diff --git a/src/transpose/transpose.py b/src/transpose/transpose.py
index eec06ce..f6d424c 100644
--- a/src/transpose/transpose.py
+++ b/src/transpose/transpose.py
@@ -85,7 +85,11 @@ class TransposeConfig:
 
     @staticmethod
     def load(config_path: str):  # -> Self:
-        in_config = json.load(open(config_path, "r"))
+        try:
+            in_config = json.load(open(config_path, "r"))
+        except json.decoder.JSONDecodeError as e:
+            raise TransposeError(f"Invalid JSON format for '{config_path}': {e}")
+
         config = TransposeConfig()
         try:
             for name in in_config["entries"]:
diff --git a/tests/test_transpose.py b/tests/test_transpose.py
index f4f97eb..0ad3784 100644
--- a/tests/test_transpose.py
+++ b/tests/test_transpose.py
@@ -191,3 +191,11 @@ def test_config_load():
         config.entries[ENTRY_NAME].path
         == TRANSPOSE_CONFIG["entries"][ENTRY_NAME]["path"]
     )
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        TransposeError, match="Unrecognized Transpose config file format"
+    ):
+        config = TransposeConfig.load(STORE_PATH.joinpath("transpose-bad.json"))
+
+    with pytest.raises(TransposeError, match="Invalid JSON format"):
+        config = TransposeConfig.load(STORE_PATH.joinpath("transpose-invalid.json"))
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index 2f44f61..0481918 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ def setup_store():
         tests-temp/
         ├── source/
         └── store/
+        │   ├── transpose-bad.json
+        │   ├── transpose-invalid.json
             └── transpose.json
     """
     try:
@@ -89,6 +91,18 @@ def setup_store():
             with open(str(TRANSPOSE_CONFIG_PATH), "w") as f:
                 json.dump(TRANSPOSE_CONFIG, f)
 
+            bad_config_path = STORE_PATH.joinpath("transpose-bad.json")
+            bad_config = '{"version": "1.0.0"}'  # Missing entries
+            with open(str(bad_config_path), "w") as f:
+                f.write(bad_config)
+            assert bad_config_path.exists()
+
+            invalid_config_path = STORE_PATH.joinpath("transpose-invalid.json")
+            invalid_config = "[{'invalidJSONFormat'}]"
+            with open(str(invalid_config_path), "w") as f:
+                f.write(invalid_config)
+            assert invalid_config_path.exists()
+
             yield
     finally:
         # This shouldn't be necessary but is for some reason