diff --git a/heatclient/common/environment_format.py b/heatclient/common/environment_format.py
index 0b876b6b..5c29aad0 100644
--- a/heatclient/common/environment_format.py
+++ b/heatclient/common/environment_format.py
@@ -21,15 +21,21 @@ SECTIONS = (PARAMETER_DEFAULTS, PARAMETERS, RESOURCE_REGISTRY) = \
 
 
 def parse(env_str):
-    '''Takes a string and returns a dict containing the parsed structure.
+    """Takes a string and returns a dict containing the parsed structure.
 
     This includes determination of whether the string is using the
     YAML format.
-    '''
+    """
     try:
         env = yaml.load(env_str, Loader=template_format.yaml_loader)
-    except yaml.YAMLError as yea:
-        raise ValueError(yea)
+    except yaml.YAMLError:
+        # NOTE(prazumovsky): we need to return more informative error for
+        # user, so use SafeLoader, which return error message with template
+        # snippet where error has been occurred.
+        try:
+            env = yaml.load(env_str, Loader=yaml.SafeLoader)
+        except yaml.YAMLError as yea:
+            raise ValueError(yea)
     else:
         if env is None:
             env = {}
diff --git a/heatclient/common/template_format.py b/heatclient/common/template_format.py
index 2f4a91ac..1636ebb7 100644
--- a/heatclient/common/template_format.py
+++ b/heatclient/common/template_format.py
@@ -40,18 +40,24 @@ yaml_loader.add_constructor(u'tag:yaml.org,2002:timestamp',
 
 
 def parse(tmpl_str):
-    '''Takes a string and returns a dict containing the parsed structure.
+    """Takes a string and returns a dict containing the parsed structure.
 
     This includes determination of whether the string is using the
     JSON or YAML format.
-    '''
+    """
     if tmpl_str.startswith('{'):
         tpl = json.loads(tmpl_str)
     else:
         try:
             tpl = yaml.load(tmpl_str, Loader=yaml_loader)
-        except yaml.YAMLError as yea:
-            raise ValueError(yea)
+        except yaml.YAMLError:
+            # NOTE(prazumovsky): we need to return more informative error for
+            # user, so use SafeLoader, which return error message with template
+            # snippet where error has been occurred.
+            try:
+                tpl = yaml.load(tmpl_str, Loader=yaml.SafeLoader)
+            except yaml.YAMLError as yea:
+                raise ValueError(yea)
         else:
             if tpl is None:
                 tpl = {}
diff --git a/heatclient/tests/unit/test_environment_format.py b/heatclient/tests/unit/test_environment_format.py
index 702619dd..faea505d 100644
--- a/heatclient/tests/unit/test_environment_format.py
+++ b/heatclient/tests/unit/test_environment_format.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from heatclient.common import environment_format
 
 import mock
+import six
 import testscenarios
 import testtools
 import yaml
@@ -78,3 +79,14 @@ class YamlParseExceptions(testtools.TestCase):
 
             self.assertRaises(ValueError,
                               environment_format.parse, text)
+
+
+class DetailedYAMLParseExceptions(testtools.TestCase):
+
+    def test_parse_to_value_exception(self):
+        yaml = """not important
+but very:
+  - incorrect
+"""
+        ex = self.assertRaises(ValueError, environment_format.parse, yaml)
+        self.assertIn('but very:\n            ^', six.text_type(ex))
diff --git a/heatclient/tests/unit/test_template_format.py b/heatclient/tests/unit/test_template_format.py
index ca8d1fc2..ffc1ec4f 100644
--- a/heatclient/tests/unit/test_template_format.py
+++ b/heatclient/tests/unit/test_template_format.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 import mock
+import six
 import testscenarios
 import testtools
 import yaml
@@ -48,3 +49,14 @@ Resources: {}
 Outputs: {}
 '''
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, template_format.parse, yaml2)
+
+
+class DetailedYAMLParseExceptions(testtools.TestCase):
+
+    def test_parse_to_value_exception(self):
+        yaml = """not important
+but very:
+  - incorrect
+"""
+        ex = self.assertRaises(ValueError, template_format.parse, yaml)
+        self.assertIn('but very:\n            ^', six.text_type(ex))