diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Abstractions/ErrorCodes.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Abstractions/ErrorCodes.cs
index aa71de9ad74..5c54edf2827 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Abstractions/ErrorCodes.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Abstractions/ErrorCodes.cs
@@ -352,5 +352,10 @@ public static class Paging
         /// You must provide a `first` or `last` value to properly paginate the connection.
         /// </summary>
         public const string NoPagingBoundaries = "HC0052";
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// The cursor format is invalid.
+        /// </summary>
+        public const string InvalidCursor = "HC0078";
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Abstractions/ErrorExtensions.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Abstractions/ErrorExtensions.cs
index 89d8d89e540..940e234e825 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Abstractions/ErrorExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Abstractions/ErrorExtensions.cs
@@ -18,14 +18,13 @@ public static class ErrorExtensions
     /// but without any syntax node details.
     /// </returns>
     public static IError RemoveSyntaxNode(this IError error)
-    {
-        return new Error(error.Message,
+        => new Error(
+            error.Message,
             error.Code,
             error.Path,
             error.Locations,
             error.Extensions,
             error.Exception);
-    }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Creates a new error that contains all properties of this error
@@ -40,13 +39,12 @@ public static IError RemoveSyntaxNode(this IError error)
     /// but with the specified <paramref name="syntaxNode" />.
     /// </returns>
     public static IError WithSyntaxNode(this IError error, ISyntaxNode? syntaxNode)
-    {
-        return new Error(error.Message,
+        => new Error(
+            error.Message,
             error.Code,
             error.Path,
             error.Locations,
             error.Extensions,
             error.Exception,
             syntaxNode);
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/CursorPaginationAlgorithm.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/CursorPaginationAlgorithm.cs
index e8b2cf259e3..635216c4ab2 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/CursorPaginationAlgorithm.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/CursorPaginationAlgorithm.cs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using ThrowHelper = HotChocolate.Utilities.ThrowHelper; 
 
 namespace HotChocolate.Types.Pagination;
 
@@ -170,15 +171,29 @@ private static CursorPagingRange SliceRange(
         // afterEdge.
         //
         // The cursor is increased by one so that the index points to the element after
-        var startIndex = arguments.After is { } a
-            ? IndexEdge<TEntity>.DeserializeCursor(a) + 1
-            : 0;
+        var startIndex = 0;
+        if (arguments.After is not null)
+        {
+            if (!IndexCursor.TryParse(arguments.After, out var index))
+            {
+                throw ThrowHelper.InvalidIndexCursor("after", arguments.After);
+            }
+
+            startIndex = index + 1;
+        }
 
         // [SPEC] if before is set then remove all elements of edges before and including
         // beforeEdge.
-        var before = arguments.Before is { } b
-            ? IndexEdge<TEntity>.DeserializeCursor(b)
-            : maxElementCount;
+        var before = maxElementCount;
+        if (arguments.Before is not null)
+        {
+            if (!IndexCursor.TryParse(arguments.Before, out var index))
+            {
+                throw ThrowHelper.InvalidIndexCursor("before", arguments.Before);
+            }
+
+            before = index;
+        }
 
         // if after is negative we have know how much of the offset was in the negative range.
         // The amount of positions that are in the negative range, have to be subtracted from
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/IndexCursor.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/IndexCursor.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cab1f9f3a65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/IndexCursor.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+using System;
+using System.Buffers;
+using System.Buffers.Text;
+using System.Text;
+
+namespace HotChocolate.Types.Pagination;
+
+internal static class IndexCursor
+{
+    private static readonly Encoding _utf8 = Encoding.UTF8;
+    
+    public static unsafe string Format(Span<byte> buffer)
+    {
+        fixed (byte* bytePtr = buffer)
+        {
+            return _utf8.GetString(bytePtr, buffer.Length);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    public static unsafe bool TryParse(string cursor, out int index)
+    {
+        fixed (char* cPtr = cursor)
+        {
+            var count = _utf8.GetByteCount(cPtr, cursor.Length);
+            byte[]? rented = null;
+
+            var buffer = count <= 128
+                ? stackalloc byte[count]
+                : rented = ArrayPool<byte>.Shared.Rent(count);
+
+            try
+            {
+                fixed (byte* bytePtr = buffer)
+                {
+                    _utf8.GetBytes(cPtr, cursor.Length, bytePtr, buffer.Length);
+                }
+
+                Base64.DecodeFromUtf8InPlace(buffer, out var written);
+                if (Utf8Parser.TryParse(buffer.Slice(0, written), out index, out _))
+                {
+                    return true;
+                }
+
+                index = -1;
+                return false;
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                if (rented is not null)
+                {
+                    ArrayPool<byte>.Shared.Return(rented);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/IndexEdge.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/IndexEdge.cs
index 7d2b3ad4f35..945352b22fb 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/IndexEdge.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/IndexEdge.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 using System;
-using System.Buffers;
 using System.Buffers.Text;
-using System.Text;
 using HotChocolate.Execution;
 
