diff --git a/src/ui/starter-select-ui-handler.ts b/src/ui/starter-select-ui-handler.ts
index d99c25bc612..ac6af5cbb04 100644
--- a/src/ui/starter-select-ui-handler.ts
+++ b/src/ui/starter-select-ui-handler.ts
@@ -995,15 +995,14 @@ export default class StarterSelectUiHandler extends MessageUiHandler {
       delete starterAttributes.shiny;
     }
 
-    if (starterAttributes.variant !== undefined && !isNaN(starterAttributes.variant)) {
+    if (starterAttributes.variant !== undefined) {
       const unlockedVariants = [
-        hasNonShiny,
         hasShiny && caughtAttr & DexAttr.DEFAULT_VARIANT,
         hasShiny && caughtAttr & DexAttr.VARIANT_2,
         hasShiny && caughtAttr & DexAttr.VARIANT_3
       ];
-      if (!unlockedVariants[starterAttributes.variant + 1]) { // add 1 as -1 = non-shiny
-        // requested variant wasn't unlocked, purging setting
+      if (isNaN(starterAttributes.variant) || starterAttributes.variant < 0 || !unlockedVariants[starterAttributes.variant]) {
+        // variant value is invalid or requested variant wasn't unlocked, purging setting
         delete starterAttributes.variant;
       }
     }