diff --git a/acceptance-tests/tests/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/jsonrpc/EthSendRawTransactionTest.java b/acceptance-tests/tests/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/jsonrpc/EthSendRawTransactionTest.java
index 53c7d96f0d0..c16ce22e493 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/tests/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/jsonrpc/EthSendRawTransactionTest.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/tests/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/jsonrpc/EthSendRawTransactionTest.java
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ public void shouldFailToSendToToStrictNodeWithoutChainId() {
     strictNode.verify(eth.expectEthSendRawTransactionException(rawTx, "ChainId is required"));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void shouldFailToSendWithInvalidRlp() {
+    final String invalidRawTx = "0x5555";
+    strictNode.verify(eth.expectEthSendRawTransactionException(invalidRawTx, "Invalid params"));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void shouldSendSuccessfullyWithChainId_lenientNode() {
     final TransferTransaction tx = createTransactionWithChainId();
diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/EthSendRawTransaction.java b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/EthSendRawTransaction.java
index 847d019bb4b..0282bbeeaab 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/EthSendRawTransaction.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/EthSendRawTransaction.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.JsonRpcErrorConverter;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.RpcMethod;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.JsonRpcRequestContext;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.exception.InvalidJsonRpcRequestException;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.response.JsonRpcError;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.response.JsonRpcErrorResponse;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.response.JsonRpcResponse;
@@ -68,13 +69,21 @@ public JsonRpcResponse response(final JsonRpcRequestContext requestContext) {
     final Transaction transaction;
     try {
       transaction = DomainObjectDecodeUtils.decodeRawTransaction(rawTransaction);
-    } catch (final RLPException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
+      LOG.trace("Received local transaction {}", transaction);
+    } catch (final RLPException e) {
+      LOG.debug("RLPException: {} caused by {}", e.getMessage(), e.getCause());
+      return new JsonRpcErrorResponse(
+          requestContext.getRequest().getId(), JsonRpcError.INVALID_PARAMS);
+    } catch (final InvalidJsonRpcRequestException i) {
+      LOG.debug("InvalidJsonRpcRequestException: {} caused by {}", i.getMessage(), i.getCause());
+      return new JsonRpcErrorResponse(
+          requestContext.getRequest().getId(), JsonRpcError.INVALID_PARAMS);
+    } catch (final IllegalArgumentException ill) {
+      LOG.debug("IllegalArgumentException: {} caused by {}", ill.getMessage(), ill.getCause());
       return new JsonRpcErrorResponse(
           requestContext.getRequest().getId(), JsonRpcError.INVALID_PARAMS);
     }
 
-    LOG.trace("Received local transaction {}", transaction);
-
     final ValidationResult<TransactionInvalidReason> validationResult =
         transactionPool.get().addLocalTransaction(transaction);
     return validationResult.either(
diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/util/DomainObjectDecodeUtils.java b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/util/DomainObjectDecodeUtils.java
index 5d3d1bb752b..31e4abebb9e 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/util/DomainObjectDecodeUtils.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/util/DomainObjectDecodeUtils.java
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ public static Transaction decodeRawTransaction(final String rawTransaction)
       Bytes txnBytes = Bytes.fromHexString(rawTransaction);
       final boolean isGoQuorumCompatibilityMode = GoQuorumOptions.getGoQuorumCompatibilityMode();
       return TransactionDecoder.decodeOpaqueBytes(txnBytes, isGoQuorumCompatibilityMode);
-    } catch (final IllegalArgumentException | RLPException e) {
+    } catch (final IllegalArgumentException e) {
       throw new InvalidJsonRpcRequestException("Invalid raw transaction hex", e);
+    } catch (final RLPException r) {
+      throw new InvalidJsonRpcRequestException("Invalid RLP in raw transaction hex", r);
     }
   }
 }