diff --git a/lib/entry-points.js b/lib/entry-points.js
index d1eda854f..e37a54a38 100644
--- a/lib/entry-points.js
+++ b/lib/entry-points.js
@@ -145995,7 +145995,13 @@ function parseMatrixInput(matrixInput) {
   if (matrixInput === void 0 || matrixInput === "null") {
     return void 0;
   }
-  return JSON.parse(matrixInput);
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(matrixInput);
+  } catch (err) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Failed to parse matrix input '${matrixInput}': ${getErrorMessage(err)}`
+    );
+  }
 }
 function wrapError(error3) {
   return error3 instanceof Error ? error3 : new Error(String(error3));
diff --git a/src/util.ts b/src/util.ts
index 456cd7c3d..d473dcd4c 100644
--- a/src/util.ts
+++ b/src/util.ts
@@ -894,7 +894,13 @@ export function parseMatrixInput(
   if (matrixInput === undefined || matrixInput === "null") {
     return undefined;
   }
-  return JSON.parse(matrixInput) as { [key: string]: string };
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(matrixInput) as { [key: string]: string };
+  } catch (err) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Failed to parse matrix input '${matrixInput}': ${getErrorMessage(err)}`,
+    );
+  }
 }
 
 export function wrapError(error: unknown): Error {