diff --git a/src/installer/utils.py b/src/installer/utils.py
index d7cc670..4dcc143 100644
--- a/src/installer/utils.py
+++ b/src/installer/utils.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
     cast,
 )
 
+from installer.exceptions import InstallerError
+
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from installer.records import RecordEntry
     from installer.scripts import LauncherKind, ScriptSection
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@
 
 __all__ = [
     "SCHEME_NAMES",
+    "InvalidEntryPoint",
     "WheelFilename",
     "construct_record_file",
     "copyfileobj_with_hashing",
@@ -63,6 +66,21 @@
     "WheelFilename", ["distribution", "version", "build_tag", "tag"]
 )
 
+
+class InvalidEntryPoint(ValueError, InstallerError):
+    """Raised when an ``entry_points.txt`` entry is invalid."""
+
+    def __init__(self, *, section: str, name: str, value: str, reason: str) -> None:
+        """Initialize with context about the invalid entry point."""
+        super().__init__(
+            f"Invalid entry point {name!r} in [{section}]: {value!r}. {reason}"
+        )
+        self.section = section
+        self.name = name
+        self.value = value
+        self.reason = reason
+
+
 # Adapted from https://github.com/python/importlib_metadata/blob/v3.4.0/importlib_metadata/__init__.py#L90
 _ENTRYPOINT_REGEX = re.compile(
     r"""
@@ -230,6 +248,7 @@ def parse_entrypoints(text: str) -> Iterable[tuple[str, str, str, "ScriptSection
     :param text: entire contents of the file
     :return:
         name of the script, module to use, attribute to call, kind of script (cli / gui)
+    :raises InvalidEntryPoint: if an entry point cannot be parsed.
     """
     # Borrowed from https://github.com/python/importlib_metadata/blob/v3.4.0/importlib_metadata/__init__.py#L115
     config = ConfigParser(delimiters="=")
@@ -243,14 +262,25 @@ def parse_entrypoints(text: str) -> Iterable[tuple[str, str, str, "ScriptSection
         for name, value in config.items(section):
             assert isinstance(name, str)
             match = _ENTRYPOINT_REGEX.match(value)
-            assert match
+            if not match:
+                raise InvalidEntryPoint(
+                    section=section,
+                    name=name,
+                    value=value,
+                    reason="Expected a reference in the form module:attribute.",
+                )
 
             module = match.group("module")
             assert isinstance(module, str)
 
             attrs = match.group("attrs")
-            # TODO: make this a proper error, which can be caught.
-            assert attrs is not None
+            if attrs is None:  # pragma: no cover
+                raise InvalidEntryPoint(
+                    section=section,
+                    name=name,
+                    value=value,
+                    reason="Missing callable attribute.",
+                )
             assert isinstance(attrs, str)
 
             script_section = cast("ScriptSection", section[: -len("_scripts")])
diff --git a/tests/test_core.py b/tests/test_core.py
index 121b9d3..5aa7ea4 100644
--- a/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/test_core.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from installer.exceptions import InvalidWheelSource
 from installer.records import RecordEntry
 from installer.sources import WheelSource
+from installer.utils import InvalidEntryPoint
 
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -351,6 +352,44 @@ def main():
             ]
         )
 
+    def test_invalid_entrypoint_errors_clearly(self, mock_destination):
+        source = FakeWheelSource(
+            distribution="fancy",
+            version="1.0.0",
+            regular_files={
+                "fancy/__init__.py": b"",
+            },
+            dist_info_files={
+                "entry_points.txt": b"""\
+                    [console_scripts]
+                    fancy = fancy-project:main
+                """,
+                "WHEEL": b"""\
+                    Wheel-Version: 1.0
+                    Generator: magic (1.0.0)
+                    Root-Is-Purelib: true
+                    Tag: py3-none-any
+                """,
+                "METADATA": b"""\
+                    Metadata-Version: 2.1
+                    Name: fancy
+                    Version: 1.0.0
+                """,
+            },
+        )
+
+        with pytest.raises(InvalidEntryPoint) as ctx:
+            install(
+                source=source,
+                destination=mock_destination,
+                additional_metadata={},
+            )
+
+        assert ctx.value.section == "console_scripts"
+        assert ctx.value.name == "fancy"
+        assert ctx.value.value == "fancy-project:main"
+        assert "fancy-project:main" in str(ctx.value)
+
     def test_handles_platlib(self, mock_destination):
         # Create a fake wheel
         source = FakeWheelSource(
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index 22c262d..e059208 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 from installer.records import RecordEntry
 from installer.utils import (
+    InvalidEntryPoint,
     WheelFilename,
     canonicalize_name,
     construct_record_file,
@@ -264,3 +265,36 @@ class TestParseEntryPoints:
     def test_valid(self, script, expected):
         iterable = parse_entrypoints(textwrap.dedent(script))
         assert list(iterable) == expected, expected
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("script", "expected_name", "expected_value"),
+        [
+            pytest.param(
+                """
+                    [console_scripts]
+                    package = package-main:main
+                """,
+                "package",
+                "package-main:main",
+                id="invalid-module",
+            ),
+            pytest.param(
+                """
+                    [console_scripts]
+                    package = package.__main__
+                """,
+                "package",
+                "package.__main__",
+                id="missing-attribute",
+            ),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_invalid(self, script, expected_name, expected_value):
+        with pytest.raises(InvalidEntryPoint) as ctx:
+            list(parse_entrypoints(textwrap.dedent(script)))
+
+        assert ctx.value.section == "console_scripts"
+        assert ctx.value.name == expected_name
+        assert ctx.value.value == expected_value
+        assert expected_name in str(ctx.value)
+        assert expected_value in str(ctx.value)