diff --git a/runtime/vam/expr/arith.go b/runtime/vam/expr/arith.go
index 7cc28b77a8..8eecfdf7fc 100644
--- a/runtime/vam/expr/arith.go
+++ b/runtime/vam/expr/arith.go
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ func (a *Arith) Eval(val vector.Any) vector.Any {
 func (a *Arith) eval(vecs ...vector.Any) (out vector.Any) {
 	lhs := enumToIndex(vector.Under(vecs[0]))
 	rhs := enumToIndex(vector.Under(vecs[1]))
+	if vector.KindOf(lhs) == vector.KindError {
+		return lhs
+	}
+	if vector.KindOf(rhs) == vector.KindError {
+		return rhs
+	}
 	lhs, rhs, errVal := coerceVals(a.zctx, lhs, rhs)
 	if errVal != nil {
 		return errVal
diff --git a/runtime/ztests/expr/arith-errors.yaml b/runtime/ztests/expr/arith-errors.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..19fc69df5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/ztests/expr/arith-errors.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+zed: yield s/0
+
+vector: true
+
+input: |
+  {}
+  {s:error("other")}
+  {s:1}
+
+output: |
+  error("missing")
+  error("other")
+  error("divide by zero")