diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.c b/src/obidmscolumn.c
index 5ce1f3c..8c4b63d 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.c
@@ -1820,8 +1820,8 @@ index_t obi_column_get_element_index_from_name(OBIDMS_column_p column, const cha
 	if (elt_names_idx != NULL)
 		return (index_t)(*elt_names_idx);
 
-	obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
-	obidebug(1, "\nError: could not find element name %s", element_name);
+	obi_set_errno(OBI_ELT_IDX_ERROR);
+	obidebug(0, "\nError: could not find element name %s", element_name);
 	return OBIIdx_NA;
 }
 
@@ -1860,7 +1860,7 @@ char* obi_get_elements_names(OBIDMS_column_p column)
 
 
 
-int obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb)
+int obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb, index_t elt_idx)
 {
 	// Check if the column is read-only
 	if (!(column->writable))
@@ -1878,6 +1878,14 @@ int obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb)
     	return -1;
 	}
 
+	// Check that the element index is not greater than the number of elements per line of the column
+	if (elt_idx >= (column->header)->nb_elements_per_line)
+	{
+		obi_set_errno(OBI_ELT_IDX_ERROR);
+		obidebug(0, "\nError trying to set a value at an element index greater than the number of elements per line of the column");
+    	return -1;
+	}
+
 	// Check if the file needs to be enlarged
 	while ((line_nb+1) > (column->header)->line_count)
 	{
@@ -1899,8 +1907,8 @@ int obi_column_prepare_to_get_value(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb)
 {
 	if ((line_nb+1) > ((column->header)->line_count))
 	{
-		obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
-		obidebug(1, "\nError trying to get a value that is beyond the current number of lines of the column");
+		obi_set_errno(OBI_LINE_IDX_ERROR);
+		obidebug(0, "\nError trying to get a value that is beyond the current number of lines of the column");
 		return -1;
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.h b/src/obidmscolumn.h
index 6a8b1db..75d5cfc 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.h
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.h
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ char* obi_get_elements_names(OBIDMS_column_p column);
  * @since April 2016
  * @author Celine Mercier (celine.mercier@metabarcoding.org)
  */
-int obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb);
+int obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb, index_t elt_idx);
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn_bool.c b/src/obidmscolumn_bool.c
index 4841c9b..9dba449 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn_bool.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn_bool.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 int obi_column_set_obibool_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb, index_t element_idx, obibool_t value)
 {
-	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb) < 0)
+	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb, element_idx) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	// Set the value
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn_char.c b/src/obidmscolumn_char.c
index d17a698..aa0e67d 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn_char.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn_char.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 int obi_column_set_obichar_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb, index_t element_idx, obichar_t value)
 {
-	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb) < 0)
+	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb, element_idx) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	// Set the value
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn_float.c b/src/obidmscolumn_float.c
index f0f94a7..84e2d9f 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn_float.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn_float.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 int obi_column_set_obifloat_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb, index_t element_idx, obifloat_t value)
 {
-	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb) < 0)
+	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb, element_idx) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	// Set the value
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn_idx.c b/src/obidmscolumn_idx.c
index c1318f7..d28dcbe 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn_idx.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn_idx.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 int obi_column_set_index_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb, index_t element_idx, index_t value)
 {
-	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb) < 0)
+	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb, element_idx) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	// Set the value
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn_int.c b/src/obidmscolumn_int.c
index ec2ffbc..58ef9ed 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn_int.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn_int.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 int obi_column_set_obiint_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb, index_t element_idx, obiint_t value)
 {
-	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb) < 0)
+	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb, element_idx) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	// Set the value
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn_qual.c b/src/obidmscolumn_qual.c
index 15b2039..7faf04e 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn_qual.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn_qual.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ int obi_column_set_obiqual_int_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line
 	index_t idx;
 	char*   new_indexer_name;
 
-	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb) < 0)
+	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb, element_idx) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (value == OBIQual_int_NA)
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn_seq.c b/src/obidmscolumn_seq.c
index 675b980..1066e4b 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn_seq.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn_seq.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ int obi_column_set_obiseq_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb,
 {
 	index_t idx;
 
-	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb) < 0)
+	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb, element_idx) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (value == OBISeq_NA)
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn_str.c b/src/obidmscolumn_str.c
index 872f045..b466ac5 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn_str.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn_str.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ int obi_column_set_obistr_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb,
 {
 	index_t idx;
 
-	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb) < 0)
+	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb, element_idx) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (value == OBIStr_NA)