diff --git a/anta/catalog.py b/anta/catalog.py
index ad0670bb8..1ed45c098 100644
--- a/anta/catalog.py
+++ b/anta/catalog.py
@@ -222,11 +222,20 @@ def parse(filename: str | Path) -> AntaCatalog:
             message = f"Unable to parse ANTA Test Catalog file '{filename}'"
             anta_log_exception(e, message, logger)
             raise
+
+        if data is None:
+            logger.warning("Catalog file at %s is empty", filename)
+            return AntaCatalog([], filename=filename)
+
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            raise ValueError(f"Parsed data in {filename} does not have the correct format, Aborting...")
+
         try:
             catalog_data = AntaCatalogFile(**data)
         except ValidationError as e:
             anta_log_exception(e, f"Test catalog '{filename}' is invalid!", logger)
             raise
+
         tests: list[AntaTestDefinition] = []
         for t in catalog_data.root.values():
             tests.extend(t)
@@ -244,6 +253,14 @@ def from_dict(data: RawCatalogInput) -> AntaCatalog:
             data: Python dictionary used to instantiate the AntaCatalog instance
         """
         tests: list[AntaTestDefinition] = []
+
+        if data is None:
+            logger.warning("Catalog input data is empty")
+            return AntaCatalog([])
+
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            raise ValueError(f"Wrong input type for catalog data, must be a dict, got {type(data)}")
+
         try:
             catalog_data = AntaCatalogFile(**data)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
         except ValidationError as e:
diff --git a/tests/data/test_catalog_wrong_type.yml b/tests/data/test_catalog_wrong_type.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f8f04360
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/test_catalog_wrong_type.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"Not a string"
diff --git a/tests/data/test_empty_catalog.yml b/tests/data/test_empty_catalog.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/units/test_catalog.py b/tests/units/test_catalog.py
index ba486a317..56b279398 100644
--- a/tests/units/test_catalog.py
+++ b/tests/units/test_catalog.py
@@ -70,6 +70,11 @@
             (VerifyL3MTU, {"mtu": 1500, "filters": {"tags": ["demo"]}}),
         ],
     },
+    {
+        "name": "test_empty_catalog",
+        "filename": "test_empty_catalog.yml",
+        "tests": [],
+    },
 ]
 CATALOG_PARSE_FAIL_DATA: list[dict[str, Any]] = [
     {
@@ -102,6 +107,7 @@
         "filename": "test_catalog_test_definition_multiple_dicts.yml",
         "error": "Value error, AntaTestDefinition must be a dictionary with a single entry",
     },
+    {"name": "wrong_type_after_parsing", "filename": "test_catalog_wrong_type.yml", "error": " does not have the correct format, Aborting..."},
 ]
 CATALOG_FROM_DICT_FAIL_DATA: list[dict[str, Any]] = [
     {
@@ -109,6 +115,11 @@
         "filename": "test_catalog_with_undefined_tests.yml",
         "error": "FakeTest is not defined in Python module <module 'anta.tests.software' from",
     },
+    {
+        "name": "wrong_type",
+        "filename": "test_catalog_wrong_type.yml",
+        "error": "Wrong input type for catalog data, must be a dict, got <class 'str'>",
+    },
 ]
 CATALOG_FROM_LIST_FAIL_DATA: list[dict[str, Any]] = [
     {
@@ -209,9 +220,12 @@ def test_parse_fail(self, catalog_data: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         """
         Errors when instantiating AntaCatalog from a file
         """
-        with pytest.raises(ValidationError) as exec_info:
+        with pytest.raises((ValidationError, ValueError)) as exec_info:
             AntaCatalog.parse(str(DATA_DIR / catalog_data["filename"]))
-        assert catalog_data["error"] in exec_info.value.errors()[0]["msg"]
+        if exec_info.type == ValidationError:
+            assert catalog_data["error"] in exec_info.value.errors()[0]["msg"]
+        else:
+            assert catalog_data["error"] in str(exec_info)
 
     def test_parse_fail_parsing(self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture) -> None:
         """
@@ -241,9 +255,12 @@ def test_from_dict_fail(self, catalog_data: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         """
         with open(file=str(DATA_DIR / catalog_data["filename"]), mode="r", encoding="UTF-8") as file:
             data = safe_load(file)
-        with pytest.raises(ValidationError) as exec_info:
+        with pytest.raises((ValidationError, ValueError)) as exec_info:
             AntaCatalog.from_dict(data)
-        assert catalog_data["error"] in exec_info.value.errors()[0]["msg"]
+        if exec_info.type == ValidationError:
+            assert catalog_data["error"] in exec_info.value.errors()[0]["msg"]
+        else:
+            assert catalog_data["error"] in str(exec_info)
 
     def test_filename(self) -> None:
         """