diff --git a/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py b/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py
index 9691a1ea7..4f45d7faf 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 from .cache import Cache
 from .compat import urllib  # isort: split
 from .compat import compat_os_name, urllib_req_to_req
-from .cookies import LenientSimpleCookie, load_cookies
+from .cookies import CookieLoadError, LenientSimpleCookie, load_cookies
 from .downloader import FFmpegFD, get_suitable_downloader, shorten_protocol_name
 from .downloader.rtmp import rtmpdump_version
 from .extractor import gen_extractor_classes, get_info_extractor
@@ -1624,7 +1624,7 @@ def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs):
             while True:
                 try:
                     return func(self, *args, **kwargs)
-                except (DownloadCancelled, LazyList.IndexError, PagedList.IndexError):
+                except (CookieLoadError, DownloadCancelled, LazyList.IndexError, PagedList.IndexError):
                     raise
                 except ReExtractInfo as e:
                     if e.expected:
@@ -3580,6 +3580,8 @@ def __download_wrapper(self, func):
         def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
             try:
                 res = func(*args, **kwargs)
+            except CookieLoadError:
+                raise
             except UnavailableVideoError as e:
                 self.report_error(e)
             except DownloadCancelled as e:
@@ -4113,8 +4115,13 @@ def proxies(self):
     @functools.cached_property
     def cookiejar(self):
         """Global cookiejar instance"""
-        return load_cookies(
-            self.params.get('cookiefile'), self.params.get('cookiesfrombrowser'), self)
+        try:
+            return load_cookies(
+                self.params.get('cookiefile'), self.params.get('cookiesfrombrowser'), self)
+        except CookieLoadError as error:
+            cause = error.__context__
+            self.report_error(str(cause), tb=''.join(traceback.format_exception(cause)))
+            raise
 
     @property
     def _opener(self):
diff --git a/yt_dlp/__init__.py b/yt_dlp/__init__.py
index c2d19f94a..f598b6c2f 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/__init__.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/__init__.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import traceback
 
 from .compat import compat_os_name
-from .cookies import SUPPORTED_BROWSERS, SUPPORTED_KEYRINGS
+from .cookies import SUPPORTED_BROWSERS, SUPPORTED_KEYRINGS, CookieLoadError
 from .downloader.external import get_external_downloader
 from .extractor import list_extractor_classes
 from .extractor.adobepass import MSO_INFO
@@ -1084,7 +1084,7 @@ def main(argv=None):
     _IN_CLI = True
     try:
         _exit(*variadic(_real_main(argv)))
-    except DownloadError:
+    except (CookieLoadError, DownloadError):
         _exit(1)
     except SameFileError as e:
         _exit(f'ERROR: {e}')
diff --git a/yt_dlp/cookies.py b/yt_dlp/cookies.py
index cff8d74a7..4a69c576b 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/cookies.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/cookies.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 from .minicurses import MultilinePrinter, QuietMultilinePrinter
 from .utils import (
     DownloadError,
+    YoutubeDLError,
     Popen,
     error_to_str,
     expand_path,
@@ -86,24 +87,31 @@ def _create_progress_bar(logger):
     return printer
 
 
+class CookieLoadError(YoutubeDLError):
+    pass
+
+
 def load_cookies(cookie_file, browser_specification, ydl):
-    cookie_jars = []
-    if browser_specification is not None:
-        browser_name, profile, keyring, container = _parse_browser_specification(*browser_specification)
-        cookie_jars.append(
-            extract_cookies_from_browser(browser_name, profile, YDLLogger(ydl), keyring=keyring, container=container))
+    try:
+        cookie_jars = []
+        if browser_specification is not None:
+            browser_name, profile, keyring, container = _parse_browser_specification(*browser_specification)
+            cookie_jars.append(
+                extract_cookies_from_browser(browser_name, profile, YDLLogger(ydl), keyring=keyring, container=container))
 
-    if cookie_file is not None:
-        is_filename = is_path_like(cookie_file)
-        if is_filename:
-            cookie_file = expand_path(cookie_file)
+        if cookie_file is not None:
+            is_filename = is_path_like(cookie_file)
+            if is_filename:
+                cookie_file = expand_path(cookie_file)
 
-        jar = YoutubeDLCookieJar(cookie_file)
-        if not is_filename or os.access(cookie_file, os.R_OK):
-            jar.load()
-        cookie_jars.append(jar)
+            jar = YoutubeDLCookieJar(cookie_file)
+            if not is_filename or os.access(cookie_file, os.R_OK):
+                jar.load()
+            cookie_jars.append(jar)
 
-    return _merge_cookie_jars(cookie_jars)
+        return _merge_cookie_jars(cookie_jars)
+    except Exception:
+        raise CookieLoadError('failed to load cookies')
 
 
 def extract_cookies_from_browser(browser_name, profile=None, logger=YDLLogger(), *, keyring=None, container=None):