diff --git a/src/nvim/eval/vars.c b/src/nvim/eval/vars.c
index 61de5cc954..fd95f0f5ec 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval/vars.c
+++ b/src/nvim/eval/vars.c
@@ -1520,7 +1520,7 @@ static char *ex_let_one(char *arg, typval_T *const tv, const bool copy, const bo
 /// ":unlet[!] var1 ... " command.
 void ex_unlet(exarg_T *eap)
 {
-  ex_unletlock(eap, eap->arg, 0, do_unlet_var);
+  ex_unletlock(eap, eap->arg, 0, eap->forceit ? GLV_QUIET : 0, do_unlet_var);
 }
 
 /// ":lockvar" and ":unlockvar" commands
@@ -1536,7 +1536,7 @@ void ex_lockvar(exarg_T *eap)
     arg = skipwhite(arg);
   }
 
-  ex_unletlock(eap, arg, deep, do_lock_var);
+  ex_unletlock(eap, arg, deep, 0, do_lock_var);
 }
 
 /// Common parsing logic for :unlet, :lockvar and :unlockvar.
@@ -1548,7 +1548,8 @@ void ex_lockvar(exarg_T *eap)
 /// @param[in]  deep  Levels to (un)lock for :(un)lockvar, -1 to (un)lock
 ///                   everything.
 /// @param[in]  callback  Appropriate handler for the command.
-static void ex_unletlock(exarg_T *eap, char *argstart, int deep, ex_unletlock_callback callback)
+static void ex_unletlock(exarg_T *eap, char *argstart, int deep, int glv_flags,
+                         ex_unletlock_callback callback)
   FUNC_ATTR_NONNULL_ALL
 {
   char *arg = argstart;
@@ -1573,7 +1574,7 @@ static void ex_unletlock(exarg_T *eap, char *argstart, int deep, ex_unletlock_ca
     } else {
       // Parse the name and find the end.
       name_end = get_lval(arg, NULL, &lv, true, eap->skip || error,
-                          0, FNE_CHECK_START);
+                          glv_flags, FNE_CHECK_START);
       if (lv.ll_name == NULL) {
         error = true;  // error, but continue parsing.
       }
diff --git a/test/old/testdir/test_unlet.vim b/test/old/testdir/test_unlet.vim
index 4779d17906..4994584751 100644
--- a/test/old/testdir/test_unlet.vim
+++ b/test/old/testdir/test_unlet.vim
@@ -64,4 +64,16 @@ func Test_unlet_complete()
   call assert_true(!exists('$FOOBAR') || empty($FOOBAR))
 endfunc
 
+func Test_unlet_nonexisting_key()
+  let g:base = {}
+  call assert_fails(':unlet g:base["foobar"]', 'E716:')
+
+  try
+    unlet! g:base["foobar"]
+  catch
+    call assert_report("error when unletting non-existing dict key")
+  endtry
+  unlet g:base
+endfunc
+
 " vim: shiftwidth=2 sts=2 expandtab