diff --git a/spa/include/spa/utils/json-pod.h b/spa/include/spa/utils/json-pod.h
index 579ae7a7a..615b97e2e 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/utils/json-pod.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/utils/json-pod.h
@@ -135,16 +135,32 @@ static inline int spa_json_to_pod_part(struct spa_pod_builder *b, uint32_t flags
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static inline int spa_json_to_pod(struct spa_pod_builder *b, uint32_t flags,
-		const struct spa_type_info *info, const char *value, int len)
+static inline int spa_json_to_pod_checked(struct spa_pod_builder *b, uint32_t flags,
+		const struct spa_type_info *info, const char *value, int len,
+		struct spa_error_location *loc)
 {
 	struct spa_json iter;
 	const char *val;
+	int res;
 
-	if ((len = spa_json_begin(&iter, value, len, &val)) <= 0)
-		return -EINVAL;
+	if (loc)
+		spa_zero(*loc);
 
-	return spa_json_to_pod_part(b, flags, info->type, info, &iter, val, len);
+	if ((res = spa_json_begin(&iter, value, len, &val)) <= 0)
+		goto error;
+
+	res = spa_json_to_pod_part(b, flags, info->type, info, &iter, val, len);
+
+error:
+	if (res < 0 && loc)
+		spa_json_get_error(&iter, value, loc);
+	return res;
+}
+
+static inline int spa_json_to_pod(struct spa_pod_builder *b, uint32_t flags,
+		const struct spa_type_info *info, const char *value, int len)
+{
+	return spa_json_to_pod_checked(b, flags, info, value, len, NULL);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-cli.c b/src/tools/pw-cli.c
index 4b0e5a9d8..5ed7347fb 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-cli.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-cli.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
 #include <spa/utils/string.h>
 #include <spa/debug/pod.h>
+#include <spa/debug/file.h>
 #include <spa/utils/keys.h>
 #include <spa/utils/json-pod.h>
 #include <spa/pod/dynamic.h>
@@ -1780,6 +1781,7 @@ static bool do_set_param(struct data *data, const char *cmd, char *args, char **
 	spa_auto(spa_pod_dynamic_builder) b = { 0 };
 	const struct spa_type_info *ti;
 	struct spa_pod *pod;
+	struct spa_error_location loc;
 
 	spa_pod_dynamic_builder_init(&b, buffer, sizeof(buffer), 4096);
 
@@ -1804,8 +1806,13 @@ static bool do_set_param(struct data *data, const char *cmd, char *args, char **
 		*error = spa_aprintf("%s: unknown param type: %s", cmd, a[1]);
 		return false;
 	}
-	if ((res = spa_json_to_pod(&b.b, 0, ti, a[2], strlen(a[2]))) < 0) {
-		*error = spa_aprintf("%s: can't make pod: %s", cmd, spa_strerror(res));
+	if ((res = spa_json_to_pod_checked(&b.b, 0, ti, a[2], strlen(a[2]), &loc)) < 0) {
+		if (loc.line != 0) {
+			spa_debug_file_error_location(stderr, &loc,
+					"syntax error in json '%s': %s",
+					a[2], loc.reason);
+		}
+		*error = spa_aprintf("%s: invalid pod: %s", cmd, loc.reason);
 		return false;
 	}
 	if ((pod = spa_pod_builder_deref(&b.b, 0)) == NULL) {