diff --git a/tensorflow/python/autograph/operators/slices.py b/tensorflow/python/autograph/operators/slices.py
index 2b7f5ad9226..af4074cc55a 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/autograph/operators/slices.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/autograph/operators/slices.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import collections
 
 from tensorflow.python.framework import dtypes
 from tensorflow.python.framework import tensor_util
+from tensorflow.python.ops import gen_array_ops
 from tensorflow.python.ops import gen_string_ops
 from tensorflow.python.ops import list_ops
 from tensorflow.python.ops import tensor_array_ops
@@ -119,9 +120,7 @@ def set_item(target, i, x):
     if target.dtype == dtypes.variant:
       return _tf_tensor_list_set_item(target, i, x)
     else:
-      raise ValueError(
-          'tensor lists are expected to be Tensors with dtype=tf.variant,'
-          ' instead found %s' % target)
+      return _tf_tensor_set_item(target, i, x)
   else:
     return _py_set_item(target, i, x)
 
@@ -136,6 +135,11 @@ def _tf_tensor_list_set_item(target, i, x):
   return list_ops.tensor_list_set_item(target, i, x)
 
 
+def _tf_tensor_set_item(target, i, x):
+  """Overload of set_item that stages a Tensor scatter update."""
+  return gen_array_ops.tensor_scatter_update(target, ((i,),), (x,))
+
+
 def _py_set_item(target, i, x):
   """Overload of set_item that executes a Python list modification."""
   target[i] = x