diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index bfde42a9..870dfa10 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 ## Unreleased - ???
+- `janet_dobytes` and `janet_dostring` return parse errors in \*out
 - Add `repeat` macro for iterating something n times.
 - Add `eachy` (each yield) macro for iterating a fiber.
 - Fix `:generate` verb in loop macro to accept non symbols as bindings.
diff --git a/src/core/run.c b/src/core/run.c
index 4e88ca36..f675810a 100644
--- a/src/core/run.c
+++ b/src/core/run.c
@@ -55,9 +55,10 @@ int janet_dobytes(JanetTable *env, const uint8_t *bytes, int32_t len, const char
                     done = 1;
                 }
             } else {
+                ret = janet_wrap_string(cres.error);
                 if (cres.macrofiber) {
                     janet_eprintf("compile error in %s: ", sourcePath);
-                    janet_stacktrace(cres.macrofiber, janet_wrap_string(cres.error));
+                    janet_stacktrace(cres.macrofiber, ret);
                 } else {
                     janet_eprintf("compile error in %s: %s\n", sourcePath,
                                   (const char *)cres.error);
@@ -67,25 +68,23 @@ int janet_dobytes(JanetTable *env, const uint8_t *bytes, int32_t len, const char
             }
         }
 
+        if (done) break;
+
         /* Dispatch based on parse state */
         switch (janet_parser_status(&parser)) {
             case JANET_PARSE_DEAD:
                 done = 1;
                 break;
-            case JANET_PARSE_ERROR:
+            case JANET_PARSE_ERROR: {
+                const char *e = janet_parser_error(&parser);
                 errflags |= 0x04;
-                janet_eprintf("parse error in %s: %s\n",
-                              sourcePath, janet_parser_error(&parser));
+                ret = janet_cstringv(e);
+                janet_eprintf("parse error in %s: %s\n", sourcePath, e);
                 done = 1;
                 break;
-            case JANET_PARSE_PENDING:
-                if (index == len) {
-                    janet_parser_eof(&parser);
-                } else {
-                    janet_parser_consume(&parser, bytes[index++]);
-                }
-                break;
+            }
             case JANET_PARSE_ROOT:
+            case JANET_PARSE_PENDING:
                 if (index >= len) {
                     janet_parser_eof(&parser);
                 } else {