diff --git a/src/nvim/lua/stdlib.c b/src/nvim/lua/stdlib.c
index 4f9677650f..8f1b5c7b86 100644
--- a/src/nvim/lua/stdlib.c
+++ b/src/nvim/lua/stdlib.c
@@ -359,6 +359,9 @@ int nlua_setvar(lua_State *lstate)
   Error err = ERROR_INIT;
   dictitem_T *di = dict_check_writable(dict, key, del, &err);
   if (ERROR_SET(&err)) {
+    nlua_push_errstr(lstate, "%s", err.msg);
+    api_clear_error(&err);
+    lua_error(lstate);
     return 0;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
index f734bfb0c0..fcf3eae5ec 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
@@ -1353,6 +1353,9 @@ describe('API', function()
       -- Set readonly v: var.
       eq('Key is read-only: count',
         pcall_err(request, 'nvim_set_vvar', 'count', 42))
+      -- Set non-existent v: var.
+      eq('Dictionary is locked',
+        pcall_err(request, 'nvim_set_vvar', 'nosuchvar', 42))
       -- Set writable v: var.
       meths.set_vvar('errmsg', 'set by API')
       eq('set by API', meths.get_vvar('errmsg'))
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
index 1dfb9a5e10..cf80478b08 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
@@ -1491,6 +1491,8 @@ describe('lua stdlib', function()
     eq(NIL, funcs.luaeval "vim.v.null")
     matches([[attempt to index .* nil value]],
        pcall_err(exec_lua, 'return vim.v[0].progpath'))
+    eq('Key is read-only: count', pcall_err(exec_lua, 'vim.v.count = 42'))
+    eq('Dictionary is locked', pcall_err(exec_lua, 'vim.v.nosuchvar = 42'))
   end)
 
   it('vim.bo', function()