diff --git a/key/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/Key.java b/key/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/Key.java
index 33274665f..286ac16cc 100644
--- a/key/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/Key.java
+++ b/key/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/Key.java
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 package net.kyori.adventure.key;
 
 import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.OptionalInt;
+import java.util.function.IntConsumer;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 import net.kyori.examination.Examinable;
 import net.kyori.examination.ExaminableProperty;
@@ -174,12 +176,23 @@ static boolean parseable(final @Nullable String string) {
    * @since 4.12.0
    */
   static boolean parseableNamespace(final @NotNull String namespace) {
+    return !checkNamespace(namespace).isPresent();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if {@code value} is a valid namespace.
+   *
+   * @param namespace the string to check
+   * @return {@link OptionalInt#empty()} if {@code value} is a valid namespace, otherwise an {@code OptionalInt} containing the index of an invalid character
+   * @since 4.14.0
+   */
+  static @NotNull OptionalInt checkNamespace(final @NotNull String namespace) {
     for (int i = 0, length = namespace.length(); i < length; i++) {
       if (!allowedInNamespace(namespace.charAt(i))) {
-        return false;
+        return OptionalInt.of(i);
       }
     }
-    return true;
+    return OptionalInt.empty();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -190,12 +203,23 @@ static boolean parseableNamespace(final @NotNull String namespace) {
    * @since 4.12.0
    */
   static boolean parseableValue(final @NotNull String value) {
+    return !checkValue(value).isPresent();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if {@code value} is a valid value.
+   *
+   * @param value the string to check
+   * @return {@link OptionalInt#empty()} if {@code value} is a valid value, otherwise an {@code OptionalInt} containing the index of an invalid character
+   * @since 4.14.0
+   */
+  static @NotNull OptionalInt checkValue(final @NotNull String value) {
     for (int i = 0, length = value.length(); i < length; i++) {
       if (!allowedInValue(value.charAt(i))) {
-        return false;
+        return OptionalInt.of(i);
       }
     }
-    return true;
+    return OptionalInt.empty();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/key/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/KeyImpl.java b/key/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/KeyImpl.java
index c05c6d0b9..b7227a1bb 100644
--- a/key/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/KeyImpl.java
+++ b/key/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/KeyImpl.java
@@ -23,8 +23,11 @@
  */
 package net.kyori.adventure.key;
 
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.OptionalInt;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 import net.kyori.examination.ExaminableProperty;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
@@ -41,12 +44,27 @@ final class KeyImpl implements Key {
   private final String value;
 
   KeyImpl(final @NotNull String namespace, final @NotNull String value) {
-    if (!Key.parseableNamespace(namespace)) throw new InvalidKeyException(namespace, value, String.format("Non [a-z0-9_.-] character in namespace of Key[%s]", asString(namespace, value)));
-    if (!Key.parseableValue(value)) throw new InvalidKeyException(namespace, value, String.format("Non [a-z0-9/._-] character in value of Key[%s]", asString(namespace, value)));
+    checkError("namespace", namespace, value, Key.checkNamespace(namespace));
+    checkError("value", namespace, value, Key.checkValue(value));
     this.namespace = requireNonNull(namespace, "namespace");
     this.value = requireNonNull(value, "value");
   }
 
+  private static void checkError(final String name, final String namespace, final String value, final OptionalInt index) {
+    if (index.isPresent()) {
+      final int indexValue = index.getAsInt();
+      final char character = value.charAt(indexValue);
+      throw new InvalidKeyException(namespace, value, String.format(
+        "Non [a-z0-9_.-] character in %s of Key[%s] at index %d ('%s', bytes: %s)",
+        name,
+        asString(namespace, value),
+        indexValue,
+        character,
+        Arrays.toString(String.valueOf(character).getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8))
+      ));
+    }
+  }
+
   static boolean allowedInNamespace(final char character) {
     return character == '_' || character == '-' || (character >= 'a' && character <= 'z') || (character >= '0' && character <= '9') || character == '.';
   }
diff --git a/key/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/KeyTest.java b/key/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/KeyTest.java
index 021b80420..9e6fb64e9 100644
--- a/key/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/KeyTest.java
+++ b/key/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/key/KeyTest.java
@@ -107,4 +107,9 @@ void testParseableValue() {
     assertTrue(Key.parseableValue("empty"));
     assertTrue(Key.parseableValue("some/path"));
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void testNulChar() {
+    assertThrows(InvalidKeyException.class, () -> Key.key("carbon:global\0\0\0"));
+  }
 }