diff --git a/pkg/sqlcache/informer/listoption_indexer.go b/pkg/sqlcache/informer/listoption_indexer.go
index 6aec0112..9ca403fc 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlcache/informer/listoption_indexer.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlcache/informer/listoption_indexer.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ const (
 	   )`
 	createFieldsIndexFmt = `CREATE INDEX "%s_%s_index" ON "%s_fields"("%s")`
 
-	failedToGetFromSliceFmt = "[listoption indexer] failed to get subfield [%s] from slice items: %w"
+	failedToGetFromSliceFmt = "[listoption indexer] failed to get subfield [%s] from slice items"
 
 	createLabelsTableFmt = `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "%s_labels" (
 		key TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES "%s"(key) ON DELETE CASCADE,
@@ -903,13 +903,19 @@ func getField(a any, field string) (any, error) {
 				for index, v := range t {
 					itemVal, ok := v.(map[string]interface{})
 					if !ok {
-						return nil, fmt.Errorf(failedToGetFromSliceFmt, subField, err)
+						return nil, fmt.Errorf(failedToGetFromSliceFmt, subField)
 					}
-					itemStr, ok := itemVal[subField].(string)
-					if !ok {
-						return nil, fmt.Errorf(failedToGetFromSliceFmt, subField, err)
+
+					_, found := itemVal[subField]
+					if found {
+						itemStr, ok := itemVal[subField].(string)
+						if !ok {
+							return nil, fmt.Errorf(failedToGetFromSliceFmt, subField)
+						}
+						result[index] = itemStr
+					} else {
+						result[index] = ""
 					}
-					result[index] = itemStr
 				}
 				return result, nil
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/sqlcache/informer/listoption_indexer_test.go b/pkg/sqlcache/informer/listoption_indexer_test.go
index 4248edf1..13db685b 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlcache/informer/listoption_indexer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlcache/informer/listoption_indexer_test.go
@@ -11,14 +11,15 @@ import (
 	"database/sql"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/rancher/steve/pkg/sqlcache/sqltypes"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/rancher/steve/pkg/sqlcache/db"
 	"github.com/rancher/steve/pkg/sqlcache/partition"
+	"github.com/rancher/steve/pkg/sqlcache/sqltypes"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/mock/gomock"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
@@ -1790,3 +1791,163 @@ func TestBuildSortLabelsClause(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGetField(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name           string
+		obj            any
+		field          string
+		expectedResult any
+		expectedErr    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "simple",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"foo": "bar",
+				},
+			},
+			field:          "foo",
+			expectedResult: "bar",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "nested",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"foo": map[string]any{
+						"bar": "baz",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			field:          "foo.bar",
+			expectedResult: "baz",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "array",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"theList": []any{
+						"foo", "bar", "baz",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			field:          "theList[1]",
+			expectedResult: "bar",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "array of object",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"theList": []any{
+						map[string]any{
+							"name": "foo",
+						},
+						map[string]any{
+							"name": "bar",
+						},
+						map[string]any{
+							"name": "baz",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			field:          "theList.name",
+			expectedResult: []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "annotation",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"annotations": map[string]any{
+						"with.dot.in.it/and-slash": "foo",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			field:          "annotations[with.dot.in.it/and-slash]",
+			expectedResult: "foo",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "field not found",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"spec": map[string]any{
+						"rules": []any{
+							map[string]any{},
+							map[string]any{
+								"host": "example.com",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			field:          "spec.rules.host",
+			expectedResult: []string{"", "example.com"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "array index invalid",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"theList": []any{
+						"foo", "bar", "baz",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			field:       "theList[a]",
+			expectedErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "array index out of bound",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"theList": []any{
+						"foo", "bar", "baz",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			field:       "theList[3]",
+			expectedErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "invalid array",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"spec": map[string]any{
+						"rules": []any{
+							1,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			field:       "spec.rules.host",
+			expectedErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "invalid array nested",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]any{
+					"spec": map[string]any{
+						"rules": []any{
+							map[string]any{
+								"host": 1,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			field:       "spec.rules.host",
+			expectedErr: true,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result, err := getField(test.obj, test.field)
+			if test.expectedErr {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+				return
+			}
+
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Equal(t, test.expectedResult, result)
+		})
+	}
+}