diff --git a/api/kv_test.go b/api/kv_test.go
index bd432194b8..7e8b4cc181 100644
--- a/api/kv_test.go
+++ b/api/kv_test.go
@@ -484,11 +484,12 @@ func TestClient_Txn(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("transaction should have failed")
 	}
 
-	if ret == nil || len(ret.Errors) != 1 || len(ret.Results) != 0 {
+	if ret == nil || len(ret.Errors) != 2 || len(ret.Results) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %v", ret)
 	}
 	if ret.Errors[0].OpIndex != 0 ||
-		!strings.Contains(ret.Errors[0].What, "missing session") {
+		!strings.Contains(ret.Errors[0].What, "missing session") ||
+		!strings.Contains(ret.Errors[1].What, "doesn't exist") {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %v", ret.Errors[0])
 	}
 
diff --git a/consul/state/txn.go b/consul/state/txn.go
index f324831cd0..11662d129c 100644
--- a/consul/state/txn.go
+++ b/consul/state/txn.go
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ func (s *StateStore) txnKVS(tx *memdb.Txn, idx uint64, op *structs.TxnKVOp) (str
 
 	case structs.KVSGet:
 		_, entry, err = s.kvsGetTxn(tx, op.DirEnt.Key)
+		if entry == nil && err == nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("key %q doesn't exist", op.DirEnt.Key)
+		}
 
 	case structs.KVSCheckSession:
 		entry, err = s.kvsCheckSessionTxn(tx, op.DirEnt.Key, op.DirEnt.Session)
diff --git a/consul/state/txn_test.go b/consul/state/txn_test.go
index dd459bc523..9e8f88234d 100644
--- a/consul/state/txn_test.go
+++ b/consul/state/txn_test.go
@@ -102,14 +102,6 @@ func TestStateStore_Txn_KVS(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
-		&structs.TxnOp{
-			KV: &structs.TxnKVOp{
-				Verb: structs.KVSGet,
-				DirEnt: structs.DirEntry{
-					Key: "not/there",
-				},
-			},
-		},
 		&structs.TxnOp{
 			KV: &structs.TxnKVOp{
 				Verb: structs.KVSCheckIndex,
@@ -121,14 +113,6 @@ func TestStateStore_Txn_KVS(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
-		&structs.TxnOp{
-			KV: &structs.TxnKVOp{
-				Verb: structs.KVSGet,
-				DirEnt: structs.DirEntry{
-					Key: "foo/lock",
-				},
-			},
-		},
 		&structs.TxnOp{
 			KV: &structs.TxnKVOp{
 				Verb: structs.KVSLock,
@@ -227,7 +211,6 @@ func TestStateStore_Txn_KVS(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
-		&structs.TxnResult{}, // get on not/there
 		&structs.TxnResult{
 			KV: &structs.DirEntry{
 				Key: "foo/update",
@@ -237,7 +220,6 @@ func TestStateStore_Txn_KVS(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
-		&structs.TxnResult{}, // get on foo/lock before it's created
 		&structs.TxnResult{
 			KV: &structs.DirEntry{
 				Key:       "foo/lock",
@@ -449,6 +431,14 @@ func TestStateStore_Txn_KVS_Rollback(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		&structs.TxnOp{
+			KV: &structs.TxnKVOp{
+				Verb: structs.KVSGet,
+				DirEnt: structs.DirEntry{
+					Key: "nope",
+				},
+			},
+		},
 		&structs.TxnOp{
 			KV: &structs.TxnKVOp{
 				Verb: structs.KVSCheckSession,
@@ -505,6 +495,7 @@ func TestStateStore_Txn_KVS_Rollback(t *testing.T) {
 		"lock isn't held, or is held by another session",
 		"current session",
 		`key "nope" doesn't exist`,
+		`key "nope" doesn't exist`,
 		"current modify index",
 		`key "nope" doesn't exist`,
 		"unknown KV verb",