diff --git a/e2e/cli/test_settings_set b/e2e/cli/test_settings_set
index d7f8b64099..6b69bb8960 100644
--- a/e2e/cli/test_settings_set
+++ b/e2e/cli/test_settings_set
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ assert_contains "mise settings -T" "all_compile = true"
 mise settings unset all_compile
 assert "mise settings get all_compile" "false"
 assert_fail "mise settings get abcdefg" "mise ERROR Unknown setting: abcdefg"
+assert_fail "mise settings get python.compyle" "mise ERROR Unknown setting: python.compyle"
+assert_fail "mise settings get python.compile" "mise ERROR Setting [python.compile] is not set"
+assert_fail "mise settings get cargo.registry_name" "mise ERROR Setting [cargo.registry_name] is not set"
 assert "mise settings all_compile" "false"
 assert "mise settings all_compile=1"
 assert "mise settings all_compile" "true"
diff --git a/e2e/cli/test_settings_unset b/e2e/cli/test_settings_unset
index 3a53c153a5..6dff414f1e 100644
--- a/e2e/cli/test_settings_unset
+++ b/e2e/cli/test_settings_unset
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 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"
+assert_fail "mise settings get python.compile" "mise ERROR Setting [python.compile] is not set"
diff --git a/src/cli/settings/get.rs b/src/cli/settings/get.rs
index b8603e85fb..7761a61807 100644
--- a/src/cli/settings/get.rs
+++ b/src/cli/settings/get.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use crate::config;
 use crate::config::Settings;
+use crate::config::settings::SETTINGS_META;
 use eyre::bail;
 
 /// Show a current setting
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ impl SettingsGet {
             if let Some(v) = value.as_table().and_then(|t| t.get(k.0)) {
                 key = k.1;
                 value = v.clone()
+            } else if is_known_setting(&self.setting) {
+                bail!("Setting [{}] is not set", self.setting);
             } else {
                 bail!("Unknown setting: {}", self.setting);
             }
@@ -50,6 +53,14 @@ impl SettingsGet {
     }
 }
 
+fn is_known_setting(key: &str) -> bool {
+    if SETTINGS_META.contains_key(key) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    let prefix = format!("{key}.");
+    SETTINGS_META.keys().any(|k| k.starts_with(&prefix))
+}
+
 static AFTER_LONG_HELP: &str = color_print::cstr!(
     r#"<bold><underline>Examples:</underline></bold>