diff --git a/evennia/commands/default/building.py b/evennia/commands/default/building.py
index 40f1b6037..88138eb9c 100644
--- a/evennia/commands/default/building.py
+++ b/evennia/commands/default/building.py
@@ -4241,23 +4241,23 @@ class CmdSpawn(COMMAND_DEFAULT_CLASS):
             # treat as string
             eval_err = err
             prototype = utils.to_str(inp)
-        finally:
-            # it's possible that the input was a prototype-key, in which case
-            # it's okay for the LITERAL_EVAL to fail. Only if the result does not
-            # match the expected type do we have a problem.
-            if not isinstance(prototype, expect):
-                if eval_err:
-                    string = (
-                        f"{inp}\n{eval_err}\n|RCritical Python syntax error in argument. Only"
-                        " primitive Python structures are allowed. \nMake sure to use correct"
-                        " Python syntax. Remember especially to put quotes around all strings"
-                        " inside lists and dicts.|n For more advanced uses, embed funcparser"
-                        " callables ($funcs) in the strings."
-                    )
-                else:
-                    string = f"Expected {expect}, got {type(prototype)}."
-                self.msg(string)
-                return
+
+        # it's possible that the input was a prototype-key, in which case
+        # it's okay for the LITERAL_EVAL to fail. Only if the result does not
+        # match the expected type do we have a problem.
+        if not isinstance(prototype, expect):
+            if eval_err:
+                string = (
+                    f"{inp}\n{eval_err}\n|RCritical Python syntax error in argument. Only"
+                    " primitive Python structures are allowed. \nMake sure to use correct"
+                    " Python syntax. Remember especially to put quotes around all strings"
+                    " inside lists and dicts.|n For more advanced uses, embed funcparser"
+                    " callables ($funcs) in the strings."
+                )
+            else:
+                string = f"Expected {expect}, got {type(prototype)}."
+            self.msg(string)
+            return
 
         if expect == dict:
             # an actual prototype. We need to make sure it's safe,