diff --git a/src/server/stream_family.cc b/src/server/stream_family.cc
index 1a19a2278af6..a27c4e324ee8 100644
--- a/src/server/stream_family.cc
+++ b/src/server/stream_family.cc
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ int StreamAppendItem(stream* s, CmdArgList fields, uint64_t now_ms, streamID* ad
   }
 
   /* Avoid overflow when trying to add an element to the stream (listpack
-   * can only host up to 32bit length sttrings, and also a total listpack size
+   * can only host up to 32bit length strings, and also a total listpack size
    * can't be bigger than 32bit length. */
   size_t totelelen = 0;
   for (size_t i = 0; i < fields.size(); i++) {
@@ -2114,8 +2114,12 @@ std::optional<ReadOpts> ParseReadArgsOrReply(CmdArgList args, bool read_group,
 
       size_t pair_count = args.size() - opts.streams_arg;
       if ((pair_count % 2) != 0) {
-        const auto m = "Unbalanced list of streams: for each stream key an ID must be specified";
-        builder->SendError(m, kSyntaxErr);
+        const char* cmd_name = read_group ? "xreadgroup" : "xread";
+        const char* symbol = read_group ? ">" : "$";
+        const auto msg = absl::StrCat("Unbalanced '", cmd_name,
+                                      "' list of streams: for each stream key an ID or '", symbol,
+                                      "' must be specified");
+        builder->SendError(msg, kSyntaxErr);
         return std::nullopt;
       }
       streams_count = pair_count / 2;
diff --git a/src/server/stream_family_test.cc b/src/server/stream_family_test.cc
index d91e947b7c0e..cec5b8fa0152 100644
--- a/src/server/stream_family_test.cc
+++ b/src/server/stream_family_test.cc
@@ -404,8 +404,8 @@ TEST_F(StreamFamilyTest, XReadInvalidArgs) {
   EXPECT_THAT(resp, ErrArg("syntax error"));
 
   // Unbalanced list of streams.
-  resp = Run({"xread", "count", "invalid", "streams", "s1", "s2", "s3", "0", "0"});
-  EXPECT_THAT(resp, ErrArg("syntax error"));
+  resp = Run({"xread", "count", "invalid", "streams", "s1", "s2", "0", "0"});
+  EXPECT_THAT(resp, ErrArg("value is not an integer"));
 
   // Wrong type.
   Run({"set", "foo", "v"});
@@ -442,7 +442,12 @@ TEST_F(StreamFamilyTest, XReadGroupInvalidArgs) {
 
   // Unbalanced list of streams.
   resp = Run({"xreadgroup", "group", "group", "alice", "streams", "s1", "s2", "s3", "0", "0"});
-  EXPECT_THAT(resp, ErrArg("syntax error"));
+  EXPECT_THAT(resp, ErrArg("Unbalanced 'xreadgroup' list of streams: for each stream key an ID or "
+                           "'>' must be specified"));
+
+  resp = Run({"XREAD", "COUNT", "1", "STREAMS", "mystream"});
+  ASSERT_THAT(resp, ErrArg("Unbalanced 'xread' list of streams: for each stream key an ID or '$' "
+                           "must be specified"));
 }
 
 TEST_F(StreamFamilyTest, XReadGroupEmpty) {
diff --git a/src/server/transaction.cc b/src/server/transaction.cc
index 67f9104381a8..ca7939cbabd6 100644
--- a/src/server/transaction.cc
+++ b/src/server/transaction.cc
@@ -1563,9 +1563,6 @@ OpResult<KeyIndex> DetermineKeys(const CommandId* cid, CmdArgList args) {
         string_view arg = ArgS(args, i);
         if (absl::EqualsIgnoreCase(arg, "STREAMS")) {
           size_t left = args.size() - i - 1;
-          if (left < 2 || left % 2 != 0)
-            return OpStatus::SYNTAX_ERR;
-
           return KeyIndex(i + 1, i + 1 + (left / 2));
         }
       }