diff --git a/Lib/test/string_tests.py b/Lib/test/string_tests.py
index 0c159e02fb9..66e6d78940b 100644
--- a/Lib/test/string_tests.py
+++ b/Lib/test/string_tests.py
@@ -1301,7 +1301,6 @@ def test___contains__(self):
         self.checkequal(False, 'asd', '__contains__', 'asdf')
         self.checkequal(False, '', '__contains__', 'asdf')
 
-    @unittest.expectedFailure  # TODO: RUSTPYTHON
     def test_subscript(self):
         self.checkequal('a', 'abc', '__getitem__', 0)
         self.checkequal('c', 'abc', '__getitem__', -1)
diff --git a/crates/vm/src/sliceable.rs b/crates/vm/src/sliceable.rs
index b0f4c7808ff..635aac292a9 100644
--- a/crates/vm/src/sliceable.rs
+++ b/crates/vm/src/sliceable.rs
@@ -275,6 +275,12 @@ impl SequenceIndex {
             i?.try_to_primitive(vm)
                 .map_err(|_| vm.new_index_error("cannot fit 'int' into an index-sized integer"))
                 .map(Self::Int)
+        } else if type_name == "str" {
+            // CPython's unicode_subscript raises a distinct message here.
+            Err(vm.new_type_error(format!(
+                "string indices must be integers, not '{}'",
+                obj.class()
+            )))
         } else {
             Err(vm.new_type_error(format!(
                 "{} indices must be integers or slices or classes that override __index__ operator, not '{}'",