diff --git a/daemon/remote.c b/daemon/remote.c
index 5836c0c79..4cba37895 100644
--- a/daemon/remote.c
+++ b/daemon/remote.c
@@ -1304,10 +1304,35 @@ do_zones_remove(RES* ssl, struct local_zones* zones)
 	(void)ssl_printf(ssl, "removed %d zones\n", num);
 }
 
+/** check syntax of newly added RR */
+static int
+check_RR_syntax(RES* ssl, char* str, int line)
+{
+	uint8_t rr[LDNS_RR_BUF_SIZE];
+	size_t len = sizeof(rr), dname_len = 0;
+	int s = sldns_str2wire_rr_buf(str, rr, &len, &dname_len, 3600,
+		NULL, 0, NULL, 0);
+	if(s != 0) {
+		char linestr[32];
+		if(line == 0)
+			linestr[0]=0;
+		else 	snprintf(linestr, sizeof(linestr), "line %d ", line);
+		if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "error parsing local-data at %sposition %d '%s': %s\n",
+			linestr, LDNS_WIREPARSE_OFFSET(s), str,
+			sldns_get_errorstr_parse(s)))
+			return 0;
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return 1;
+}
+
 /** Add new RR data */
 static int
-perform_data_add(RES* ssl, struct local_zones* zones, char* arg)
+perform_data_add(RES* ssl, struct local_zones* zones, char* arg, int line)
 {
+	if(!check_RR_syntax(ssl, arg, line)) {
+		return 0;
+	}
 	if(!local_zones_add_RR(zones, arg)) {
 		ssl_printf(ssl,"error in syntax or out of memory, %s\n", arg);
 		return 0;
@@ -1319,7 +1344,7 @@ perform_data_add(RES* ssl, struct local_zones* zones, char* arg)
 static void
 do_data_add(RES* ssl, struct local_zones* zones, char* arg)
 {
-	if(!perform_data_add(ssl, zones, arg))
+	if(!perform_data_add(ssl, zones, arg, 0))
 		return;
 	send_ok(ssl);
 }
@@ -1329,11 +1354,12 @@ static void
 do_datas_add(RES* ssl, struct local_zones* zones)
 {
 	char buf[2048];
-	int num = 0;
+	int num = 0, line = 0;
 	while(ssl_read_line(ssl, buf, sizeof(buf))) {
 		if(buf[0] == 0x04 && buf[1] == 0)
 			break; /* end of transmission */
-		if(!perform_data_add(ssl, zones, buf)) {
+		line++;
+		if(!perform_data_add(ssl, zones, buf, line)) {
 			if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "error for input line: %s\n", buf))
 				return;
 		}
diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 6863c23c9..f97944e3e 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 	- Fix for #510: in depth, use ifdefs for windows api event calls.
 	- Fix spelling in doc/unbound.doxygen comment.
 	- Fix spelling in localzone.h comment.
+	- Fix unbound-control local_data and local_datas to print detailed
+	  syntax errors.
 
 6 July 2021: Wouter
 	- iana portlist update.
diff --git a/doc/unbound-control.8.in b/doc/unbound-control.8.in
index dad840cf5..1b5ef393c 100644
--- a/doc/unbound-control.8.in
+++ b/doc/unbound-control.8.in
@@ -89,8 +89,7 @@ it.  If the zone does not exist, the command succeeds.
 Add new local data, the given resource record. Like \fBlocal\-data\fR
 config statement, except for when no covering zone exists.  In that case
 this remote control command creates a transparent zone with the same 
-name as this record.  This command is not good at returning detailed syntax 
-errors.
+name as this record.
 .TP
 .B local_data_remove \fIname
 Remove all RR data from local name.  If the name already has no items,