diff --git a/rpcs3/Crypto/utils.cpp b/rpcs3/Crypto/utils.cpp
index 7c1d1df309..514bf08580 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Crypto/utils.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Crypto/utils.cpp
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@
 // Auxiliary functions (endian swap, xor).
 
 // Bytes conversion auxiliary function.
-void bytes_to_hex(std::string& hex_str, const unsigned char* data, unsigned int data_length)
+void bytes_to_hex(std::string& hex_str, const unsigned char* data, usz data_length)
 {
-	size_t str_length = data_length * 2;
+	const usz str_length = data_length * 2;
 
 	hex_str.resize(str_length);
 
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < str_length; i += 2)
+	for (usz i = 0; i < str_length; i += 2)
 	{
 		const auto [ptr, err] = std::to_chars(hex_str.data() + i, hex_str.data() + i + 2, *data++, 16);
 		if (err != std::errc())
@@ -49,19 +49,28 @@ void bytes_to_hex(std::string& hex_str, const unsigned char* data, unsigned int
 }
 
 // Hex string conversion auxiliary function.
-void hex_to_bytes(unsigned char* data, std::string_view hex_str, unsigned int str_length)
+void hex_to_bytes(unsigned char* data, std::string_view hex_str, usz str_length, std::string* error)
 {
-	const auto strn_length = (str_length > 0) ? str_length : hex_str.size();
+	const usz strn_length = (str_length > 0) ? str_length : hex_str.size();
 
 	// Don't convert if the string length is odd.
 	if ((strn_length % 2) == 0)
 	{
-		for (size_t i = 0; i < strn_length; i += 2)
+		for (usz i = 0; i < strn_length; i += 2)
 		{
 			const auto [ptr, err] = std::from_chars(hex_str.data() + i, hex_str.data() + i + 2, *data++, 16);
 			if (err != std::errc())
 			{
-				fmt::throw_exception("Failed to read hex string: %s", std::make_error_code(err).message());
+				std::string msg = fmt::format("Failed to read hex string: %s (hex='%s')", std::make_error_code(err).message(), hex_str);
+
+				if (error)
+				{
+					*error = std::move(msg);
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					fmt::throw_exception("%s", msg);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/rpcs3/Crypto/utils.h b/rpcs3/Crypto/utils.h
index 6e8dab9734..88f0d8ce6f 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Crypto/utils.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Crypto/utils.h
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ char* extract_file_name(const char* file_path, char real_file_name[CRYPTO_MAX_PA
 std::string sha256_get_hash(const char* data, usz size, bool lower_case);
 
 // Bytes conversion auxiliary function.
-void bytes_to_hex(std::string& hex_str, const unsigned char* data, unsigned int data_length);
+void bytes_to_hex(std::string& hex_str, const unsigned char* data, usz data_length);
 
 // Hex string conversion auxiliary function.
-void hex_to_bytes(unsigned char* data, std::string_view hex_str, unsigned int str_length);
+void hex_to_bytes(unsigned char* data, std::string_view hex_str, usz str_length, std::string* error = nullptr);
 
 // Crypto functions (AES128-CBC, AES128-ECB, SHA1-HMAC and AES-CMAC).
 void aescbc128_decrypt(unsigned char *key, unsigned char *iv, unsigned char *in, unsigned char *out, usz len);
diff --git a/rpcs3/Loader/ISO.cpp b/rpcs3/Loader/ISO.cpp
index 96d196d670..4bd2050638 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Loader/ISO.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Loader/ISO.cpp
@@ -213,25 +213,32 @@ iso_type_status iso_file_decryption::get_key(const std::string& key_path, aes_co
 		return iso_type_status::ERROR_OPENING_KEY;
 	}
 
-	char key_str[32];
+	std::array<char, 32> key_str {};
 	std::array<u8, 16> key {};
 
-	const u64 key_len = key_file.read(key_str, sizeof(key_str));
+	const u64 key_len = key_file.read(key_str.data(), key_str.size());
 
-	if (key_len == sizeof(key_str) || key_len == sizeof(key))
+	if (key_len == key_str.size() || key_len == key.size())
 	{
 		// If the key read from the key file is 16 bytes long instead of 32, consider the file as
 		// binary (".key") and so not needing any further conversion from hex string to bytes
-		if (key_len == sizeof(key))
+		if (key_len == key.size())
 		{
-			std::memcpy(key.data(), key_str, sizeof(key));
+			std::memcpy(key.data(), key_str.data(), key.size());
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			hex_to_bytes(key.data(), std::string_view(key_str, key_len), static_cast<unsigned int>(key_len));
+			std::string error;
+			hex_to_bytes(key.data(), std::string_view(key_str.data(), key_str.size()), key_str.size(), &error);
+
+			if (!error.empty())
+			{
+				iso_log.error("get_key(%s): %s", key_path, error);
+				return iso_type_status::ERROR_PROCESSING_KEY;
+			}
 		}
 
-		aes_context aes_dec;
+		aes_context aes_dec {};
 
 		// If "aes_ctx" not requested
 		if (!aes_ctx)