diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 768c7d4..e65e69c 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -758,19 +758,34 @@ function initDB(peer, config) {
    */
   function publishToFeed(opts, cb) {
     if (!opts) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires an `opts`'))
-    const keypair = opts.keypair ?? config.keypair
-
+    // prettier-ignore
+    if (!opts.account) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires an `account`'))
+    if (!opts.domain) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires a `domain`'))
+    if (!opts.data) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires a `data`'))
+    if (opts.keypair) {
+      const keypair = opts.keypair
+      // prettier-ignore
+      if (!keypair.curve) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires a `keypair` with `curve`', { cause: keypair }))
+      // prettier-ignore
+      if (!keypair.public) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires a `keypair` with `public`', { cause: keypair }))
+      // prettier-ignore
+      if (!keypair.private) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires a `keypair` with `private`', { cause: keypair }))
+    }
+    if (opts.tangles) {
+      const tangles = opts.tangles
+      // prettier-ignore
+      if (!Array.isArray(tangles)) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() "tangles" option must be an array', { cause: tangles }))
+      // prettier-ignore
+      if (tangles.some(id => typeof id !== 'string')) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() "tangles" option should only have string IDs', { cause: tangles }))
+    }
     if (opts.data.recps) {
       if (!encryptionFormats.has(opts.encryptionFormat ?? '')) {
         // prettier-ignore
         return cb(new Error(`feed.publish() does not support encryption format "${opts.encryptionFormat}"`))
       }
     }
-    if (!opts.data) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires a `data`'))
-    if (!opts.domain) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires a `domain`'))
-    if (!opts.account)
-      return cb(new Error('feed.publish() requires a `account`'))
 
+    const keypair = opts.keypair ?? config.keypair
     initializeFeed(opts, (err, mootID) => {
       // prettier-ignore
       if (err) return cb(new Error('feed.publish() failed to initialize feed', { cause: err }));
@@ -820,7 +835,8 @@ function initDB(peer, config) {
       try {
         msg = MsgV3.create(fullOpts)
       } catch (err) {
-        return cb(new Error('feed.publish() failed', { cause: err }))
+        // prettier-ignore
+        return cb(new Error('feed.publish() failed to create message', { cause: err }))
       }
       const msgID = MsgV3.getMsgID(msg)
 
diff --git a/lib/msg-v3/validation.js b/lib/msg-v3/validation.js
index a1d0de5..100fc7a 100644
--- a/lib/msg-v3/validation.js
+++ b/lib/msg-v3/validation.js
@@ -117,10 +117,10 @@ function validateMsgID(str) {
     const hashBuf = b4a.from(base58.decode(str))
     if (hashBuf.length !== 16) {
       // prettier-ignore
-      return `invalid msg: decoded hash should be 16 bytes but was ${hashBuf.length}`
+      return `invalid msgID "${str}": should have 16 bytes but has ${hashBuf.length}`
     }
   } catch (err) {
-    return `invalid msg: msgID "${str}" should have been a base58 string`
+    return `invalid msgID "${str}": should have been a base58 string`
   }
 }