diff --git a/FWCore/ParameterSet/src/Entry.cc b/FWCore/ParameterSet/src/Entry.cc
index 6092c44d6c5ea..83a82a612f29a 100644
--- a/FWCore/ParameterSet/src/Entry.cc
+++ b/FWCore/ParameterSet/src/Entry.cc
@@ -391,8 +391,9 @@ namespace edm {
       }
       default: {
         // We should never get here.
-        assert("Invalid type code" == nullptr);
-        //throw EntryError(std::string("invalid type code ") + type);
+        throw edm::Exception(edm::errors::Configuration) << "Unknown ParameterSet Entry type encoding: '" << type
+                                                         << "'.\n This could be caused by reading a file which was "
+                                                            "written using a newer incompatible software release.";
         break;
       }
     }  // switch(type)
diff --git a/IOPool/Input/src/RootFile.cc b/IOPool/Input/src/RootFile.cc
index f0242b9721cf2..2e90fef497cc6 100644
--- a/IOPool/Input/src/RootFile.cc
+++ b/IOPool/Input/src/RootFile.cc
@@ -414,12 +414,23 @@ namespace edm {
     } else {
       // Merge into the parameter set registry.
       pset::Registry& psetRegistry = *pset::Registry::instance();
-      for (auto const& psetEntry : psetMap) {
-        ParameterSet pset(psetEntry.second.pset());
-        pset.setID(psetEntry.first);
-        // For thread safety, don't update global registries when a secondary source opens a file.
-        if (inputType != InputType::SecondarySource) {
-          psetRegistry.insertMapped(pset);
+      try {
+        for (auto const& psetEntry : psetMap) {
+          ParameterSet pset(psetEntry.second.pset());
+          pset.setID(psetEntry.first);
+          // For thread safety, don't update global registries when a secondary source opens a file.
+          if (inputType != InputType::SecondarySource) {
+            psetRegistry.insertMapped(pset);
+          }
+        }
+      } catch (edm::Exception const& iExcept) {
+        if (iExcept.categoryCode() == edm::errors::Configuration) {
+          edm::Exception exception(edm::errors::FormatIncompatibility);
+          exception << iExcept.message();
+          exception.addContext("Creating ParameterSets from file");
+          throw exception;
+        } else {
+          throw;
         }
       }
     }