diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index f0986c20..bbd682c4 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Description: Pipeline tools coordinate the pieces of computationally
   The methodology in this package
   borrows from GNU 'Make' (2015, ISBN:978-9881443519)
   and 'drake' (2018, <doi:10.21105/joss.00550>).
-Version: 1.8.0.9003
+Version: 1.8.0.9005
 License: MIT + file LICENSE
 URL: https://docs.ropensci.org/targets/, https://github.com/ropensci/targets
 BugReports: https://github.com/ropensci/targets/issues
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 77a896c0..30cf87b1 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# targets 1.8.0.9004 (development)
+# targets 1.8.0.9005 (development)
 
 * Un-break workflows that use `format = "file_fast"` (#1339, @koefoeden).
 * Fix deadlock in `error = "trim"` (#1340, @koefoeden).
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 * Allow `garbage_collection` to be a non-negative integer to control the frequency of garbage collection in a performant, convenient, unified way (#1351).
 * Deprecate the `garbage_collection` argument of `tar_make()`, `tar_make_future()`, and `tar_make_clusterm()` (#1351).
 * Instrument `target_run()`, `target_prepare()`, and `target_conclude()` using `autometric`.
+* Avoid sending problematic error classes such as `"vctrs_error_subscript_oob"` to `rlang::abort()` (#1354, @Jiefei-Wang).
 
 # targets 1.8.0
 
diff --git a/R/utils_condition.R b/R/utils_condition.R
index 7667b8df..d465ac27 100644
--- a/R/utils_condition.R
+++ b/R/utils_condition.R
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ tar_error <- function(message, class) {
   old <- options(rlang_backtrace_on_error = "none")
   on.exit(options(old), add = TRUE)
   message <- cli::col_red(message)
+  class <- safe_condition_class(class)
   rlang::abort(message = message, class = class, call = tar_empty_envir)
 }
 
@@ -137,6 +138,7 @@ tar_warning <- function(message, class) {
   old <- options(rlang_backtrace_on_error = "none")
   on.exit(options(old), add = TRUE)
   message <- cli::col_red(message)
+  class <- safe_condition_class(class)
   rlang::warn(message = message, class = class)
 }
 
@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@ tar_warning <- function(message, class) {
 tar_message <- function(message, class) {
   old <- options(rlang_backtrace_on_error = "none")
   on.exit(options(old))
+  class <- safe_condition_class(class)
   rlang::inform(message = message, class = class)
 }
 
@@ -199,3 +202,15 @@ default_error_classes <- tryCatch(
   rlang::abort("msg", class = NULL),
   error = function(condition) class(condition)
 )
+
+safe_condition_class <- function(class) {
+  while (length(class) && is_unsafe_condition_class(class)) {
+    class <- class[-1L] # nocov
+  }
+  class
+}
+
+is_unsafe_condition_class <- function(class) {
+  condition <- try(rlang::inform(message = "x", class = class), silent = TRUE)
+  inherits(condition, "try-error")
+}