diff --git a/rpmio/expression.c b/rpmio/expression.c
index 25db127683..3da1bead30 100644
--- a/rpmio/expression.c
+++ b/rpmio/expression.c
@@ -402,6 +402,7 @@ static Value doPrimary(ParseState state)
     goto err;
 
   default:
+    exprErr(state, _("syntax error in expression"), state->p);
     goto err;
     break;
   }
@@ -705,9 +706,9 @@ static Value doTernary(ParseState state)
       default:
 	goto err;
     }
-    valueFree(v1);
     if (rdToken(state))
       goto err;
+    valueFree(v1);
     v1 = doTernary(state);
     if (v1 == NULL)
       goto err;
@@ -735,7 +736,7 @@ int rpmExprBool(const char *expr)
 {
   struct _parseState state;
   int result = -1;
-  Value v;
+  Value v = NULL;
 
   DEBUG(printf("parseExprBoolean(?, '%s')\n", expr));
 
@@ -743,7 +744,8 @@ int rpmExprBool(const char *expr)
   state.p = state.str = xstrdup(expr);
   state.nextToken = 0;
   state.tokenValue = NULL;
-  (void) rdToken(&state);
+  if (rdToken(&state))
+    goto exit;
 
   /* Parse the expression. */
   v = doTernary(&state);
@@ -779,7 +781,7 @@ char *rpmExprStr(const char *expr)
 {
   struct _parseState state;
   char *result = NULL;
-  Value v;
+  Value v = NULL;
 
   DEBUG(printf("parseExprString(?, '%s')\n", expr));
 
@@ -787,7 +789,8 @@ char *rpmExprStr(const char *expr)
   state.p = state.str = xstrdup(expr);
   state.nextToken = 0;
   state.tokenValue = NULL;
-  (void) rdToken(&state);
+  if (rdToken(&state))
+    goto exit;
 
   /* Parse the expression. */
   v = doTernary(&state);
diff --git a/tests/rpmmacro.at b/tests/rpmmacro.at
index 9ecff1662a..8ebea77588 100644
--- a/tests/rpmmacro.at
+++ b/tests/rpmmacro.at
@@ -276,6 +276,8 @@ runroot rpm --eval '%{expr:"a"=!"b"}'
 runroot rpm --eval '%{expr:4+}'
 runroot rpm --eval '%{expr:bare}'
 runroot rpm --eval '%{expr:1/0}'
+runroot rpm --eval '%{expr:0 < 1 ? "a" : 1*"a"}'
+runroot rpm --eval '%{expr:0 < 1 ? 1*"a" : "a"}'
 ],
 [1],
 [],
@@ -288,6 +290,8 @@ error: unexpected end of expression: 4+
 error: bare words are no longer supported, please use "...": bare
 error:                                                       ^
 error: division by zero: 1/0
+error: types must match: 0 < 1 ? "a" : 1*"a"
+error: types must match: 0 < 1 ? 1*"a" : "a"
 ])
 AT_CLEANUP