diff --git a/src/ucumvert/__init__.py b/src/ucumvert/__init__.py
index 550f49e..1990c8a 100644
--- a/src/ucumvert/__init__.py
+++ b/src/ucumvert/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from ucumvert.parser import (
+    InvalidUcumError,
     get_ucum_parser,
+    parse_ucum,
     update_lark_ucum_grammar_file,
 )
 from ucumvert.ucum_pint import (
@@ -29,10 +31,12 @@
     HAS_PYDOT = False
 
 __all__ = [
+    "InvalidUcumError",
     "PintUcumRegistry",
     "UcumToPintStrTransformer",
     "UcumToPintTransformer",
     "get_ucum_parser",
+    "parse_ucum",
     "ucum_preprocessor",
     "update_lark_ucum_grammar_file",
 ]
diff --git a/src/ucumvert/parser.py b/src/ucumvert/parser.py
index 5a0e57a..56eaf41 100644
--- a/src/ucumvert/parser.py
+++ b/src/ucumvert/parser.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from lark import Lark, Transformer
+from lark.exceptions import LarkError, UnexpectedInput
 
 import ucumvert
 from ucumvert.xml_util import (
@@ -179,3 +180,31 @@ def get_ucum_parser(grammar_file=None):
     with grammar_file.open("r", encoding="utf8") as f:
         ucum_grammar = f.read()
     return Lark(ucum_grammar, start="main_term", strict=True)
+
+
+class InvalidUcumError(LarkError):
+    """Raised when a string cannot be parsed as a UCUM unit."""
+
+
+def parse_ucum(ucum_code, parser=None):
+    """Parse a UCUM code into a lark tree.
+
+    Wraps lark's low-level parse errors in an InvalidUcumError that names the
+    offending unit and points at the failure, without exposing grammar-internal
+    terminal names that are meaningless to a UCUM user.
+    """
+    if parser is None:
+        parser = get_ucum_parser()
+    try:
+        return parser.parse(ucum_code)
+    except UnexpectedInput as exc:
+        context = exc.get_context(ucum_code).rstrip("\n")
+        if exc.pos_in_stream is not None and 0 <= exc.pos_in_stream < len(ucum_code):
+            detail = (
+                f"unexpected character {ucum_code[exc.pos_in_stream]!r} "
+                f"at column {exc.column}"
+            )
+        else:
+            detail = "unexpected end of input"
+        msg = f"{ucum_code!r} is not a valid UCUM unit: {detail}.\n{context}"
+        raise InvalidUcumError(msg) from exc
diff --git a/src/ucumvert/ucum_pint.py b/src/ucumvert/ucum_pint.py
index 299190d..63c5f26 100644
--- a/src/ucumvert/ucum_pint.py
+++ b/src/ucumvert/ucum_pint.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 from ucumvert.parser import (
     get_ucum_parser,
+    parse_ucum,
 )
 from ucumvert.xml_util import (
     get_metric_units,
@@ -261,7 +262,7 @@ def ucum_preprocessor(unit_input):
     """
     ucum_parser = get_ucum_parser()
     transformer = UcumToPintStrTransformer()
-    parsed_data = ucum_parser.parse(unit_input)
+    parsed_data = parse_ucum(unit_input, ucum_parser)
     return str(transformer.transform(parsed_data))
 
 
@@ -395,7 +396,7 @@ def from_ucum(self, ucum_code):
         ucum_code :
             Ucum code as string.
         """
-        parsed_data = self._ucum_parser.parse(ucum_code)
+        parsed_data = parse_ucum(ucum_code, self._ucum_parser)
         return self._from_ucum_transformer(parsed_data)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_ucum_pint.py b/tests/test_ucum_pint.py
index 05403d3..35a9914 100644
--- a/tests/test_ucum_pint.py
+++ b/tests/test_ucum_pint.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     UcumToPintTransformer,
     ucum_preprocessor,
 )
+from ucumvert.parser import InvalidUcumError, parse_ucum
 from ucumvert.ucum_pint import find_ucum_codes_that_need_mapping
 from ucumvert.xml_util import get_metric_units, get_non_metric_units
 
@@ -198,3 +199,41 @@ def test_decibel_milliwatt_is_invalid_ucum_issue62(ucum_parser):
     # (pint's dBm) has no UCUM representation and must not parse.
     with pytest.raises(LarkError):
         ucum_parser.parse("dB[mW]")
+
+
+def test_invalid_ucum_unit_has_clear_message_issue62(ucum_parser):
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidUcumError) as excinfo:
+        parse_ucum("dB[mW]", ucum_parser)
+    msg = str(excinfo.value)
+    assert "dB[mW]" in msg  # echoes the offending input
+    assert "not a valid UCUM unit" in msg  # domain framing, not parser jargon
+    assert "'['" in msg  # names the offending character
+    assert "^" in msg  # keeps the caret pointing at the failure
+    assert "ANNOTATION" not in msg  # drops grammar terminal names
+
+
+def test_invalid_ucum_unit_is_larkerror_issue62(ucum_parser):
+    # Backward compatibility: callers catching LarkError keep working.
+    assert issubclass(InvalidUcumError, LarkError)
+    with pytest.raises(LarkError):
+        parse_ucum("dB[mW]", ucum_parser)
+
+
+def test_invalid_ucum_truncated_input_message_issue62(ucum_parser):
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidUcumError) as excinfo:
+        parse_ucum("m/", ucum_parser)
+    assert "end of input" in str(excinfo.value)
+
+
+def test_from_ucum_raises_clear_message_issue62():
+    reg = PintUcumRegistry()
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidUcumError):
+        reg.from_ucum("dB[mW]")
+
+
+def test_parse_ucum_builds_parser_when_none_given_issue62():
+    # parse_ucum() builds its own parser when none is passed.
+    tree = parse_ucum("kg")
+    # The root rule of the UCUM grammar is "main_term", so a tree rooted there
+    # demonstrates that the self-built parser produced a valid UCUM parse tree.
+    assert tree.data == "main_term"