diff --git a/pkg/endpoints/handlers/patch.go b/pkg/endpoints/handlers/patch.go
index b5d2192e3..588cd7917 100644
--- a/pkg/endpoints/handlers/patch.go
+++ b/pkg/endpoints/handlers/patch.go
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func patchResource(
 			case types.JSONPatchType, types.MergePatchType:
 				originalJS, patchedJS, err := patchObjectJSON(patchType, codec, currentObject, patchJS, objToUpdate, versionedObj)
 				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
+					return nil, interpretPatchError(err)
 				}
 				originalObjJS, originalPatchedObjJS = originalJS, patchedJS
 
@@ -198,13 +198,13 @@ func patchResource(
 						// Compute once
 						originalPatchBytes, err = strategicpatch.CreateTwoWayMergePatch(originalObjJS, originalPatchedObjJS, versionedObj)
 						if err != nil {
-							return nil, err
+							return nil, interpretPatchError(err)
 						}
 					}
 					// Return a fresh map every time
 					originalPatchMap := make(map[string]interface{})
 					if err := json.Unmarshal(originalPatchBytes, &originalPatchMap); err != nil {
-						return nil, err
+						return nil, errors.NewBadRequest(err.Error())
 					}
 					return originalPatchMap, nil
 				}
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ func patchResource(
 				getOriginalPatchMap = func() (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 					patchMap := make(map[string]interface{})
 					if err := json.Unmarshal(patchJS, &patchMap); err != nil {
-						return nil, err
+						return nil, errors.NewBadRequest(err.Error())
 					}
 					return patchMap, nil
 				}
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ func patchResource(
 				var err error
 				currentPatchMap, err = strategicpatch.CreateTwoWayMergeMapPatch(originalObjMap, currentObjMap, versionedObj)
 				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
+					return nil, interpretPatchError(err)
 				}
 			} else {
 				// Compute current patch.
@@ -287,11 +287,11 @@ func patchResource(
 				}
 				currentPatch, err := strategicpatch.CreateTwoWayMergePatch(originalObjJS, currentObjJS, versionedObj)
 				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
+					return nil, interpretPatchError(err)
 				}
 				currentPatchMap = make(map[string]interface{})
 				if err := json.Unmarshal(currentPatch, &currentPatchMap); err != nil {
-					return nil, err
+					return nil, errors.NewBadRequest(err.Error())
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ func strategicPatchObject(
 
 	patchMap := make(map[string]interface{})
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(patchJS, &patchMap); err != nil {
-		return err
+		return errors.NewBadRequest(err.Error())
 	}
 
 	if err := applyPatchToObject(codec, defaulter, originalObjMap, patchMap, objToUpdate, versionedObj); err != nil {
@@ -456,3 +456,15 @@ func applyPatchToObject(
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// interpretPatchError interprets the error type and returns an error with appropriate HTTP code.
+func interpretPatchError(err error) error {
+	switch err {
+	case mergepatch.ErrBadJSONDoc, mergepatch.ErrBadPatchFormatForPrimitiveList, mergepatch.ErrBadPatchFormatForRetainKeys, mergepatch.ErrBadPatchFormatForSetElementOrderList:
+		return errors.NewBadRequest(err.Error())
+	case mergepatch.ErrNoListOfLists, mergepatch.ErrPatchContentNotMatchRetainKeys:
+		return errors.NewGenericServerResponse(http.StatusUnprocessableEntity, "", schema.GroupResource{}, "", err.Error(), 0, false)
+	default:
+		return err
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/endpoints/handlers/rest_test.go b/pkg/endpoints/handlers/rest_test.go
index a99fdaf6f..5e6ca117a 100644
--- a/pkg/endpoints/handlers/rest_test.go
+++ b/pkg/endpoints/handlers/rest_test.go
@@ -98,6 +98,29 @@ func TestPatchAnonymousField(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPatchInvalid(t *testing.T) {
+	testGV := schema.GroupVersion{Group: "", Version: "v"}
+	scheme.AddKnownTypes(testGV, &testPatchType{})
+	codec := codecs.LegacyCodec(testGV)
+	defaulter := runtime.ObjectDefaulter(scheme)
+
+	original := &testPatchType{
+		TypeMeta:         metav1.TypeMeta{Kind: "testPatchType", APIVersion: "v"},
+		TestPatchSubType: TestPatchSubType{StringField: "my-value"},
+	}
+	patch := `barbaz`
+	expectedError := "invalid character 'b' looking for beginning of value"
+
+	actual := &testPatchType{}
+	err := strategicPatchObject(codec, defaulter, original, []byte(patch), actual, &testPatchType{})
+	if apierrors.IsBadRequest(err) == false {
+		t.Errorf("expected HTTP status: BadRequest, got: %#v", apierrors.ReasonForError(err))
+	}
+	if err.Error() != expectedError {
+		t.Errorf("expected %#v, got %#v", expectedError, err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
 type testPatcher struct {
 	t *testing.T