diff --git a/lib/components/base-components/PrimitiveComponent.ts b/lib/components/base-components/PrimitiveComponent.ts
index 5b856c3..719da92 100644
--- a/lib/components/base-components/PrimitiveComponent.ts
+++ b/lib/components/base-components/PrimitiveComponent.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
 import { isMatchingSelector } from "lib/utils/selector-matching"
 import type { LayoutBuilder } from "@tscircuit/layout"
 import type { LayerRef } from "circuit-json"
+import { InvalidProps } from "lib/errors/InvalidProps"
 
 export interface BaseComponentConfig {
   componentName: string
@@ -96,9 +97,16 @@ export abstract class PrimitiveComponent<
     this.childrenPendingRemoval = []
     this.props = props ?? {}
     this.externallyAddedAliases = []
-    this._parsedProps = this.config.zodProps.parse(
-      props ?? {},
-    ) as z.infer<ZodProps>
+    const parsePropsResult = this.config.zodProps.safeParse(props ?? {})
+    if (parsePropsResult.success) {
+      this._parsedProps = parsePropsResult.data as z.infer<ZodProps>
+    } else {
+      throw new InvalidProps(
+        this.lowercaseComponentName,
+        this.props,
+        parsePropsResult.error.format(),
+      )
+    }
   }
 
   setProps(props: Partial<z.input<ZodProps>>) {
@@ -271,9 +279,7 @@ export abstract class PrimitiveComponent<
     const { config } = this
     if (!config.schematicSymbolName) return null
     return (
-      symbols[
-        `${config.schematicSymbolName}` as keyof typeof symbols
-      ] ?? null
+      symbols[`${config.schematicSymbolName}` as keyof typeof symbols] ?? null
     )
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/errors/InvalidProps.ts b/lib/errors/InvalidProps.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e45b80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/errors/InvalidProps.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import type { ZodFormattedError } from "zod"
+export class InvalidProps extends Error {
+  constructor(
+    public readonly componentName: string,
+    public readonly originalProps: any,
+    public readonly formattedError: ZodFormattedError<any>,
+  ) {
+    let message: string
+
+    const propsWithError = Object.keys(formattedError).filter(
+      (k) => k !== "_errors",
+    )
+
+    const propMessage = propsWithError
+      .map((k) => {
+        if ((formattedError as any)[k]._errors[0]) {
+          return `${k} (${(formattedError as any)[k]._errors[0]})`
+        }
+        return `${k} (${JSON.stringify((formattedError as any)[k])})`
+      })
+      .join(", ")
+
+    if ("name" in originalProps) {
+      message = `Invalid props for ${componentName} "${originalProps.name}": ${propMessage}`
+    } else if (
+      "footprint" in originalProps &&
+      typeof originalProps.footprint === "string"
+    ) {
+      message = `Invalid props for ${componentName} (unnamed ${originalProps.footprint} component): ${propMessage}`
+    } else {
+      message = `Invalid props for ${componentName} (unnamed): ${propMessage}`
+    }
+
+    super(message)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/errors/index.ts b/lib/errors/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 044eea8..42cb940 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@tscircuit/core",
   "type": "module",
-  "version": "0.0.99",
+  "version": "0.0.101",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "module": "dist/index.js",
diff --git a/tests/components/normal-components/resistor-without-resistance.test.tsx b/tests/components/normal-components/resistor-without-resistance.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7cbec0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/normal-components/resistor-without-resistance.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { test, expect } from "bun:test"
+import { InvalidProps } from "lib/errors/InvalidProps"
+import { getTestFixture } from "tests/fixtures/get-test-fixture"
+import { ZodError } from "zod"
+
+test("resistor without resistance throws well-formed error", () => {
+  const { project } = getTestFixture()
+
+  try {
+    project.add(
+      <board width="10mm" height="10mm">
+        {/* @ts-ignore */}
+        <resistor name="R1" footprint="0402" />
+      </board>,
+    )
+
+    throw new Error(
+      "Should not be able to render circuit where resistor has no resistance",
+    )
+  } catch (e: unknown) {
+    expect(e).toBeInstanceOf(InvalidProps)
+    expect((e as InvalidProps).message).toContain("R1")
+    expect((e as InvalidProps).message).toContain("resistance")
+  }
+})