diff --git a/src/descriptor/dsl.rs b/src/descriptor/dsl.rs
index 518b8750..988b9a8d 100644
--- a/src/descriptor/dsl.rs
+++ b/src/descriptor/dsl.rs
@@ -765,8 +765,10 @@ macro_rules! fragment {
             (keys_acc, net_acc)
         });
 
-        let thresh = $crate::miniscript::Threshold::new($thresh, items).expect("valid threshold and pks collection");
-        $crate::impl_leaf_opcode_value!(Thresh, thresh)
+        $crate::miniscript::Threshold::new($thresh, items)
+            .map_err($crate::miniscript::Error::Threshold)
+            .map_err($crate::descriptor::DescriptorError::Miniscript)
+            .and_then(|thresh| $crate::impl_leaf_opcode_value!(Thresh, thresh))
             .map(|(minisc, _, _)| (minisc, key_maps, valid_network_kinds))
     });
     ( thresh ( $thresh:expr, $( $inner:tt )* ) ) => ({
@@ -779,8 +781,10 @@ macro_rules! fragment {
         let secp = $crate::bitcoin::secp256k1::Secp256k1::new();
 
         let fun = |k, pks| {
-            let thresh = $crate::miniscript::Threshold::new(k, pks).expect("valid threshold and pks collection");
-            $crate::miniscript::Terminal::Multi(thresh)
+            $crate::miniscript::Threshold::new(k, pks)
+                .map($crate::miniscript::Terminal::Multi)
+                .map_err($crate::miniscript::Error::Threshold)
+                .map_err($crate::descriptor::DescriptorError::Miniscript)
         };
 
         $crate::keys::make_multi($thresh, fun, $keys, &secp)
@@ -793,8 +797,10 @@ macro_rules! fragment {
         let secp = $crate::bitcoin::secp256k1::Secp256k1::new();
 
         let fun = |k, pks| {
-            let thresh = $crate::miniscript::Threshold::new(k, pks).expect("valid threshold and pks collection");
-            $crate::miniscript::Terminal::MultiA(thresh)
+            $crate::miniscript::Threshold::new(k, pks)
+                .map($crate::miniscript::Terminal::MultiA)
+                .map_err($crate::miniscript::Error::Threshold)
+                .map_err($crate::descriptor::DescriptorError::Miniscript)
         };
 
