diff --git a/src/as-yamldata.c b/src/as-yamldata.c
index edeb0204..00d197ad 100644
--- a/src/as-yamldata.c
+++ b/src/as-yamldata.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ as_yamldata_free_node (GNode *node, gpointer data)
  * Create GNode tree from DEP-11 YAML document
  */
 static void
-dep11_yaml_process_layer (yaml_parser_t *parser, GNode *data)
+dep11_yaml_process_layer (yaml_parser_t *parser, GNode *data, GError **error)
 {
 	GNode *last_leaf = data;
 	GNode *last_scalar;
@@ -147,7 +147,13 @@ dep11_yaml_process_layer (yaml_parser_t *parser, GNode *data)
 	int storage = YAML_VAR; /* the first element must always be of type VAR */
 
 	while (parse) {
-		yaml_parser_parse (parser, &event);
+		if (!yaml_parser_parse (parser, &event)) {
+			g_set_error (error,
+					AS_METADATA_ERROR,
+					AS_METADATA_ERROR_FAILED,
+					"Invalid DEP-11 file found: YAML parsing error (%s)", parser->problem);
+			break;
+		}
 
 		/* Parse value either as a new leaf in the mapping
 		 * or as a leaf value (one of them, in case it's a sequence) */
@@ -172,7 +178,9 @@ dep11_yaml_process_layer (yaml_parser_t *parser, GNode *data)
 				last_scalar = last_leaf;
 				if (in_sequence)
 					last_leaf = g_node_append (last_leaf, g_node_new (g_strdup ("-")));
-				dep11_yaml_process_layer (parser, last_leaf);
+				dep11_yaml_process_layer (parser, last_leaf, error);
+				if (*error != NULL)
+					parse = FALSE;
 				last_leaf = last_scalar;
 				storage ^= YAML_VAL; /* Flip VAR/VAL, without touching SEQ */
 				break;
@@ -1839,7 +1847,14 @@ as_yamldata_parse_distro_data (AsYAMLData *ydt, const gchar *data, GError **erro
 	yaml_parser_set_input_string (&parser, (unsigned char*) data, strlen (data));
 
 	while (parse) {
-		yaml_parser_parse (&parser, &event);
+		if (!yaml_parser_parse (&parser, &event)) {
+			g_set_error (error,
+					AS_METADATA_ERROR,
+					AS_METADATA_ERROR_FAILED,
+					"Invalid DEP-11 file found: YAML parsing error (%s)", parser.problem);
+			break;
+		}
+
 		if (event.type == YAML_DOCUMENT_START_EVENT) {
 			GNode *n;
 			gchar *key;
@@ -1848,9 +1863,9 @@ as_yamldata_parse_distro_data (AsYAMLData *ydt, const gchar *data, GError **erro
 			gboolean header_found = FALSE;
 			GNode *root = g_node_new (g_strdup (""));
 
-			dep11_yaml_process_layer (&parser, root);
+			dep11_yaml_process_layer (&parser, root, error);
 
-			if (header) {
+			if (header && *error == NULL) {
 				for (n = root->children; n != NULL; n = n->next) {
 					if ((n->data == NULL) || (n->children == NULL)) {
 						parse = FALSE;
@@ -1925,8 +1940,8 @@ as_yamldata_parse_distro_data (AsYAMLData *ydt, const gchar *data, GError **erro
 			g_node_destroy (root);
 		}
 
-		/* stop if end of stream is reached */
-		if (event.type == YAML_STREAM_END_EVENT)
+		/* stop if end of stream is reached or error was encountered */
+		if (event.type == YAML_STREAM_END_EVENT || *error != NULL)
 			parse = FALSE;
 
 		yaml_event_delete(&event);
diff --git a/tests/test-yamldata.c b/tests/test-yamldata.c
index 97fc203e..f185d224 100644
--- a/tests/test-yamldata.c
+++ b/tests/test-yamldata.c
@@ -177,20 +177,31 @@ test_yamlwrite (void)
 }
 
