diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index a67f506..a18cb9b 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -664,6 +664,9 @@ static LSAppWindow* ls_app_window_new(LSApp* app)
 
 static void ls_app_window_open(LSAppWindow* win, const char* file)
 {
+    char* error_msg = NULL;
+    GtkWidget* error_popup;
+
     if (win->timer) {
         ls_app_window_clear_game(win);
         ls_timer_release(win->timer);
@@ -673,8 +676,22 @@ static void ls_app_window_open(LSAppWindow* win, const char* file)
         ls_game_release(win->game);
         win->game = 0;
     }
-    if (ls_game_create(&win->game, file)) {
+    if (ls_game_create(&win->game, file, &error_msg)) {
         win->game = 0;
+        if (error_msg) {
+            error_popup = gtk_message_dialog_new(
+                GTK_WINDOW(win),
+                GTK_DIALOG_DESTROY_WITH_PARENT,
+                GTK_MESSAGE_INFO,
+                GTK_BUTTONS_OK,
+                "JSON parse error: %s\n%s",
+                error_msg,
+                file);
+            gtk_dialog_run(GTK_DIALOG(error_popup));
+
+            free(error_msg);
+            gtk_widget_destroy(error_popup);
+        }
     } else if (ls_timer_create(&win->timer, win->game)) {
         win->timer = 0;
     } else {
diff --git a/src/timer.c b/src/timer.c
index b86415b..a3c4888 100644
--- a/src/timer.c
+++ b/src/timer.c
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ void ls_game_release(ls_game* game)
     }
 }
 
-int ls_game_create(ls_game** game_ptr, const char* path)
+int ls_game_create(ls_game** game_ptr, const char* path, char** error_msg)
 {
     int error = 0;
     ls_game* game;
@@ -178,6 +178,9 @@ int ls_game_create(ls_game** game_ptr, const char* path)
     json = json_load_file(game->path, 0, &json_error);
     if (!json) {
         error = 1;
+        size_t msg_len = snprintf(NULL, 0, "%s (%d:%d)", json_error.text, json_error.line, json_error.column);
+        *error_msg = calloc(msg_len + 1, sizeof(char));
+        sprintf(*error_msg, "%s (%d:%d)", json_error.text, json_error.line, json_error.column);
         goto game_create_done;
     }
     // copy title
diff --git a/src/timer.h b/src/timer.h
index f6e7ef4..1b290f3 100644
--- a/src/timer.h
+++ b/src/timer.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ void ls_split_string(char* string, long long time);
 
 void ls_delta_string(char* string, long long time);
 
-int ls_game_create(ls_game** game_ptr, const char* path);
+int ls_game_create(ls_game** game_ptr, const char* path, char** error_msg);
 
 void ls_game_update_splits(ls_game* game, const ls_timer* timer);