diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_types/vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.test.js b/src/plugins/vis_types/vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.test.js
index cfeed174307ac..13c17b8f4c38f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_types/vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.test.js
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_types/vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.test.js
@@ -81,6 +81,20 @@ describe(`VegaParser.parseAsync`, () => {
       })
     )
   );
+
+  test(`should return a specific error in case of $schema URL not valid`, async () => {
+    const vp = new VegaParser({
+      $schema: 'https://vega.github.io/schema/vega-lite/v4.jsonanythingtobreakthis',
+      mark: 'circle',
+      encoding: { row: { field: 'a' } },
+    });
+
+    await vp.parseAsync();
+
+    expect(vp.error).toBe(
+      'The URL for the JSON "$schema" is incorrect. Correct the URL, then click Update.'
+    );
+  });
 });
 
 describe(`VegaParser._setDefaultValue`, () => {
diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_types/vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.ts b/src/plugins/vis_types/vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.ts
index 9000fed7f6116..57fe6e614dc71 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_types/vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_types/vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.ts
@@ -553,25 +553,34 @@ The URL is an identifier only. Kibana and your browser will never access this UR
    * @private
    */
   private parseSchema(spec: VegaSpec) {
-    const schema = schemaParser(spec.$schema);
-    const isVegaLite = schema.library === 'vega-lite';
-    const libVersion = isVegaLite ? vegaLiteVersion : vegaVersion;
+    try {
+      const schema = schemaParser(spec.$schema);
+      const isVegaLite = schema.library === 'vega-lite';
+      const libVersion = isVegaLite ? vegaLiteVersion : vegaVersion;
 
-    if (versionCompare(schema.version, libVersion) > 0) {
-      this._onWarning(
-        i18n.translate('visTypeVega.vegaParser.notValidLibraryVersionForInputSpecWarningMessage', {
-          defaultMessage:
-            'The input spec uses {schemaLibrary} {schemaVersion}, but current version of {schemaLibrary} is {libraryVersion}.',
-          values: {
-            schemaLibrary: schema.library,
-            schemaVersion: schema.version,
-            libraryVersion: libVersion,
-          },
-        })
+      if (versionCompare(schema.version, libVersion) > 0) {
+        this._onWarning(
+          i18n.translate(
+            'visTypeVega.vegaParser.notValidLibraryVersionForInputSpecWarningMessage',
+            {
+              defaultMessage:
+                'The input spec uses {schemaLibrary} {schemaVersion}, but current version of {schemaLibrary} is {libraryVersion}.',
+              values: {
+                schemaLibrary: schema.library,
+                schemaVersion: schema.version,
+                libraryVersion: libVersion,
+              },
+            }
+          )
+        );
+      }
+
+      return { isVegaLite, libVersion };
+    } catch (e) {
+      throw Error(
+        'The URL for the JSON "$schema" is incorrect. Correct the URL, then click Update.'
       );
     }
-
-    return { isVegaLite, libVersion };
   }
 
   /**