diff --git a/crates/develop/src/controls.rs b/crates/develop/src/controls.rs
--- a/crates/develop/src/controls.rs
+++ b/crates/develop/src/controls.rs
@@ -410,6 +410,9 @@ pub static INDEXED: &[ControlSpec] = &[
 fn split_indexed(id: &str) -> Option<(&str, usize, &str)> {
     let mut it = id.splitn(3, '.');
     let (fam, i, field) = (it.next()?, it.next()?, it.next()?);
+    if i.is_empty() || !i.bytes().all(|b| b.is_ascii_digit()) {
+        return None;
+    }
     Some((fam, i.parse().ok()?, field))
 }
 
@@ -538,6 +541,18 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn signed_indexes_are_unknown_ids() {
+        let mut s = DevelopSettings::default();
+        s.point_colors.push(Default::default());
+        let before = s.point_colors[0].hue_shift;
+        assert!(!set(&mut s, "pointColor.+0.hueShift", 10.0), "signed index");
+        assert_eq!(s.point_colors[0].hue_shift, before);
+        assert_eq!(get(&s, "pointColor.+0.hueShift"), None);
+        assert!(find("pointColor.+0.hueShift").is_none());
+        assert!(find("redEye.+0.darken").is_none());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn formatting() {
         let e = find("light.exposure").unwrap();