diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFWorkbook.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFWorkbook.java
index 4b2bbdb948..25363f00ed 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFWorkbook.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFWorkbook.java
@@ -429,8 +429,12 @@ public final class HSSFWorkbook extends POIDocument implements org.apache.poi.ss
     private void validateSheetIndex(int index) {
         int lastSheetIx = _sheets.size() - 1;
         if (index < 0 || index > lastSheetIx) {
+            String range = "(0.." +    lastSheetIx + ")";
+            if (lastSheetIx == -1) {
+                range = "(no sheets)";
+            }
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Sheet index ("
-                    + index +") is out of range (0.." +    lastSheetIx + ")");
+                    + index +") is out of range " + range);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFWorkbook.java b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFWorkbook.java
index ab23bbf36f..e6d33ebeb0 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFWorkbook.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFWorkbook.java
@@ -1040,8 +1040,12 @@ public class XSSFWorkbook extends POIXMLDocument implements Workbook, Iterable<X
     private void validateSheetIndex(int index) {
         int lastSheetIx = sheets.size() - 1;
         if (index < 0 || index > lastSheetIx) {
+            String range = "(0.." +    lastSheetIx + ")";
+            if (lastSheetIx == -1) {
+                range = "(no sheets)";
+            }
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Sheet index ("
-                    + index +") is out of range (0.." +    lastSheetIx + ")");
+                    + index +") is out of range " + range);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/BaseTestWorkbook.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/BaseTestWorkbook.java
index 15181245bc..b2357f947e 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/BaseTestWorkbook.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/BaseTestWorkbook.java
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ public abstract class BaseTestWorkbook extends TestCase {
             fail("should have thrown exceptiuon due to invalid sheet index");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             // expected during successful test
+            // no negative index in the range message
+            assertFalse(e.getMessage().contains("-1"));
         }
 
         Sheet sheet0 = wb.createSheet();