diff --git a/src/user/user_api.cc b/src/user/user_api.cc
index ad93f468..46b44ee1 100644
--- a/src/user/user_api.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_api.cc
@@ -126,7 +126,14 @@ mjSpec* mj_parse(const char* filename, const char* content_type,
     memcpy(resource->name, fullname.c_str(), sizeof(char) * (n + 1));
   }
 
-  return mju_decodeResource(resource, content_type, vfs);
+  mjSpec* spec = mju_decodeResource(resource, content_type, vfs);
+  if (spec == nullptr) {
+    if (error) {
+      strncpy(error, "could not decode content", error_sz);
+      error[error_sz - 1] = '\0';
+    }
+  }
+  return spec;
 }
 
 // compile model
diff --git a/src/user/user_resource.cc b/src/user/user_resource.cc
index 378daa0f..072df4ad 100644
--- a/src/user/user_resource.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_resource.cc
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ mjSpec* mju_decodeResource(mjResource* resource, const char* content_type, const
     decoder = mjp_findDecoder(resource, mjuu_extToContentType(resource->name).c_str());
   }
   if (!decoder) {
-    mju_error("Could not find decoder for resource '%s'", resource->name);
+    mju_warning("Could not find decoder for resource '%s'", resource->name);
+    return nullptr;
   }
-
   return decoder->decode(resource, vfs);
 }