diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/insert.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/insert.rs
index 254c7b3d28..f9cd0b7779 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/insert.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/insert.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 use nu_engine::{eval_block, CallExt};
-use nu_protocol::ast::{Call, CellPath};
+use nu_protocol::ast::{Call, CellPath, PathMember};
 use nu_protocol::engine::{CaptureBlock, Command, EngineState, Stack};
 use nu_protocol::{
-    Category, Example, FromValue, IntoPipelineData, PipelineData, ShellError, Signature, Span,
-    SyntaxShape, Value,
+    Category, Example, FromValue, IntoInterruptiblePipelineData, IntoPipelineData, PipelineData,
+    ShellError, Signature, Span, SyntaxShape, Value,
 };
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -121,6 +121,24 @@ fn insert(
             ctrlc,
         )
     } else {
+        if let Some(PathMember::Int { val, .. }) = cell_path.members.get(0) {
+            let mut input = input.into_iter();
+            let mut pre_elems = vec![];
+
+            for _ in 0..*val {
+                if let Some(v) = input.next() {
+                    pre_elems.push(v);
+                } else {
+                    pre_elems.push(Value::Nothing { span })
+                }
+            }
+
+            return Ok(pre_elems
+                .into_iter()
+                .chain(vec![replacement])
+                .chain(input)
+                .into_pipeline_data(ctrlc));
+        }
         input.map(
             move |mut input| {
                 let replacement = replacement.clone();
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs
index 8f9cd6760b..a287ecaf85 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 use nu_engine::{eval_block, CallExt};
-use nu_protocol::ast::{Call, CellPath};
+use nu_protocol::ast::{Call, CellPath, PathMember};
 use nu_protocol::engine::{CaptureBlock, Command, EngineState, Stack};
 use nu_protocol::{
-    Category, Example, FromValue, IntoPipelineData, PipelineData, ShellError, Signature, Span,
-    SyntaxShape, Value,
+    Category, Example, FromValue, IntoInterruptiblePipelineData, IntoPipelineData, PipelineData,
+    ShellError, Signature, Span, SyntaxShape, Value,
 };
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -131,6 +131,27 @@ fn upsert(
             ctrlc,
         )
     } else {
+        if let Some(PathMember::Int { val, span }) = cell_path.members.get(0) {
+            let mut input = input.into_iter();
+            let mut pre_elems = vec![];
+
+            for idx in 0..*val {
+                if let Some(v) = input.next() {
+                    pre_elems.push(v);
+                } else {
+                    return Err(ShellError::AccessBeyondEnd(idx - 1, *span));
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Skip over the replaced value
+            let _ = input.next();
+
+            return Ok(pre_elems
+                .into_iter()
+                .chain(vec![replacement])
+                .chain(input)
+                .into_pipeline_data(ctrlc));
+        }
         input.map(
             move |mut input| {
                 let replacement = replacement.clone();
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/insert.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/insert.rs
index d935861263..38c3d429fe 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/insert.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/insert.rs
@@ -26,3 +26,51 @@ fn insert_the_column_conflict() {
 
     assert!(actual.err.contains("column already exists"));
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn insert_into_list() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: ".", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            [1, 2, 3] | insert 1 abc | to json -r
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(actual.out, r#"[1,"abc",2,3]"#);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn insert_into_list_begin() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: ".", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            [1, 2, 3] | insert 0 abc | to json -r
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(actual.out, r#"["abc",1,2,3]"#);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn insert_into_list_end() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: ".", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            [1, 2, 3] | insert 3 abc | to json -r
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(actual.out, r#"[1,2,3,"abc"]"#);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn insert_past_end_list() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: ".", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            [1, 2, 3] | insert 5 abc | to json -r
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(actual.out, r#"[1,2,3,null,null,"abc"]"#);
+}
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/update.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/update.rs
index f2dace3981..bbbffa6eaf 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/update.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/update.rs
@@ -71,3 +71,27 @@ fn upsert_column_missing() {
 
     assert!(actual.err.contains("cannot find column"));
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn update_list() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: ".", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            [1, 2, 3] | update 1 abc | to json -r
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(actual.out, r#"[1,"abc",3]"#);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn update_past_end_list() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: ".", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            [1, 2, 3] | update 5 abc | to json -r
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("too large"));
+}
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
index 03fe42abe1..b35f8a683d 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
@@ -133,11 +133,11 @@ Either make sure {0} is a string, or add a 'to_string' entry for it in ENV_CONVE
 
     #[error("Row number too large (max: {0}).")]
     #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::access_beyond_end), url(docsrs))]
-    AccessBeyondEnd(usize, #[label = "too large"] Span),
+    AccessBeyondEnd(usize, #[label = "index too large (max: {0})"] Span),
 
     #[error("Row number too large.")]
     #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::access_beyond_end_of_stream), url(docsrs))]
-    AccessBeyondEndOfStream(#[label = "too large"] Span),
+    AccessBeyondEndOfStream(#[label = "index too large"] Span),
 
     #[error("Data cannot be accessed with a cell path")]
     #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::incompatible_path_access), url(docsrs))]