diff --git a/tests/test_syntax_errors.py b/tests/test_syntax_errors.py
index bd4ddd2..12d5780 100644
--- a/tests/test_syntax_errors.py
+++ b/tests/test_syntax_errors.py
@@ -92,3 +92,28 @@ class YamlLintTestCase(RuleTestCase):
                    '    a:\n'
                    '      set\n'
                    '...\n', None)
+
+    def test_invalid_char_last(self):
+        self.check('---\nkey: value\t\n',
+                   None, problem=(2, 11))
+
+    def test_invalid_char_first(self):
+        self.check('---\n\tkey: value\n',
+                   None, problem=(2, 1))
+
+    def test_invalid_char_on_second_line(self):
+        self.check('---\nfoo: bar\n\toutput: foo\n',
+                   None, problem=(3, 1))
+
+    def test_invalid_chars(self):
+        # We expect to identify only the first syntax error as this kind of
+        # error is fatal (stops parsing)
+        self.check('---\nkey: \tfoo\tbar\n',
+                   None,
+                   problem=(2, 6))
+
+    def test_invalid_char_with_other_rule(self):
+        self.check('key: value\t\n',
+                   None,
+                   problem1=(1, 1, 'document-start'),
+                   problem2=(1, 11))
diff --git a/yamllint/linter.py b/yamllint/linter.py
index 83e792c..bcc99f1 100644
--- a/yamllint/linter.py
+++ b/yamllint/linter.py
@@ -186,6 +186,15 @@ def get_syntax_error(buffer):
                               'syntax error: ' + e.problem + ' (syntax)')
         problem.level = 'error'
         return problem
+    except yaml.reader.ReaderError as e:
+        # we need to convert position into line+column
+        line = buffer.count('\n', 0, e.position)
+        col = e.position - (buffer.rindex('\n', 0, e.position) if line else 1)
+        problem = LintProblem(line + 1,
+                              col,
+                              'syntax error: ' + e.reason + ' (syntax)')
+        problem.level = 'error'
+        return problem
 
 
 def _run(buffer, conf, filepath):
diff --git a/yamllint/parser.py b/yamllint/parser.py
index de331f4..e6a74a3 100644
--- a/yamllint/parser.py
+++ b/yamllint/parser.py
@@ -121,9 +121,9 @@ def comments_between_tokens(token1, token2):
 
 
 def token_or_comment_generator(buffer):
-    yaml_loader = yaml.BaseLoader(buffer)
 
     try:
+        yaml_loader = yaml.BaseLoader(buffer)
         prev = None
         curr = yaml_loader.get_token()
         while curr is not None:
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ def token_or_comment_generator(buffer):
             prev = curr
             curr = next
 
-    except yaml.scanner.ScannerError:
+    # errors like this are already analysed by get_syntax_error
+    except (yaml.scanner.ScannerError, yaml.reader.ReaderError):
         pass