diff --git a/persistence/playlist_repository.go b/persistence/playlist_repository.go
index feafc844c..1cbc9fc65 100644
--- a/persistence/playlist_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/playlist_repository.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
 	. "github.com/Masterminds/squirrel"
@@ -37,7 +38,10 @@ func (p dbPlaylist) PostMapArgs(args map[string]any) error {
 	var err error
 	if p.Playlist.IsSmartPlaylist() {
 		args["rules"], err = json.Marshal(p.Playlist.Rules)
-		return err
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid criteria expression: %w", err)
+		}
+		return nil
 	}
 	delete(args, "rules")
 	return nil
diff --git a/persistence/playlist_repository_test.go b/persistence/playlist_repository_test.go
index 863721670..8391f5c39 100644
--- a/persistence/playlist_repository_test.go
+++ b/persistence/playlist_repository_test.go
@@ -120,13 +120,28 @@ var _ = Describe("PlaylistRepository", func() {
 				},
 			}
 		})
-		It("Put/Get", func() {
-			newPls := model.Playlist{Name: "Great!", OwnerID: "userid", Rules: rules}
-			Expect(repo.Put(&newPls)).To(Succeed())
+		Context("valid rules", func() {
+			Specify("Put/Get", func() {
+				newPls := model.Playlist{Name: "Great!", OwnerID: "userid", Rules: rules}
+				Expect(repo.Put(&newPls)).To(Succeed())
 
-			savedPls, err := repo.Get(newPls.ID)
-			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
-			Expect(savedPls.Rules).To(Equal(rules))
+				savedPls, err := repo.Get(newPls.ID)
+				Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+				Expect(savedPls.Rules).To(Equal(rules))
+			})
+		})
+
+		Context("invalid rules", func() {
+			It("fails to Put it in the DB", func() {
+				rules = &criteria.Criteria{
+					// This is invalid because "contains" cannot have multiple fields
+					Expression: criteria.All{
+						criteria.Contains{"genre": "Hardcore", "filetype": "mp3"},
+					},
+				}
+				newPls := model.Playlist{Name: "Great!", OwnerID: "userid", Rules: rules}
+				Expect(repo.Put(&newPls)).To(MatchError(ContainSubstring("invalid criteria expression")))
+			})
 		})
 	})
 })
diff --git a/persistence/sql_base_repository.go b/persistence/sql_base_repository.go
index 67649c4dc..2df360a08 100644
--- a/persistence/sql_base_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/sql_base_repository.go
@@ -275,7 +275,10 @@ func (r sqlRepository) count(countQuery SelectBuilder, options ...model.QueryOpt
 }
 
 func (r sqlRepository) put(id string, m interface{}, colsToUpdate ...string) (newId string, err error) {
-	values, _ := toSQLArgs(m)
+	values, err := toSQLArgs(m)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("error preparing values to write to DB: %w", err)
+	}
 	// If there's an ID, try to update first
 	if id != "" {
 		updateValues := map[string]interface{}{}