diff --git a/salix.go b/salix.go
index 4892522..d41114a 100644
--- a/salix.go
+++ b/salix.go
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ func (t *Template) getIndex(i ast.Index, local map[string]any) (any, error) {
 		return nil, ast.PosError(i, "%s: cannot get index of nil value", valueToString(i))
 	}
 	rindex := reflect.ValueOf(index)
-	if !rval.IsValid() {
+	if !rindex.IsValid() {
 		return nil, ast.PosError(i, "%s: cannot use nil value as an index", valueToString(i))
 	}
 
diff --git a/structs_test.go b/structs_test.go
index 588c2ee..6ce6573 100644
--- a/structs_test.go
+++ b/structs_test.go
@@ -107,6 +107,23 @@ func TestGetIndexNil(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGetIndexNilIndex(t *testing.T) {
+	testMap := map[string]any{}
+	tmpl := testTmpl(t)
+
+	// test[index]
+	ast := ast.Index{
+		Value:    ast.Ident{Value: "test", Position: testPos(t)},
+		Index:    ast.Ident{Value: "index", Position: testPos(t)},
+		Position: testPos(t),
+	}
+
+	_, err := tmpl.getIndex(ast, map[string]any{"test": testMap, "index": nil})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("Expected error, got nil")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetField(t *testing.T) {
 	testStruct := struct {
 		X int