diff --git a/src/tools/pw-cat.c b/src/tools/pw-cat.c
index 8d3387915..339d9fe1e 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-cat.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-cat.c
@@ -1606,7 +1606,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	uint8_t buffer[1024];
 	struct spa_pod_builder b = SPA_POD_BUILDER_INIT(buffer, sizeof(buffer));
 	const char *prog;
-	int exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE, c, ret;
+	int exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE, c, ret, line, col;
 	enum pw_stream_flags flags = 0;
 
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
@@ -1729,6 +1729,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			break;
 
 		case 'P':
+			if (!pw_properties_check_string(optarg, strlen(optarg), &line, &col)) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "error: syntax error in --properties at line:%d col:%d\n", line, col);
+				goto error_usage;
+			}
 			pw_properties_update_string(data.props, optarg, strlen(optarg));
 			break;
 
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-cli.c b/src/tools/pw-cli.c
index b025f4811..53f7188d9 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-cli.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-cli.c
@@ -1402,6 +1402,23 @@ static bool do_info(struct data *data, const char *cmd, char *args, char **error
 	return true;
 }
 
+static struct pw_properties *properties_new_checked(const char *str, char **error)
+{
+	struct pw_properties *props;
+	int line, col;
+
+	if (!pw_properties_check_string(str, strlen(str), &line, &col)) {
+		*error = spa_aprintf("syntax error in properties, line:%d col:%d", line, col);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	props = pw_properties_new_string(str);
+	if (!props)
+		*error = spa_aprintf("failed to allocate properties");
+
+	return props;
+}
+
 static bool do_create_device(struct data *data, const char *cmd, char *args, char **error)
 {
 	struct remote_data *rd = data->current;
@@ -1417,8 +1434,10 @@ static bool do_create_device(struct data *data, const char *cmd, char *args, cha
 		*error = spa_aprintf("%s <factory-name> [<properties>]", cmd);
 		return false;
 	}
-	if (n == 2)
-		props = pw_properties_new_string(a[1]);
+	if (n == 2) {
+		if ((props = properties_new_checked(a[1], error)) == NULL)
+			return false;
+	}
 
 	proxy = pw_core_create_object(rd->core, a[0],
 					    PW_TYPE_INTERFACE_Device,
@@ -1457,8 +1476,10 @@ static bool do_create_node(struct data *data, const char *cmd, char *args, char
 		*error = spa_aprintf("%s <factory-name> [<properties>]", cmd);
 		return false;
 	}
-	if (n == 2)
-		props = pw_properties_new_string(a[1]);
+	if (n == 2) {
+		if ((props = properties_new_checked(a[1], error)) == NULL)
+			return false;
+	}
 
 	proxy = pw_core_create_object(rd->core, a[0],
 					    PW_TYPE_INTERFACE_Node,
@@ -1574,10 +1595,12 @@ static bool do_create_link(struct data *data, const char *cmd, char *args, char
 		*error = spa_aprintf("%s <node-id> <port> <node-id> <port> [<properties>]", cmd);
 		return false;
 	}
-	if (n == 5)
-		props = pw_properties_new_string(a[4]);
-	else
+	if (n == 5) {
+		if ((props = properties_new_checked(a[4], error)) == NULL)
+			return false;
+	} else {
 		props = pw_properties_new(NULL, NULL);
+	}
 
 	if (!spa_streq(a[0], "-"))
 		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_LINK_OUTPUT_NODE, a[0]);
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-container.c b/src/tools/pw-container.c
index ac1cb06a6..0a1c9d01c 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-container.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-container.c
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		{ "properties",		required_argument,	NULL, 'P' },
 		{ NULL,	0, NULL, 0}
 	};
-	int c, res, listen_fd, close_fd[2];
+	int c, res, listen_fd, close_fd[2], line, col;
 	char temp[PATH_MAX] = "/tmp/pipewire-XXXXXX";
 	struct sockaddr_un sockaddr = {0};
 
@@ -176,6 +176,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			opt_remote = optarg;
 			break;
 		case 'P':
+			if (!pw_properties_check_string(optarg, strlen(optarg), &line, &col)) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "error: syntax error in --properties at line:%d col:%d\n", line, col);
+				return -1;
+			}
 			pw_properties_update_string(data.props, optarg, strlen(optarg));
 			break;
 		default:
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-link.c b/src/tools/pw-link.c
index 66cbcb047..13565683a 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-link.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-link.c
@@ -873,7 +873,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[])
 		.objects = SPA_LIST_INIT(&data.objects),
 		.target_links = SPA_LIST_INIT(&data.target_links),
 	};
-	int res = 0, c;
+	int res = 0, c, line, col;
 	static const struct option long_options[] = {
 		{ "help",	no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
 		{ "version",	no_argument,		NULL, 'V' },
@@ -942,6 +942,10 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[])
 			pw_properties_set(data.props, PW_KEY_LINK_PASSIVE, "true");
 			break;
 		case 'p':
+			if (!pw_properties_check_string(optarg, strlen(optarg), &line, &col)) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "error: syntax error in --props at line:%d col:%d\n", line, col);
+				return -1;
+			}
 			pw_properties_update_string(data.props, optarg, strlen(optarg));
 			break;
 		case 'd':
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-loopback.c b/src/tools/pw-loopback.c
index a6cd0c1a6..fefb9706e 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-loopback.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-loopback.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		{ "playback-props",	required_argument,	NULL, 'o' },
 		{ NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
 	};
-	int c, res = -1;
+	int c, res = -1, line, col;
 
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
@@ -170,9 +170,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			pw_properties_set(data.playback_props, PW_KEY_TARGET_OBJECT, optarg);
 			break;
 		case 'i':
+			if (!pw_properties_check_string(optarg, strlen(optarg), &line, &col)) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "error: syntax error in --capture-props at line:%d col:%d\n", line, col);
+				return -1;
+			}
 			pw_properties_update_string(data.capture_props, optarg, strlen(optarg));
 			break;
 		case 'o':
+			if (!pw_properties_check_string(optarg, strlen(optarg), &line, &col)) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "error: syntax error in --playback-props at line:%d col:%d\n", line, col);
+				return -1;
+			}
 			pw_properties_update_string(data.playback_props, optarg, strlen(optarg));
 			break;
 		default: