diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/addPlatform/addPlatform.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/addPlatform/addPlatform.ts
index c3c9fdbe6..a296fbfad 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/addPlatform/addPlatform.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/addPlatform/addPlatform.ts
@@ -43,13 +43,23 @@ const getAppName = async (root: string) => {
     throw new CLIError(`Unable to find package.json inside ${root}`);
   }
 
-  let {name} = JSON.parse(readFileSync(pkgJsonPath, 'utf8'));
+  let name;
+
+  try {
+    name = JSON.parse(readFileSync(pkgJsonPath, 'utf8'));
+  } catch (e) {
+    throw new CLIError(`Failed to read ${pkgJsonPath} file.`, e as Error);
+  }
 
   if (!name) {
     const appJson = join(root, 'app.json');
     if (appJson) {
       logger.log(`Reading ${chalk.cyan('name')} from app.json…`);
-      name = JSON.parse(readFileSync(appJson, 'utf8')).name;
+      try {
+        name = JSON.parse(readFileSync(appJson, 'utf8')).name;
+      } catch (e) {
+        throw new CLIError(`Failed to read ${pkgJsonPath} file.`, e as Error);
+      }
     }
 
     if (!name) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/init/editTemplate.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/init/editTemplate.ts
index e90d4f688..9692a4387 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/init/editTemplate.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/init/editTemplate.ts
@@ -278,9 +278,17 @@ export function getTemplateName(cwd: string) {
   // We use package manager to infer the name of the template module for us.
   // That's why we get it from temporary package.json, where the name is the
   // first and only dependency (hence 0).
-  const name = Object.keys(
-    JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(cwd, './package.json'), 'utf8'))
-      .dependencies,
-  )[0];
+  let name;
+  try {
+    name = Object.keys(
+      JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(cwd, './package.json'), 'utf8'))
+        .dependencies,
+    )[0];
+  } catch {
+    throw new CLIError(
+      'Failed to read template name from package.json. Please make sure that the template you are using has a valid package.json file.',
+    );
+  }
+
   return name;
 }