diff --git a/src/parser.cc b/src/parser.cc
index c69d09bea..310313ead 100644
--- a/src/parser.cc
+++ b/src/parser.cc
@@ -768,25 +768,36 @@ bool readFileInternal(const std::string &_filename, const bool _convert,
     return false;
   }
 
-  // Suppress deprecation for sdf::URDF2SDF
-  if (readDoc(&xmlDoc, _sdf, filename, _convert, _config, _errors))
+  tinyxml2::XMLElement *sdfXml = xmlDoc.FirstChildElement("sdf");
+  if (sdfXml)
   {
-    return true;
+    // Suppress deprecation for sdf::URDF2SDF
+    return readDoc(&xmlDoc, _sdf, filename, _convert, _config, _errors);
   }
-  else if (URDF2SDF::IsURDF(filename))
+  else
   {
-    URDF2SDF u2g;
-    auto doc = makeSdfDoc();
-    u2g.InitModelFile(filename, _config, &doc);
-    if (sdf::readDoc(&doc, _sdf, filename, _convert, _config, _errors))
+    tinyxml2::XMLElement *robotXml = xmlDoc.FirstChildElement("robot");
+    if (robotXml)
     {
-      sdfdbg << "parse from urdf file [" << _filename << "].\n";
-      return true;
+      URDF2SDF u2g;
+      auto doc = makeSdfDoc();
+      u2g.InitModelFile(filename, _config, &doc);
+      if (sdf::readDoc(&doc, _sdf, filename, _convert, _config, _errors))
+      {
+        sdfdbg << "Converting URDF file [" << _filename << "] to SDFormat"
+               << " and parsing it.\n";
+        return true;
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        sdferr << "Failed to parse the URDF file after converting to"
+               << " SDFormat.\n";
+        return false;
+      }
     }
     else
     {
-      sdferr << "parse as old deprecated model file failed.\n";
-      return false;
+      sdferr << "XML does not seem to be an SDFormat or an URDF file.\n";
     }
   }
 
@@ -845,30 +856,40 @@ bool readStringInternal(const std::string &_xmlString, const bool _convert,
     sdferr << "Error parsing XML from string: " << xmlDoc.ErrorStr() << '\n';
     return false;
   }
-  if (readDoc(&xmlDoc, _sdf, std::string(kSdfStringSource), _convert, _config,
-              _errors))
+  tinyxml2::XMLElement *sdfXml = xmlDoc.FirstChildElement("sdf");
+  if (sdfXml)
   {
-    return true;
+    return readDoc(&xmlDoc, _sdf, std::string(kSdfStringSource), _convert,
+                   _config, _errors);
   }
   else
   {
-    URDF2SDF u2g;
-    auto doc = makeSdfDoc();
-    u2g.InitModelString(_xmlString, _config, &doc);
-
-    if (sdf::readDoc(&doc, _sdf, std::string(kUrdfStringSource), _convert,
-                    _config, _errors))
+    tinyxml2::XMLElement *robotXml = xmlDoc.FirstChildElement("robot");
+    if (robotXml)
     {
-      sdfdbg << "Parsing from urdf.\n";
-      return true;
+      URDF2SDF u2g;
+      auto doc = makeSdfDoc();
+      u2g.InitModelString(_xmlString, _config, &doc);
+
+      if (sdf::readDoc(&doc, _sdf, std::string(kUrdfStringSource), _convert,
+                      _config, _errors))
+      {
+        sdfdbg << "Converting URDF to SDFormat and parsing it.\n";
+        return true;
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        sdferr << "Failed to parse the URDF file after converting to"
+               << " SDFormat\n";
+        return false;
+      }
     }
     else
     {
-      sdferr << "parse as old deprecated model file failed.\n";
+      sdferr << "XML does not seem to be an SDFormat or an URDF string.\n";
       return false;
     }
   }
-
   return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/parser_TEST.cc b/src/parser_TEST.cc
index 9a53a51b6..10f87290f 100644
--- a/src/parser_TEST.cc
+++ b/src/parser_TEST.cc
@@ -835,6 +835,89 @@ TEST(Parser, ElementRemovedAfterDeprecation)
   EXPECT_EQ(errors[0].LineNumber().value(), 10);
 }
 
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// Check for non SDF non URDF error on a string
+TEST(Parser, ReadStringErrorNotSDForURDF)
+{
+  std::stringstream buffer;
+  sdf::testing::RedirectConsoleStream redir(
+      sdf::Console::Instance()->GetMsgStream(), &buffer);
+
+  #ifdef _WIN32
+    sdf::Console::Instance()->SetQuiet(false);
+    sdf::testing::ScopeExit revertSetQuiet(
+      []
+      {
+        sdf::Console::Instance()->SetQuiet(true);
+      });
+  #endif
+
+  sdf::SDFPtr sdf = InitSDF();
+  const std::string testString = R"(<?xml version="1.0" ?>
+    <foo>
+    </foo>)";
+  sdf::Errors errors;
+  EXPECT_FALSE(sdf::readString(testString, sdf, errors));
+  ASSERT_EQ(errors.size(), 0u);
+  EXPECT_NE(std::string::npos, buffer.str().find(
+      "XML does not seem to be an SDFormat or an URDF string."));
+}
+
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// Check for non SDF non URDF error on a file
+TEST(Parser, ReadFileErrorNotSDForURDF)
+{
+  std::stringstream buffer;
+  sdf::testing::RedirectConsoleStream redir(
+      sdf::Console::Instance()->GetMsgStream(), &buffer);
+
+  #ifdef _WIN32
+    sdf::Console::Instance()->SetQuiet(false);
+    sdf::testing::ScopeExit revertSetQuiet(
+      []
+      {
+        sdf::Console::Instance()->SetQuiet(true);
+      });
+  #endif
+
+  const auto path =
+      sdf::testing::TestFile("sdf", "box.dae");
+
+  sdf::Errors errors;
+  sdf::SDFPtr sdf = sdf::readFile(path, errors);
+  ASSERT_EQ(errors.size(), 0u);
+  EXPECT_NE(std::string::npos, buffer.str().find(
+      "XML does not seem to be an SDFormat or an URDF file."));
+}
+
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// Check that malformed SDF files do not throw confusing error
+TEST(Parser, ReadFileMalformedSDFNoRobotError)
+{
+  // Capture sdferr output
+  std::stringstream buffer;
+  auto old = std::cerr.rdbuf(buffer.rdbuf());
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+  sdf::Console::Instance()->SetQuiet(false);
+#endif
+
+  const auto path =
+      sdf::testing::TestFile("sdf", "bad_syntax_pose.sdf");
+
+  sdf::Errors errors;
+  sdf::SDFPtr sdf = sdf::readFile(path, errors);
+  // Check the old error is not printed anymore
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::string::npos, buffer.str().find(
+      "Could not find the 'robot' element in the xml file"));
+
+  // Revert cerr rdbug so as to not interfere with other tests
+  std::cerr.rdbuf(old);
+#ifdef _WIN32
+  sdf::Console::Instance()->SetQuiet(true);
+#endif
+}
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// Main
 int main(int argc, char **argv)