diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-mutable-tree.c b/src/libostree/ostree-mutable-tree.c
index 26a1ca44..17bcdc9a 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-mutable-tree.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-mutable-tree.c
@@ -315,11 +315,9 @@ ostree_mutable_tree_walk (OstreeMutableTree     *self,
                           OstreeMutableTree    **out_subdir,
                           GError               **error)
 {
-  if (start >= split_path->len)
-    {
-      return set_error_noent (error, (char*)split_path->pdata[start]);
-    }
-  else if (start == split_path->len - 1)
+  g_return_val_if_fail (start < split_path->len, FALSE);
+
+  if (start == split_path->len - 1)
     {
       *out_subdir = g_object_ref (self);
       return TRUE;
diff --git a/tests/test-mutable-tree.c b/tests/test-mutable-tree.c
index ef2b6b5b..b0c23867 100644
--- a/tests/test-mutable-tree.c
+++ b/tests/test-mutable-tree.c
@@ -68,13 +68,6 @@ test_mutable_tree_walk (void)
     g_clear_error (&error);
   }
 
-  {
-    gs_unref_object OstreeMutableTree *subdir = NULL;
-    g_assert_false (ostree_mutable_tree_walk (tree, split_path, 10, &subdir, &error));
-    g_assert_null (subdir);
-    g_clear_error (&error);
-  }
-
   {
     gs_unref_object OstreeMutableTree *subdir = NULL;
     gs_unref_object OstreeMutableTree *a = NULL;