diff --git a/src/rawdog/parsing.py b/src/rawdog/parsing.py
index 0bbc00f..860a3db 100644
--- a/src/rawdog/parsing.py
+++ b/src/rawdog/parsing.py
@@ -1,29 +1,41 @@
 import ast
 import json
+import re
 
 
 def parse_script(response: str) -> tuple[str, str]:
-    """Split the response into a message and a script.
+    """Split the response into a message and a script, handling variations of 'python' prefix and JSON content.
 
-    Expected use is: run the script if there is one, otherwise print the message.
+    Args:
+        response (str): The input response containing a message and optionally a script.
+
+    Returns:
+        tuple[str, str]: A tuple containing the message (or error message) and the script, if valid.
     """
-    # Parse delimiter
-    n_delimiters = response.count("```")
-    if n_delimiters < 2:
-        return response, ""
-    segments = response.split("```")
-    message = f"{segments[0]}\n{segments[-1]}"
-    script = "```".join(segments[1:-1]).strip()  # Leave 'inner' delimiters alone
+    try:
+        # Extract message and script using split on triple backticks
+        parts = response.split('```')
+        if len(parts) < 3:
+            return response, ""  # Not enough parts, return original message and empty script
+        
+        # Clean and identify parts
+        message = parts[0] + parts[-1]  # Consider the first and last parts as the message
+        script = '```'.join(parts[1:-1]).strip()  # Join any inner parts as the script
+
+        # Remove 'python' or similar prefixes from the script
+        script = re.sub(r"^\s*python[0-9]*\s*", "", script, flags=re.IGNORECASE)
+
+        # Attempt to interpret script as JSON, revert if it fails
+        try:
+            parsed_script = json.loads(script)
+            script = json.dumps(parsed_script)  # Convert back to string to validate as Python code
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            pass  # Keep script as is if not JSON
 
-    # Check for common mistakes
-    if script.split("\n")[0].startswith("python"):
-        script = "\n".join(script.split("\n")[1:])
-    try:  # Make sure it isn't json
-        script = json.loads(script)
-    except Exception:
-        pass
-    try:  # Make sure it's valid python
+        # Validate as Python code
         ast.parse(script)
-    except SyntaxError:
-        return f"Script contains invalid Python:\n{response}", ""
-    return message, script
+        return message, script
+    except SyntaxError as e:
+        return f"Error in Python syntax: {e}", ""
+    except Exception as e:
+        return f"Unhandled error: {e}", ""