diff --git a/e2e/cli/test_settings_unset b/e2e/cli/test_settings_unset
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a53c153a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/cli/test_settings_unset
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+mise settings set python.compile true
+assert "mise settings get python.compile" "true"
+mise settings unset python.compile
+assert_fail "mise settings get python.compile" "mise ERROR Unknown setting: python.compile"
diff --git a/src/cli/settings/set.rs b/src/cli/settings/set.rs
index d56289c769..2b7ad4b778 100644
--- a/src/cli/settings/set.rs
+++ b/src/cli/settings/set.rs
@@ -51,32 +51,36 @@ pub fn set(mut key: &str, value: &str, add: bool, local: bool) -> Result<()> {
     if !config.contains_key("settings") {
         config["settings"] = toml_edit::Item::Table(toml_edit::Table::new());
     }
-    let mut settings = config["settings"].as_table_mut().unwrap();
-    if key.contains(".") {
-        let (parent_key, child_key) = key.split_once('.').unwrap();
-
-        key = child_key;
-        settings = settings
-            .entry(parent_key)
-            .or_insert(toml_edit::Item::Table(toml_edit::Table::new()))
-            .as_table_mut()
-            .unwrap();
-    }
-
-    let value = match settings.get(key).map(|c| c.as_array()) {
-        Some(Some(array)) if add => {
-            let mut array = array.clone();
-            array.extend(value.as_array().unwrap().iter().cloned());
-            array.into()
+    if let Some(mut settings) = config["settings"].as_table_mut() {
+        if let Some((parent_key, child_key)) = key.split_once('.') {
+            key = child_key;
+            settings = settings
+                .entry(parent_key)
+                .or_insert({
+                    let mut t = toml_edit::Table::new();
+                    t.set_implicit(true);
+                    toml_edit::Item::Table(t)
+                })
+                .as_table_mut()
+                .unwrap();
         }
-        _ => value,
-    };
-    settings.insert(key, value.into());
 
-    // validate
-    let _: SettingsFile = toml::from_str(&config.to_string())?;
+        let value = match settings.get(key).map(|c| c.as_array()) {
+            Some(Some(array)) if add => {
+                let mut array = array.clone();
+                array.extend(value.as_array().unwrap().iter().cloned());
+                array.into()
+            }
+            _ => value,
+        };
+        settings.insert(key, value.into());
+
+        // validate
+        let _: SettingsFile = toml::from_str(&config.to_string())?;
 
-    file::write(path, config.to_string())
+        file::write(path, config.to_string())?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 fn parse_list_by_comma(value: &str) -> Result<toml_edit::Value> {
diff --git a/src/cli/settings/unset.rs b/src/cli/settings/unset.rs
index 1391628cb2..880b03f247 100644
--- a/src/cli/settings/unset.rs
+++ b/src/cli/settings/unset.rs
@@ -20,24 +20,38 @@ pub struct SettingsUnset {
 
 impl SettingsUnset {
     pub fn run(self) -> Result<()> {
-        let path = if self.local {
-            config::local_toml_config_path()
-        } else {
-            config::global_config_path()
-        };
-        let raw = file::read_to_string(&path)?;
-        let mut config: DocumentMut = raw.parse()?;
-        if !config.contains_key("settings") {
-            return Ok(());
-        }
-        let settings = config["settings"].as_table_mut().unwrap();
-        settings.remove(&self.key);
+        unset(&self.key, self.local)
+    }
+}
 
+pub fn unset(mut key: &str, local: bool) -> Result<()> {
+    let path = if local {
+        config::local_toml_config_path()
+    } else {
+        config::global_config_path()
+    };
+    let raw = file::read_to_string(&path)?;
+    let mut config: DocumentMut = raw.parse()?;
+    if let Some(mut settings) = config["settings"].as_table_mut() {
+        if let Some((parent_key, child_key)) = key.split_once('.') {
+            key = child_key;
+            settings = settings
+                .entry(parent_key)
+                .or_insert({
+                    let mut t = toml_edit::Table::new();
+                    t.set_implicit(true);
+                    toml_edit::Item::Table(t)
+                })
+                .as_table_mut()
+                .unwrap();
+        }
+        settings.remove(key);
         // validate
         let _: SettingsFile = toml::from_str(&config.to_string())?;
 
-        file::write(&path, config.to_string())
+        file::write(&path, config.to_string())?;
     }
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 static AFTER_LONG_HELP: &str = color_print::cstr!(