diff --git a/packages/api-key-stamper/src/tink/elliptic_curves.ts b/packages/api-key-stamper/src/tink/elliptic_curves.ts
index 085000ec9..4fd970b72 100644
--- a/packages/api-key-stamper/src/tink/elliptic_curves.ts
+++ b/packages/api-key-stamper/src/tink/elliptic_curves.ts
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ export function pointDecode(point: Uint8Array): JsonWebKey {
     point.length !== uncompressedLength
   ) {
     throw new Error(
-      "Invalid API key: Ensure that you are using a valid public and private key for your API key"
+      "Invalid length: point is not in compressed or uncompressed format"
     );
   }
   // Decodes point if its length and first bit match the compressed format
diff --git a/packages/api-key-stamper/src/utils.ts b/packages/api-key-stamper/src/utils.ts
index 07febeb8b..bb8f9e78f 100644
--- a/packages/api-key-stamper/src/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/api-key-stamper/src/utils.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@ export function convertTurnkeyApiKeyToJwk(input: {
 }): JsonWebKey {
   const { uncompressedPrivateKeyHex, compressedPublicKeyHex } = input;
 
-  const jwk = pointDecode(uint8ArrayFromHexString(compressedPublicKeyHex));
+  let jwk;
+  try {
+    jwk = pointDecode(uint8ArrayFromHexString(compressedPublicKeyHex));
+  } catch (e: Error) {
+    throw new Error(`invalid API key: Ensure that you are using a valid public and private key in compressed or uncompressed format and they are not switched`); 
+  }
 
   // Ensure that d is sufficiently padded
   jwk.d = hexStringToBase64url(
diff --git a/packages/sdk-browser/src/utils.ts b/packages/sdk-browser/src/utils.ts
index e99b3983a..21d5ba904 100644
--- a/packages/sdk-browser/src/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk-browser/src/utils.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,14 @@ export const createEmbeddedAPIKey = async (
 
   // 3: import the targetPublicKey (i.e. passed in from the iframe)
   const targetKeyBytes = uint8ArrayFromHexString(targetPublicKey);
-  const jwk = pointDecode(targetKeyBytes);
+
+  let jwk;
+  try { 
+    jwk = pointDecode(targetKeyBytes); 
+  } catch (e: Error) { 
+    // provide more context about the error that is being thrown
+    throw new Error(`target public key is not a valid compressed public key: ${targetPublicKey}`); 
+  }
 
   const targetKey = await crypto.subtle.importKey(
     "jwk",