diff --git a/jwt/api_jwt.py b/jwt/api_jwt.py
index ee9bf622..474edf9d 100644
--- a/jwt/api_jwt.py
+++ b/jwt/api_jwt.py
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ def _validate_claims(self, payload, options, audience=None, issuer=None,
         if isinstance(leeway, timedelta):
             leeway = timedelta_total_seconds(leeway)
 
+        if not isinstance(audience, (string_types, type(None), list)):
+            raise TypeError('audience must be a string, list of strings, or None')
+
         self._validate_required_claims(payload, options)
 
         now = timegm(datetime.utcnow().utctimetuple())
@@ -162,9 +165,6 @@ def _validate_aud(self, payload, audience):
         if isinstance(audience, string_types):
             audience = [audience]
 
-        if not isinstance(audience, list):
-            raise InvalidAudienceError('Invalid audience format')
-
         for aud in audience:
             if aud in audience_claims:
                 return
diff --git a/tests/test_api_jwt.py b/tests/test_api_jwt.py
index f1151c91..adba0914 100644
--- a/tests/test_api_jwt.py
+++ b/tests/test_api_jwt.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def test_decode_with_invalid_audience_param_throws_exception(self, jwt):
             jwt.decode(example_jwt, secret, audience=1)
 
         exception = context.value
-        assert str(exception) == 'audience must be a string or None'
+        assert str(exception) == 'audience must be a string, list of strings, or None'
 
     def test_decode_with_nonlist_aud_claim_throws_exception(self, jwt):
         secret = 'secret'
@@ -289,7 +289,6 @@ def test_check_audience_list_when_valid(self, jwt):
         token = jwt.encode(payload, 'secret')
         jwt.decode(token, 'secret', audience=['urn:you', 'urn:me'])
 
-
     def test_raise_exception_invalid_audience_list(self, jwt):
         payload = {
             'some': 'payload',