diff --git a/src/qweb.ts b/src/qweb.ts
index 56154547..2c73a072 100644
--- a/src/qweb.ts
+++ b/src/qweb.ts
@@ -300,6 +300,9 @@ export class QWeb {
   loadTemplates(xmlstr: string) {
     const parser = new DOMParser();
     const doc = parser.parseFromString(xmlstr, "text/xml");
+    if (doc.getElementsByTagName("parsererror").length) {
+      throw new Error("Invalid XML in template");
+    }
     const templates = doc.getElementsByTagName("templates")[0];
     if (!templates) {
       return;
diff --git a/tests/qweb.test.ts b/tests/qweb.test.ts
index 60f2c793..2fda7ca9 100644
--- a/tests/qweb.test.ts
+++ b/tests/qweb.test.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ describe("error handling", () => {
     qweb.addTemplate("test", `<t></t>`);
     expect(() => qweb.addTemplate("test", "<div/>")).toThrow("already defined");
   });
+
+  test("loadTemplates throw if parser error", () => {
+    expect(() => {
+      qweb.loadTemplates("<templates><abc>></templates>");
+    }).toThrow("Invalid XML in template");
+  });
 });
 
 describe("t-esc", () => {