diff --git a/core/vdbe/execute.rs b/core/vdbe/execute.rs
index 41400470c..104484100 100644
--- a/core/vdbe/execute.rs
+++ b/core/vdbe/execute.rs
@@ -998,7 +998,9 @@ pub fn op_vopen(
     state
         .cursors
         .borrow_mut()
-        .insert(*cursor_id, Some(Cursor::Virtual(cursor)));
+        .get_mut(*cursor_id)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("cursor id {} out of bounds", *cursor_id))
+        .replace(Cursor::Virtual(cursor));
     state.pc += 1;
     Ok(InsnFunctionStepResult::Step)
 }
diff --git a/core/vdbe/mod.rs b/core/vdbe/mod.rs
index f9ce85acd..e5d0cd237 100644
--- a/core/vdbe/mod.rs
+++ b/core/vdbe/mod.rs
@@ -349,9 +349,9 @@ impl ProgramState {
         let cursors = self.cursors.borrow_mut();
         std::cell::RefMut::map(cursors, |c| {
             c.get_mut(cursor_id)
-                .expect("cursor id out of bounds")
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("cursor id {} out of bounds", cursor_id))
                 .as_mut()
-                .expect("cursor not allocated")
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("cursor id {} is None", cursor_id))
         })
     }
 }