diff --git a/src/helpers/RequestParser.php b/src/helpers/RequestParser.php
index 5209fda..6e6a278 100644
--- a/src/helpers/RequestParser.php
+++ b/src/helpers/RequestParser.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace alsvanzelf\jsonapi\helpers;
 
 use alsvanzelf\jsonapi\Document;
+use alsvanzelf\jsonapi\exceptions\Exception;
 use Psr\Http\Message\RequestInterface;
 use Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface;
 
@@ -44,6 +45,8 @@ public function __construct($selfLink='', array $queryParameters=[], array $docu
 	
 	/**
 	 * @return self
+	 * 
+	 * @throws Exception if the body's json is invalid
 	 */
 	public static function fromSuperglobals() {
 		$selfLink = '';
@@ -60,6 +63,9 @@ public static function fromSuperglobals() {
 			
 			if ($documentIsJsonapi || $documentIsJson) {
 				$document = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true);
+				if (json_last_error() !== JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
+					throw new Exception('error parsing request body: '.json_last_error_msg());
+				}
 				
 				if ($document === null) {
 					$document = [];
@@ -73,6 +79,8 @@ public static function fromSuperglobals() {
 	/**
 	 * @param  ServerRequestInterface|RequestInterface $request
 	 * @return self
+	 * 
+	 * @throws Exception if the body's json is invalid
 	 */
 	public static function fromPsrRequest(RequestInterface $request) {
 		$selfLink = (string) $request->getUri();
@@ -90,9 +98,8 @@ public static function fromPsrRequest(RequestInterface $request) {
 		}
 		else {
 			$document = json_decode($request->getBody()->getContents(), true);
-			
-			if ($document === null) {
-				$document = [];
+			if (json_last_error() !== JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
+				throw new Exception('error parsing request body: '.json_last_error_msg());
 			}
 		}
 		
diff --git a/tests/helpers/RequestParserTest.php b/tests/helpers/RequestParserTest.php
index fd17061..b7f1b0a 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/RequestParserTest.php
+++ b/tests/helpers/RequestParserTest.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace alsvanzelf\jsonapiTests\helpers;
 
 use alsvanzelf\jsonapi\Document;
+use alsvanzelf\jsonapi\exceptions\Exception;
 use alsvanzelf\jsonapi\helpers\RequestParser;
 use alsvanzelf\jsonapiTests\helpers\TestableNonInterfaceRequestInterface;
 use alsvanzelf\jsonapiTests\helpers\TestableNonInterfaceServerRequestInterface;
@@ -178,6 +179,18 @@ public function testFromPsrRequest_WithEmptyDocument() {
 		$this->assertSame([], $requestParser->getDocument());
 	}
 	
+	public function testFromPsrRequest_WithBrokenDocument() {
+		$selfLink        = '';
+		$queryParameters = [];
+		$document        = '{"data": {foo: "bar"}}';
+		$request         = new TestableNonInterfaceRequestInterface($selfLink, $queryParameters, $document);
+		
+		$this->expectException(Exception::class);
+		$this->expectExceptionMessage('error parsing request body: ');
+		
+		RequestParser::fromPsrRequest($request);
+	}
+	
 	public function testFromPsrRequest_WithServerRequestInterface() {
 		$queryParameters = [
 			'sort' => 'name,-location',
diff --git a/tests/helpers/TestableNonInterfaceStreamInterface.php b/tests/helpers/TestableNonInterfaceStreamInterface.php
index d573988..87a1d25 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/TestableNonInterfaceStreamInterface.php
+++ b/tests/helpers/TestableNonInterfaceStreamInterface.php
@@ -19,8 +19,11 @@ public function getContents() {
 		if ($this->document === null) {
 			return '';
 		}
+		if (is_string($this->document) === false) {
+			return (string) json_encode($this->document);
+		}
 		
-		return (string) json_encode($this->document);
+		return $this->document;
 	}
 	
 	// not used in current implementation