         $crate::keys::make_multi($thresh, fun, $keys, &secp)
@@ -1117,6 +1123,71 @@ mod test {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_dsl_multi_invalid_threshold_returns_error_not_panic() {
+        let key_1 = bip32::Xpriv::from_str("tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPcx5nBGsR63Pe8KnRUqmbJNENAfGftF3yuXoMMoVJJcYeUw5eVkm9WBPjWYt6HMWYJNesB5HaNVBaFc1M6dRjWSYnmewUMYy").unwrap();
+        let path_1 = bip32::DerivationPath::from_str("m/0").unwrap();
+        let key_2 = bip32::Xpriv::from_str("tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPegBHHnq7YEgM815dG24M2Jk5RVqipgDxF1HJ1tsnT815X5Fd5FRfMVUs8NZs9XCb6y9an8hRPThnhfwfXJ36intaekySHGF").unwrap();
+        let path_2 = bip32::DerivationPath::from_str("m/1").unwrap();
+        let desc_key1 = (key_1, path_1).into_descriptor_key().unwrap();
+        let desc_key2 = (key_2, path_2).into_descriptor_key().unwrap();
+
+        let result = descriptor!(wsh(multi(3, desc_key1, desc_key2)));
+
+        assert!(
+            result.is_err(),
+            "invalid threshold (k > n) should return Err, not panic"
+        );
+        assert!(matches!(
+            result,
+            Err(DescriptorError::Miniscript(miniscript::Error::Threshold(_)))
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_dsl_thresh_invalid_threshold_returns_error_not_panic() {
+        let key_1 = bip32::Xpriv::from_str("tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPcx5nBGsR63Pe8KnRUqmbJNENAfGftF3yuXoMMoVJJcYeUw5eVkm9WBPjWYt6HMWYJNesB5HaNVBaFc1M6dRjWSYnmewUMYy").unwrap();
+        let path_1 = bip32::DerivationPath::from_str("m/0").unwrap();
+        let key_2 = bip32::Xpriv::from_str("tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPegBHHnq7YEgM815dG24M2Jk5RVqipgDxF1HJ1tsnT815X5Fd5FRfMVUs8NZs9XCb6y9an8hRPThnhfwfXJ36intaekySHGF").unwrap();
+        let path_2 = bip32::DerivationPath::from_str("m/1").unwrap();
+        let desc_key1 = (key_1, path_1).into_descriptor_key().unwrap();
+        let desc_key2 = (key_2, path_2).into_descriptor_key().unwrap();
+
+        let result = descriptor!(wsh(thresh(3, pk(desc_key1), pk(desc_key2))));
+
+        assert!(
+            result.is_err(),
+            "invalid threshold (k > n) should return Err, not panic"
+        );
+        assert!(matches!(
+            result,
+            Err(DescriptorError::Miniscript(miniscript::Error::Threshold(_)))
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_dsl_multi_a_invalid_threshold_returns_error_not_panic() {
+        let internal_key =
+            PrivateKey::from_wif("cSQPHDBwXGjVzWRqAHm6zfvQhaTuj1f2bFH58h55ghbjtFwvmeXR").unwrap();
+        let key_1 = bip32::Xpriv::from_str("tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPcx5nBGsR63Pe8KnRUqmbJNENAfGftF3yuXoMMoVJJcYeUw5eVkm9WBPjWYt6HMWYJNesB5HaNVBaFc1M6dRjWSYnmewUMYy").unwrap();
+        let path_1 = bip32::DerivationPath::from_str("m/0").unwrap();
+        let key_2 = bip32::Xpriv::from_str("tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPegBHHnq7YEgM815dG24M2Jk5RVqipgDxF1HJ1tsnT815X5Fd5FRfMVUs8NZs9XCb6y9an8hRPThnhfwfXJ36intaekySHGF").unwrap();
+        let path_2 = bip32::DerivationPath::from_str("m/1").unwrap();
+        let desc_key1 = (key_1, path_1).into_descriptor_key().unwrap();
+        let desc_key2 = (key_2, path_2).into_descriptor_key().unwrap();
+
+        let result = descriptor!(tr(internal_key, multi_a(3, desc_key1, desc_key2)));
+
+        assert!(
+            result.is_err(),
+            "invalid threshold (k > n) should return Err, not panic"
+        );
+        assert!(matches!(
+            result,
+            Err(DescriptorError::Miniscript(miniscript::Error::Threshold(_)))
+        ));
+    }
+
     // Verify that the `valid_network_kinds` returned is correctly computed based on the keys
     // present in the descriptor.
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/keys/mod.rs b/src/keys/mod.rs
index ef44e87f..2fedbafa 100644
--- a/src/keys/mod.rs
+++ b/src/keys/mod.rs
@@ -864,7 +864,10 @@ pub fn make_pkh<Pk: IntoDescriptorKey<Ctx>, Ctx: ScriptContext>(
 pub fn make_multi<
     Pk: IntoDescriptorKey<Ctx>,
     Ctx: ScriptContext,
-    V: Fn(usize, Vec<DescriptorPublicKey>) -> Terminal<DescriptorPublicKey, Ctx>,
+    V: Fn(
+        usize,
+        Vec<DescriptorPublicKey>,
+    ) -> Result<Terminal<DescriptorPublicKey, Ctx>, DescriptorError>,
 >(
     thresh: usize,
     variant: V,
@@ -879,7 +882,7 @@ pub fn make_multi<
     DescriptorError,
 > {
     let (pks, key_map, valid_network_kinds) = expand_multi_keys(pks, secp)?;
-    let minisc = Miniscript::from_ast(variant(thresh, pks))?;
+    let minisc = Miniscript::from_ast(variant(thresh, pks)?)?;
 
     minisc.check_miniscript()?;