diff --git a/fusesoc/utils.py b/fusesoc/utils.py
index 7c7e20ea..8c7176c2 100644
--- a/fusesoc/utils.py
+++ b/fusesoc/utils.py
@@ -159,17 +159,17 @@ def yaml_fread(filepath, resolve_env_vars=False, remove_preamble=False):
     with open(filepath) as f:
         if remove_preamble:
             f.readline()
-        if resolve_env_vars:
-            return yaml.load(os.path.expandvars(f.read()), Loader=YamlLoader)
-        else:
-            return yaml.load(f.read(), Loader=YamlLoader)
+        return yaml_read(f, resolve_env_vars)
 
 
 def yaml_read(data, resolve_env_vars=False):
-    if resolve_env_vars:
-        return yaml.load(os.path.expandvars(data.read()), Loader=YamlLoader)
-    else:
-        return yaml.load(data, Loader=YamlLoader)
+    try:
+        if resolve_env_vars:
+            return yaml.load(os.path.expandvars(data.read()), Loader=YamlLoader)
+        else:
+            return yaml.load(data, Loader=YamlLoader)
+    except (yaml.parser.ParserError, yaml.scanner.ScannerError) as e:
+        raise SyntaxError(str(e))
 
 
 def yaml_dump(data):
diff --git a/tests/capi2_cores/misc/syntax_error.core b/tests/capi2_cores/misc/syntax_error.core
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ea104f3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/capi2_cores/misc/syntax_error.core
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+CAPI=2:
+name : ::syntax_error:0
+
+targets:
+  parse_error:
+    toplevel : [
diff --git a/tests/test_capi2.py b/tests/test_capi2.py
index f58ea26b..58b0df88 100644
--- a/tests/test_capi2.py
+++ b/tests/test_capi2.py
@@ -723,3 +723,14 @@ def test_core2parser():
     capi2_readback_data = parser.read(tmpfile)
     os.remove(tmpfile)
     assert capi2_data == capi2_readback_data
+
+
+def test_syntax_error():
+    from fusesoc.capi2.coreparser import Core2Parser
+
+    core_file = os.path.join(tests_dir, "capi2_cores", "misc", "syntax_error.core")
+
+    parser = Core2Parser()
+    with pytest.raises(SyntaxError) as excinfo:
+        parser.read(core_file)
+    assert "did not find expected node content" in str(excinfo.value)