diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/select.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/select.rs
index 3e8e5cb614ec5..ab2bd12fdf080 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/select.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/select.rs
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ fn select(
                 Value::List {
                     vals: input_vals, ..
                 } => {
-                    Ok(input_vals
+                    let results = input_vals
                         .into_iter()
                         .map(move |input_val| {
                             if !columns.is_empty() {
@@ -250,11 +250,34 @@ fn select(
                                 input_val.clone()
                             }
                         })
-                        .into_pipeline_data_with_metadata(
-                            call_span,
-                            engine_state.signals().clone(),
-                            metadata,
-                        ))
+                        .collect::<Vec<Value>>();
+
+                    let missing_col_errors = results
+                        .iter()
+                        .filter_map(|row| {
+                            if let Value::Error { error, .. } = row {
+                                if let ShellError::CantFindColumn { col_name, .. } = &**error {
+                                    return Some(col_name.as_str());
+                                }
+                            }
+                            return None;
+                        })
+                        .collect::<Vec<&str>>();
+
+                    if missing_col_errors.len() < results.len() {
+                        if let Some(first) = missing_col_errors.first() {
+                            return Err(ShellError::RowLacksValue {
+                                col_name: first.to_string(),
+                                span: Some(call_span),
+                            });
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    Ok(results.into_pipeline_data_with_metadata(
+                        call_span,
+                        engine_state.signals().clone(),
+                        metadata,
+                    ))
                 }
                 _ => {
                     if !columns.is_empty() {
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/get.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/get.rs
index c5c1c02e956ae..bfe76ccf686f5 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/get.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/get.rs
@@ -180,6 +180,12 @@ fn errors_fetching_by_accessing_empty_list() {
     assert!(actual.err.contains("Row number too large (empty content)"),);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn errors_column_missing_in_some_rows() {
+    let actual = nu!("[{a: 1, b: 2} {a: 3, b: 5} {a: 3}] | get b ");
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("Not all rows contain a value for 'b'"));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn quoted_column_access() {
     let actual = nu!(r#"'[{"foo bar": {"baz": 4}}]' | from json | get "foo bar".baz.0 "#);
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/select.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/select.rs
index 534943767f301..2302de5dce296 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/select.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/select.rs
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ fn select_failed1() {
     let actual = nu!("[{a: 1, b: 2} {a: 3, b: 5} {a: 3}] | select b ");
 
     assert!(actual.out.is_empty());
-    assert!(actual.err.contains("cannot find column"));
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("Not all rows contain a value for 'b'"));
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/errors/shell_error.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/errors/shell_error.rs
index 208f2178f6340..7fd9880e7b837 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/errors/shell_error.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/errors/shell_error.rs
@@ -595,6 +595,19 @@ pub enum ShellError {
         src_span: Span,
     },
 
+    /// Not all rows contain data in the requested column.
+    ///
+    /// ## Resolution
+    ///
+    /// Use the Optional Operator, --ignore-errors with get or select, or fill in the missing values.
+    #[error("Not all rows contain a value for '{col_name}'")]
+    #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::row_lacks_value))]
+    RowLacksValue {
+        col_name: String,
+        #[label = "try using '{col_name}?'"]
+        span: Option<Span>,
+    },
+
     /// Attempted to insert a column into a table, but a column with that name already exists.
     ///
     /// ## Resolution
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs
index 5ffe376269882..202caccc268db 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs
@@ -1252,9 +1252,22 @@ impl Value {
                                         }),
                                     }
                                 })
-                                .collect::<Result<_, _>>()?;
+                                .collect::<Vec<Result<_, _>>>();
 
-                            current = Value::list(list, span);
+                            let missing_col_errors = list
+                                .iter()
+                                .filter(|row| matches!(row, Err(ShellError::CantFindColumn { .. })))
+                                .count();
+
+                            if missing_col_errors != 0 && missing_col_errors < list.len() {
+                                return Err(ShellError::RowLacksValue {
+                                    col_name: column_name.clone(),
+                                    span: Some(*origin_span),
+                                });
+                            }
+
+                            current =
+                                Value::list(list.into_iter().collect::<Result<_, _>>()?, span);
                         }
                         Value::Custom { ref val, .. } => {
                             current = match val.follow_path_string(
diff --git a/tests/repl/test_cell_path.rs b/tests/repl/test_cell_path.rs
index c89c50259bcf5..2f0a314654fc7 100644
--- a/tests/repl/test_cell_path.rs
+++ b/tests/repl/test_cell_path.rs
@@ -105,8 +105,14 @@ fn list_single_field_failure() -> TestResult {
 // Test the scenario where the requested column is not present in all rows
 #[test]
 fn jagged_list_access_fails() -> TestResult {
-    fail_test("[{foo: 'bar'}, {}].foo", "cannot find column")?;
-    fail_test("[{}, {foo: 'bar'}].foo", "cannot find column")
+    fail_test(
+        "[{foo: 'bar'}, {}].foo",
+        "cannot find value for 'foo' in some rows",
+    )?;
+    fail_test(
+        "[{}, {foo: 'bar'}].foo",
+        "cannot find value for 'foo' in some rows",
+    )
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/tests/repl/test_table_operations.rs b/tests/repl/test_table_operations.rs
index 5d61e0d902d5a..ffe80ecbb53bc 100644
--- a/tests/repl/test_table_operations.rs
+++ b/tests/repl/test_table_operations.rs
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ fn update_cell_path_1() -> TestResult {
 fn missing_column_errors() -> TestResult {
     fail_test(
         r#"[ { name: ABC, size: 20 }, { name: HIJ } ].size.1 == null"#,
-        "cannot find column",
+        "cannot find value for 'size' in some rows",
     )
 }