diff --git a/ctdb/tests/onnode/0010.sh b/ctdb/tests/onnode/0010.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..241cf58aa69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ctdb/tests/onnode/0010.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+. "${TEST_SCRIPTS_DIR}/unit.sh"
+
+cmd="$ONNODE 4 hostname"
+
+define_test "$cmd" "invalid pnn 4"
+
+required_result 1 <<EOF
+onnode: "node 4" does not exist
+EOF
+
+simple_test $cmd
diff --git a/ctdb/tests/onnode/0011.sh b/ctdb/tests/onnode/0011.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..46045331f1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ctdb/tests/onnode/0011.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+. "${TEST_SCRIPTS_DIR}/unit.sh"
+
+cmd="$ONNODE 99 hostname"
+
+define_test "$cmd" "invalid pnn 99"
+
+required_result 1 <<EOF
+onnode: "node 99" does not exist
+EOF
+
+simple_test $cmd
diff --git a/ctdb/tools/onnode b/ctdb/tools/onnode
index eabe034d227..13b0d19b3ee 100755
--- a/ctdb/tools/onnode
+++ b/ctdb/tools/onnode
@@ -102,8 +102,12 @@ echo_nth ()
 {
     local n="$1" ; shift
 
-    shift "$n"
-    local node="$1"
+    # Note that this is 0-based
+    local node=""
+    if [ "$n" -le $# ] ; then
+	    shift "$n"
+	    node="$1"
+    fi
 
     if [ -n "$node" -a "$node" != "#DEAD" ] ; then
 	echo "$node"