diff --git a/expand.cpp b/expand.cpp
index ab75a40ab..c370725a3 100644
--- a/expand.cpp
+++ b/expand.cpp
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ void expand_variable_error( parser_t &parser, const wchar_t *token, int token_po
 /**
    Parse an array slicing specification
  */
-static int parse_slice( const wchar_t *in, wchar_t **end_ptr, std::vector<long> &idx, int size=-1 )
+static int parse_slice( const wchar_t *in, wchar_t **end_ptr, std::vector<long> &idx, int size )
 {
 	wchar_t *end;
 	
@@ -757,6 +757,7 @@ static int parse_slice( const wchar_t *in, wchar_t **end_ptr, std::vector<long>
 		}
         //		debug( 0, L"Push idx %d", tmp );
 		
+        long i1 = tmp>-1 ? tmp : size+tmp+1;
 		pos = end-in;
         if ( in[pos]==L'.' && in[pos+1]==L'.' ){
             pos+=2;
@@ -767,23 +768,19 @@ static int parse_slice( const wchar_t *in, wchar_t **end_ptr, std::vector<long>
             }
             pos = end-in;
 
-            if ( size>-1 ) {
-                // debug( 0, L"Push range idx %d %d", tmp, tmp1 );
-                long i1 = tmp>-1 ? tmp : size+tmp+1;
-                long i2 = tmp1>-1 ? tmp1 : size+tmp1+1;
-                // debug( 0, L"Push range idx %d %d", i1, i2 );
-                short direction = i2<i1 ? -1 : 1 ;
-                for (long jjj = i1; jjj*direction <= i2*direction; jjj+=direction) {
-                    // debug(0, L"Expand range [subst]: %i\n", jjj); 
-                    idx.push_back( jjj );
-                }
+            // debug( 0, L"Push range %d %d", tmp, tmp1 );
+            long i2 = tmp1>-1 ? tmp1 : size+tmp1+1;
+            // debug( 0, L"Push range idx %d %d", i1, i2 );
+            short direction = i2<i1 ? -1 : 1 ;
+            for (long jjj = i1; jjj*direction <= i2*direction; jjj+=direction) {
+                // debug(0, L"Expand range [subst]: %i\n", jjj); 
+                idx.push_back( jjj );
             }
             continue;
         }
         
 		// debug( 0, L"Push idx %d", tmp );
-        idx.push_back(tmp);
-        // idx.push_back(tmp2);
+        idx.push_back( i1 );
 	}
 	
 	if( end_ptr )
@@ -875,25 +872,26 @@ static int expand_variables_internal( parser_t &parser, wchar_t * const in, std:
 				int all_vars=1;
                 wcstring_list_t var_item_list;
                 
-				if( in[stop_pos] == L'[' )
-				{
-					wchar_t *slice_end;
-					all_vars=0;
-					
-					if( parse_slice( in + stop_pos, &slice_end, var_idx_list ) )
-					{
-						parser.error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
-                                     -1,
-                                     L"Invalid index value" );						
-						is_ok = 0;
-					}					
-					stop_pos = (slice_end-in);
-				}				
-                
 				if( is_ok )
 				{
 					tokenize_variable_array( var_val.c_str(), var_item_list );                    
                     
+                    if( in[stop_pos] == L'[' )
+                    {
+                        wchar_t *slice_end;
+                        all_vars=0;
+                        
+                        if( parse_slice( in + stop_pos, &slice_end, var_idx_list, var_item_list.size() ) )
+                        {
+                            parser.error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
+                                         -1,
+                                         L"Invalid index value" );						
+                            is_ok = 0;
+                            break;
+                        }					
+                        stop_pos = (slice_end-in);
+                    }				
+                    
 					if( !all_vars )
 					{
                         wcstring_list_t string_values(var_idx_list.size());
@@ -901,11 +899,6 @@ static int expand_variables_internal( parser_t &parser, wchar_t * const in, std:
 						for( size_t j=0; j<var_idx_list.size(); j++)
 						{
 							long tmp = var_idx_list.at(j);
-							if( tmp < 0 )
-							{
-								tmp = ((long)var_item_list.size())+tmp+1;
-							}
-                            
 							/*
                              Check that we are within array
                              bounds. If not, truncate the list to
@@ -1224,10 +1217,11 @@ static int expand_cmdsubst( parser_t &parser, const wcstring &input, std::vector
 				long idx = slice_idx.at(i);
 				if( idx < 1 || (size_t)idx > sub_res.size() )
 				{
-					parser.error( SYNTAX_ERROR, -1, L"Invalid index value" );
+                    parser.error( SYNTAX_ERROR,
+                                 -1,
+                                 ARRAY_BOUNDS_ERR );
 					return 0;
 				}
-				
 				idx = idx-1;
 				
                 sub_res2.push_back(sub_res.at(idx));
diff --git a/tests/test8.err b/tests/test8.err
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/test8.in b/tests/test8.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e03d9d05b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test8.in
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Test index ranges 
+
+# Test variable expand
+set test (seq 10)
+echo $test[1..10]      # normal range
+echo $test[10..1]      # inverted range
+echo $test[2..5 8..6]  # several ranges
+echo $test[-1..-2]     # range with negative limits
+echo $test[-1..1]      # range with mixed limits
+
+# Test variable set
+set test1 $test
+set test1[-1..1] $test  # reverse variable
+echo $echo $test1
+set test1[2..4 -2..-4] $test1[4..2 -4..-2]
+echo $test1
+
+# Test command substitution
+echo (seq 5)[-1..1]
+echo (seq 10)[3..5 -2..2]
+
diff --git a/tests/test8.out b/tests/test8.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e118e572b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test8.out
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
+10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
+2 3 4 5 8 7 6
+10 9
+10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
+10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
+10 7 8 9 6 5 2 3 4 1
+5 4 3 2 1
+3 4 5 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
diff --git a/tests/test8.status b/tests/test8.status
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..573541ac9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test8.status
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+0
diff --git a/tests/top.out b/tests/top.out
index 5614a6619..0c7b1103a 100644
--- a/tests/top.out
+++ b/tests/top.out
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ File test4.in tested ok
 File test5.in tested ok
 File test6.in tested ok
 File test7.in tested ok
+File test8.in tested ok