diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index d6aa71f..65bc3aa 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func NewRootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				}
 
 				if err != nil {
-					fmt.Println(err)
+					fmt.Println("Error:", err)
 					os.Exit(1)
 				}
 			}()
diff --git a/internal/utils/utils.go b/internal/utils/utils.go
index b5adab1..c4ebfb9 100644
--- a/internal/utils/utils.go
+++ b/internal/utils/utils.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"encoding/xml"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/PuerkitoBio/goquery"
 	"github.com/antchfx/xmlquery"
@@ -230,6 +231,10 @@ func XPathQuery(reader io.Reader, writer io.Writer, query string, singleNode boo
 		}
 	} else {
 		expr, _ := xpath.Compile(query)
+		if expr == nil {
+			return errors.New("unable to parse the XPath query")
+		}
+
 		val := expr.Evaluate(xmlquery.CreateXPathNavigator(doc))
 
 		switch typedVal := val.(type) {