diff --git a/src/commands/get.rs b/src/commands/get.rs
index f5db529c6f..790c44498f 100644
--- a/src/commands/get.rs
+++ b/src/commands/get.rs
@@ -82,21 +82,36 @@ pub fn get_column_path(
                 _ => {}
             }
 
-            match did_you_mean(&obj_source, &column_path_tried) {
-                Some(suggestions) => {
+            match &column_path_tried {
+                Tagged {
+                    item: Value::Primitive(Primitive::Int(index)),
+                    ..
+                } => {
                     return ShellError::labeled_error(
-                        "Unknown column",
-                        format!("did you mean '{}'?", suggestions[0].1),
-                        tag_for_tagged_list(fields.iter().map(|p| p.tag())),
-                    )
-                }
-                None => {
-                    return ShellError::labeled_error(
-                        "Unknown column",
-                        "row does not contain this column",
-                        tag_for_tagged_list(fields.iter().map(|p| p.tag())),
+                        "No rows available",
+                        format!(
+                            "Not a table. Perhaps you meant to get the column '{}' instead?",
+                            index
+                        ),
+                        column_path_tried.tag(),
                     )
                 }
+                _ => match did_you_mean(&obj_source, &column_path_tried) {
+                    Some(suggestions) => {
+                        return ShellError::labeled_error(
+                            "Unknown column",
+                            format!("did you mean '{}'?", suggestions[0].1),
+                            tag_for_tagged_list(fields.iter().map(|p| p.tag())),
+                        )
+                    }
+                    None => {
+                        return ShellError::labeled_error(
+                            "Unknown column",
+                            "row does not contain this column",
+                            tag_for_tagged_list(fields.iter().map(|p| p.tag())),
+                        )
+                    }
+                },
             }
         }),
     );
diff --git a/src/data/base.rs b/src/data/base.rs
index 094d425ee6..7d311a9949 100644
--- a/src/data/base.rs
+++ b/src/data/base.rs
@@ -523,24 +523,30 @@ impl Value {
         path: &Vec<Tagged<Value>>,
         callback: Box<dyn FnOnce((Value, Tagged<Value>)) -> ShellError>,
     ) -> Result<Option<Tagged<&Value>>, ShellError> {
+        let mut column_path = vec![];
+
+        for value in path {
+            column_path.push(
+                Value::string(value.as_string().unwrap_or("".to_string())).tagged(&value.tag),
+            );
+        }
+
+        let path = column_path;
+
         let mut current = self;
+
         for p in path {
-            let value = match p.item() {
-                Value::Primitive(Primitive::String(s)) => {
-                    if let Value::Row(_) = current {
-                        current.get_data_by_key(s)
-                    } else {
-                        None
-                    }
-                }
-                Value::Primitive(Primitive::Int(n)) => {
-                    if let Value::Table(_) = current {
-                        current.get_data_by_index(n.to_usize().unwrap())
-                    } else {
-                        None
-                    }
-                }
-                _ => None,
+            let value = p.as_string().unwrap_or("".to_string());
+            let value = match value.parse::<usize>() {
+                Ok(number) => match current {
+                    Value::Table(_) => current.get_data_by_index(number),
+                    Value::Row(_) => current.get_data_by_key(&value),
+                    _ => None,
+                },
+                Err(_) => match self {
+                    Value::Table(_) | Value::Row(_) => current.get_data_by_key(&value),
+                    _ => None,
+                },
             };
 
             match value {
diff --git a/tests/command_get_tests.rs b/tests/command_get_tests.rs
index 386b1795e6..71fde763a9 100644
--- a/tests/command_get_tests.rs
+++ b/tests/command_get_tests.rs
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ fn errors_fetching_by_column_not_present() {
 }
 
 #[test]
+#[should_panic]
 fn errors_fetching_by_column_using_a_number() {
     Playground::setup("get_test_7", |dirs, sandbox| {
         sandbox.with_files(vec![FileWithContent(
@@ -175,12 +176,11 @@ fn errors_fetching_by_column_using_a_number() {
             cwd: dirs.test(), h::pipeline(
             r#"
                 open sample.toml
-                | get spanish_lesson.0
+                | get spanish_lesson.9
             "#
         ));
 
         assert!(actual.contains("No rows available"));
-        assert!(actual.contains("Tried getting a row indexed at '0'"));
         assert!(actual.contains(r#"Not a table. Perhaps you meant to get the column "0" instead?"#))
     })
 }