len(), *origin_span));
+                                return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(val.len() - 1, *origin_span));
                             }
                         }
                         Value::Range { val, .. } => {
@@ -839,8 +843,10 @@ impl Value {
                     Value::List { vals, .. } => {
                         if let Some(v) = vals.get_mut(*row_num) {
                             v.upsert_data_at_cell_path(&cell_path[1..], new_val)?
+                        } else if vals.is_empty() {
+                            return Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(*span));
                         } else {
-                            return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len(), *span));
+                            return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len() - 1, *span));
                         }
                     }
                     v => return Err(ShellError::NotAList(*span, v.span()?)),
@@ -931,8 +937,10 @@ impl Value {
                     Value::List { vals, .. } => {
                         if let Some(v) = vals.get_mut(*row_num) {
                             v.update_data_at_cell_path(&cell_path[1..], new_val)?
+                        } else if vals.is_empty() {
+                            return Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(*span));
                         } else {
-                            return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len(), *span));
+                            return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len() - 1, *span));
                         }
                     }
                     v => return Err(ShellError::NotAList(*span, v.span()?)),
@@ -1005,8 +1013,10 @@ impl Value {
                             if vals.get_mut(*row_num).is_some() {
                                 vals.remove(*row_num);
                                 Ok(())
+                            } else if vals.is_empty() {
+                                Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(*span))
                             } else {
-                                Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len(), *span))
+                                Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len() - 1, *span))
                             }
                         }
                         v => Err(ShellError::NotAList(*span, v.span()?)),
@@ -1069,8 +1079,10 @@ impl Value {
                         Value::List { vals, .. } => {
                             if let Some(v) = vals.get_mut(*row_num) {
                                 v.remove_data_at_cell_path(&cell_path[1..])
+                            } else if vals.is_empty() {
+                                Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(*span))
                             } else {
-                                Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len(), *span))
+                                Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len() - 1, *span))
                             }
                         }
                         v => Err(ShellError::NotAList(*span, v.span()?)),
@@ -1157,8 +1169,10 @@ impl Value {
                     Value::List { vals, .. } => {
                         if let Some(v) = vals.get_mut(*row_num) {
                             v.insert_data_at_cell_path(&cell_path[1..], new_val)?
+                        } else if vals.is_empty() {
+                            return Err(ShellError::AccessEmptyContent(*span));
                         } else {
-                            return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len(), *span));
+                            return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(vals.len() - 1, *span));
                         }
                     }
                     v => return Err(ShellError::NotAList(*span, v.span()?)),