 AsComponent*
-as_yaml_test_read_data (const gchar *data)
+as_yaml_test_read_data (const gchar *data, GError **error)
 {
-	AsComponent *cpt;
-	GError *error = NULL;
+	AsComponent *cpt = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(GPtrArray) cpts = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(AsYAMLData) ydt = NULL;
 
 	ydt = as_yamldata_new ();
 
-	cpts = as_yamldata_parse_distro_data (ydt, data, &error);
-	g_assert_no_error (error);
+	cpts = as_yamldata_parse_distro_data (ydt, data, error);
 
-	cpt = AS_COMPONENT (g_ptr_array_index (cpts, 0));
-	return g_object_ref (cpt);
+	if (cpts->len > 0) {
+		cpt = AS_COMPONENT (g_ptr_array_index (cpts, 0));
+		g_object_ref (cpt);
+	}
+	return cpt;
+}
+
+AsComponent*
+as_yaml_test_read_data_ok (const gchar *data)
+{
+	GError *error = NULL;
+	AsComponent *cpt = as_yaml_test_read_data (data, &error);
+	g_assert_no_error (error);
+	g_assert_nonnull (cpt);
+	return cpt;
 }
 
 void
@@ -221,7 +232,7 @@ test_yaml_read_icons (void)
 	ydt = as_yamldata_new ();
 
 	/* check the legacy icons */
-	cpt = as_yaml_test_read_data (yamldata_icons_legacy);
+	cpt = as_yaml_test_read_data_ok (yamldata_icons_legacy);
 	g_assert_cmpstr (as_component_get_id (cpt), ==, "org.example.Test");
 
 	icons = as_component_get_icons (cpt);
@@ -237,7 +248,7 @@ test_yaml_read_icons (void)
 
 	/* check the new style icons tag */
 	g_object_unref (cpt);
-	cpt = as_yaml_test_read_data (yamldata_icons_current);
+	cpt = as_yaml_test_read_data_ok (yamldata_icons_current);
 	g_assert_cmpstr (as_component_get_id (cpt), ==, "org.example.Test");
 
 	icons = as_component_get_icons (cpt);
@@ -267,7 +278,7 @@ test_yaml_read_languages (void)
 					"  - locale: en_GB\n"
 					"    percentage: 100\n";
 
-	cpt = as_yaml_test_read_data (yamldata_languages);
+	cpt = as_yaml_test_read_data_ok (yamldata_languages);
 	g_assert_cmpstr (as_component_get_id (cpt), ==, "org.example.Test");
 
 	g_assert_cmpint (as_component_get_language (cpt, "de_DE"), ==, 48);
@@ -275,6 +286,27 @@ test_yaml_read_languages (void)
 	g_assert_cmpint (as_component_get_language (cpt, "invalid_C"), ==, -1);
 }
 
+void
+test_yaml_corrupt_data (void)
+{
+	GError *error = NULL;
+	g_autoptr(AsComponent) cpt = NULL;
+	const gchar *yamldata_corrupt = "---\n"
+					"ID: org.example.Test\n"
+					"\007\n";
+
+	cpt = as_yaml_test_read_data (yamldata_corrupt, &error);
+
+	g_assert_error (error, AS_METADATA_ERROR, AS_METADATA_ERROR_FAILED);
+	g_assert_null (cpt);
+
+	if (error != NULL) {
+		g_assert_true (g_str_has_prefix (error->message, "Invalid DEP-11 file found: YAML parsing error"));
+		g_error_free (error);
+		error = NULL;
+	}
+}
+
 int
 main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -300,6 +332,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 	g_test_add_func ("/YAML/Write", test_yamlwrite);
 	g_test_add_func ("/YAML/Read/Icons", test_yaml_read_icons);
 	g_test_add_func ("/YAML/Read/Languages", test_yaml_read_languages);
+	g_test_add_func ("/YAML/Read/Corrupt", test_yaml_corrupt_data);
 
 	ret = g_test_run ();
 	g_free (datadir);