diff --git a/evennia/commands/default/building.py b/evennia/commands/default/building.py
index 8a5a883338..d566f29ca2 100644
--- a/evennia/commands/default/building.py
+++ b/evennia/commands/default/building.py
@@ -1697,15 +1697,17 @@ class CmdSetAttribute(ObjManipCommand):
                     val = obj.attributes.get(key)
                     deep = self.do_nested_lookup(val, *nested_keys[:-1])
                     if deep is not self.not_found:
-                        del deep[del_key]
+                        try:
+                            del deep[del_key]
+                        except (IndexError, KeyError, TypeError):
+                            continue
                         obj.attributes.add(key, val)
                     return "\nDeleted attribute '%s' (= nested) from %s." % (attr, obj.name)
                 else:
                     exists = obj.attributes.has(key)
                     obj.attributes.remove(attr)
                     return "\nDeleted attribute '%s' (= %s) from %s." % (attr, exists, obj.name)
-        else:
-            return "\n%s has no attribute '%s'." % (obj.name, attr)
+        return "\n%s has no attribute '%s'." % (obj.name, attr)
 
     def set_attr(self, obj, attr, value):
         for key, nested_keys in self.split_nested_attr(attr):
diff --git a/evennia/commands/default/tests.py b/evennia/commands/default/tests.py
index 91d11bae13..ed88b4e02c 100644
--- a/evennia/commands/default/tests.py
+++ b/evennia/commands/default/tests.py
@@ -548,6 +548,9 @@ class TestBuilding(CommandTest):
                   "Obj/test1[0] =", "Deleted attribute 'test1[0]' (= nested) from Obj.")
         self.call(building.CmdSetAttribute(), "Obj/test1[0]", "Attribute Obj/test1[0] = 2")
         self.call(building.CmdSetAttribute(), "Obj/test1[1]", "Obj has no attribute 'test1[1]'.")
+        # Delete non-existent
+        self.call(building.CmdSetAttribute(),
+                  "Obj/test1[5] =", "Obj has no attribute 'test1[5]'.")
 
         # removing white space proves real parsing
         self.call(building.CmdSetAttribute(),
@@ -567,6 +570,8 @@ class TestBuilding(CommandTest):
         self.call(building.CmdSetAttribute(), "Obj/test2['two']", "Obj has no attribute 'test2['two']'.")
         self.call(building.CmdSetAttribute(), "Obj/test2", "Attribute Obj/test2 = {'one': 99, 'three': 3}")
         self.call(building.CmdSetAttribute(), "Obj/test2[0]", "Obj has no attribute 'test2[0]'.")
+        self.call(building.CmdSetAttribute(),
+                  "Obj/test2['five'] =", "Obj has no attribute 'test2['five']'.")
 
         # Deaper nesting
         self.call(building.CmdSetAttribute(),