diff --git a/beat/core/schema/__init__.py b/beat/core/schema/__init__.py
index ae809022eb9a8b3ee7f337259770e44b9794cbdd..d182bf356edc2af58ba47bb9edd5918ceff0bbdf 100644
--- a/beat/core/schema/__init__.py
+++ b/beat/core/schema/__init__.py
@@ -94,7 +94,11 @@ def load_schema(schema_name, version=1):
 
     with open(fname, "rb") as f:
         data = f.read().decode()
-        schema = json.loads(data)
+        try:
+            schema = json.loads(data)
+        except json.errors.JSONDecodeError:
+            print("Invalid json:\n {data}".format(data))
+            raise
 
     basedir = os.path.realpath(os.path.dirname(fname))
     resolver = jsonschema.RefResolver("file://" + basedir + "/", schema)