diff --git a/lib/files.cf b/lib/files.cf
index c61af73ce8..6fb6cdff47 100644
--- a/lib/files.cf
+++ b/lib/files.cf
@@ -435,6 +435,8 @@ bundle edit_line set_variable_values_ini(tab, sectionName)
 
       # Be careful if the index string contains funny chars
       "cindex[$(index)]" string => canonify("$(index)");
+      "_escaped_key[$(index)]" string => escape("$(index)");
+      "_escaped_section[$(sectionName)]" string => escape("$(sectionName)");
 
   classes:
       "edit_$(cindex[$(index)])"     not => strcmp("$($(tab)[$(sectionName)][$(index)])","dontchange"),
@@ -442,27 +444,45 @@ bundle edit_line set_variable_values_ini(tab, sectionName)
 
   field_edits:
 
+      # This is emitting an /error/ when no commented out managed key line is
+      # found within the selected region. The missing keys is completely
+      # expected in the case of promising a new file or section. How can this be
+      # guarded against executing? The only thought I have is ...
+      # if => regcmp( "some regex I dunno how to craft", readfile( $(edit.filename) )
+
+      # # If the line is there, but commented out, first uncomment it
+      # "#+\s*$(index)\s*=.*"
+      # select_region => INI_section(escape("$(sectionName)")),
+      # edit_field => col("\s*=\s*","1","$(index)","set"),
+      # if => and(canonify("_section_$(sectionName)_present_reached"),
+      #           "edit_$(cindex[$(index)])");
       # If the line is there, but commented out, first uncomment it
-      "#+\s*$(index)\s*=.*"
-      select_region => INI_section(escape("$(sectionName)")),
-      edit_field => col("\s*=\s*","1","$(index)","set"),
-      if => "edit_$(cindex[$(index)])";
+      "#+\s*$(_escaped_key[$(index)])\s*=.*"
+        if => and(
+                   #canonify("_section_$(sectionName)_present_reached"), # I don't think this helps because the class is based on the promise running on a buffer of the file, we are only checking the file as it exists before the promise finished
+                   #"edit_$(cindex[$(index)])", # is it useful? why would you do not change? this bundle only asserts keys provided in dataset, providing a key with value donotchange is tantemount to not providing the key
+                   # regcmp matches if the promised file contains [$(sectionName)] with a commented out $(index)
+                   regcmp( concat("\[$(_escaped_section[$(sectionName)])\]",
+                                  "[^#\[]*#\s*$(_escaped_key[$(index)])\s*=.*"),
+                           readfile( $(edit.filename) ))),
+        select_region => INI_section( "$(_escaped_section[$(sectionName)])" ),
+        edit_field => col("\s*=\s*","1","$(index)","set");
 
       # match a line starting like the key something
       "\s*$(index)\s*=.*"
       edit_field => col("\s*=\s*","2","$($(tab)[$(sectionName)][$(index)])","set"),
       select_region => INI_section(escape("$(sectionName)")),
-      classes => results("bundle", "set_variable_values_ini_not_$(cindex[$(index)])"),
-      if => "edit_$(cindex[$(index)])";
-
+      if => and(canonify("_section_$(sectionName)_present_reached"),
+                "edit_$(cindex[$(index)])");
   insert_lines:
       "[$(sectionName)]"
       location => start,
-      comment => "Insert lines";
+      comment => "Insert lines",
+      classes => results( "bundle", "_section_$(sectionName)_present" );
 
       "$(index)=$($(tab)[$(sectionName)][$(index)])"
       select_region => INI_section(escape("$(sectionName)")),
-        if => "!(set_variable_values_ini_not_$(cindex[$(index)])_kept|set_variable_values_ini_not_$(cindex[$(index)])_repaired).edit_$(cindex[$(index)])";
+        if => "edit_$(cindex[$(index)])";
 
 }
 
@@ -790,6 +810,7 @@ bundle edit_line set_line_based(v, sep, bp, kp, cp)
 
       # If the line is there with the wrong value, replace with
       # the correct value
+      # "^\s*(ucredit\s*=\s*(?!1$).*|ucredit)$"
       "^\s*($(i)$(bp)(?!$(ev[$(i)])$).*|$(i))$"
            comment => "Correct the value '$(i)'",
       replace_with => value("$(i)$(sep)$($(v)[$(i)])"),
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf b/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ad5261a6da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#######################################################
+#
+# Test bundle set_config_values_ini
+#
+#######################################################
+
+body common control
+{
+      inputs => { '../../default.cf.sub' };
+      bundlesequence  => { default("$(this.promise_filename)") };
+      version => "1.0";
+}
+
+#######################################################
+
+
+bundle agent test
+{
+  meta:
+      "description" -> { "CFE-3866" }
+        string => "Test that set_variable_values_ini does not error when promised key is not present";
+
+}
+
+#######################################################
+
+bundle agent check
+{
+
+  methods:
+
+      "Pass/FAIL"
+        usebundle => dcs_passif_output(".*$(this.promise_filename).sub Pass.*", ".*error.*", "$(sys.cf_agent) -Kf $(this.promise_filename).sub --define AUTO,DEBUG,EXTRA", $(this.promise_filename));
+
+}
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf.sub b/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf.sub
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dfa9235ad5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf.sub
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#######################################################
+#
+# Test bundle set_config_values_ini
+#
+#######################################################
+
+body common control
+{
+      inputs => { '../../default.cf.sub' };
+      bundlesequence  => { default("$(this.promise_filename)") };
+      version => "1.0";
+}
+
+#######################################################
+
+bundle agent init
+{
+  files:
+
+      "$(G.testfile).actual"
+        copy_from => local_cp("$(this.promise_filename).start");
+
+
+      "$(G.testfile).expected"
+        copy_from => local_cp("$(this.promise_filename).finish");
+
+}
+
+#######################################################
+
+bundle agent test
+{
+  meta:
+      "description" -> { "CFE-3866" }
+        string => "Test that set_variable_values_ini does not error when promised key is not present";
+
+  vars:
+      "config[section 1][present_at_start]" string => "1";
+      "config[section 1][absent_at_start]" string => "1";
+      "sections" slist => getindices( config );
+
+  files:
+
+      "$(G.testfile).actual"
+        edit_line => set_variable_values_ini("test.config", "$(sections)");
+
+}
+
+#######################################################
+
+bundle agent check
+{
+
+  methods:
+
+      "check"
+        usebundle => dcs_if_diff( "$(G.testfile).actual", "$(G.testfile).expected",
+                                  "pass", "_fail");
+
+      # Fail the test if any of the files fail.
+      "fail"
+        usebundle => dcs_fail( $(this.promise_filename) ),
+        if => "_fail";
+
+    pass::
+      "pass"
+        usebundle => dcs_pass( $(this.promise_filename) );
+
+}
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf.sub.finish b/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf.sub.finish
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..49c619c8ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf.sub.finish
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[section 1]
+present_at_start=1
+absent_at_start=1
+[section 2]
+present_at_start=two
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf.sub.start b/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf.sub.start
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f2fd73a17c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/lib/files/set_variable_values_ini_no_error_when_keys_in_section_not_present.cf.sub.start
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[section 1]
+present_at_start=1
+[section 2]
+present_at_start=two