 #nullable enable
@@ -10,8 +8,6 @@ namespace HotChocolate.Types.Pagination;
 
 public sealed class IndexEdge<T> : Edge<T>
 {
-    private static readonly Encoding _utf8 = Encoding.UTF8;
-
     private IndexEdge(T node, string cursor, int index)
         : base(node, cursor)
     {
@@ -25,51 +21,7 @@ public static IndexEdge<T> Create(T node, int index)
         Span<byte> buffer = stackalloc byte[27 / 3 * 4];
         Utf8Formatter.TryFormat(index, buffer, out var written);
         Base64.EncodeToUtf8InPlace(buffer, written, out written);
-        var cursor = CreateString(buffer.Slice(0, written));
+        var cursor = IndexCursor.Format(buffer.Slice(0, written));
         return new IndexEdge<T>(node, cursor, index);
     }
-
-    private static unsafe string CreateString(Span<byte> buffer)
-    {
-        fixed (byte* bytePtr = buffer)
-        {
-            return _utf8.GetString(bytePtr, buffer.Length);
-        }
-    }
-
-    public static unsafe int DeserializeCursor(string cursor)
-    {
-        fixed (char* cPtr = cursor)
-        {
-            var count = _utf8.GetByteCount(cPtr, cursor.Length);
-            byte[]? rented = null;
-
-            var buffer = count <= 128
-                ? stackalloc byte[count]
-                : rented = ArrayPool<byte>.Shared.Rent(count);
-
-            try
-            {
-                fixed (byte* bytePtr = buffer)
-                {
-                    _utf8.GetBytes(cPtr, cursor.Length, bytePtr, buffer.Length);
-                }
-
-                Base64.DecodeFromUtf8InPlace(buffer, out var written);
-                if (Utf8Parser.TryParse(buffer.Slice(0, written), out int index, out _))
-                {
-                    return index;
-                }
-
-                throw new QueryException("The cursor has an invalid format.");
-            }
-            finally
-            {
-                if (rented is { })
-                {
-                    ArrayPool<byte>.Shared.Return(rented);
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Properties/CursorResources.Designer.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Properties/CursorResources.Designer.cs
index 2448e37f01b..d59be8c4bfc 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Properties/CursorResources.Designer.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Properties/CursorResources.Designer.cs
@@ -98,5 +98,11 @@ internal static string Edge_Cursor_CursorAndResolverNull {
                 return ResourceManager.GetString("Edge_Cursor_CursorAndResolverNull", resourceCulture);
             }
         }
+        
+        internal static string ThrowHelper_InvalidIndexCursor_Message {
+            get {
+                return ResourceManager.GetString("ThrowHelper_InvalidIndexCursor_Message", resourceCulture);
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Properties/CursorResources.resx b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Properties/CursorResources.resx
index f2f0f01dc21..8a6cbdab568 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Properties/CursorResources.resx
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Properties/CursorResources.resx
@@ -45,4 +45,7 @@
   <data name="Edge_Cursor_CursorAndResolverNull" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>The edge state is invalid and has no cursor.</value>
   </data>
+  <data name="ThrowHelper_InvalidIndexCursor_Message" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>The cursor specified in `{0}` has an invalid format.</value>
+  </data>
 </root>
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Utilities/ThrowHelper.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Utilities/ThrowHelper.cs
index f63a12dd873..6ec5d5319b2 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Utilities/ThrowHelper.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types.CursorPagination/Utilities/ThrowHelper.cs
@@ -42,4 +42,15 @@ public static SchemaException PagingObjectFieldDescriptorExtensions_InvalidType(
                 .SetMessage(PagingObjectFieldDescriptorExtensions_SchemaTypeNotValid)
                 .SetCode(ErrorCodes.Paging.SchemaTypeInvalid)
                 .Build());
+
+    public static GraphQLException InvalidIndexCursor(string argument, string cursor)
+        => new GraphQLException(
+            ErrorBuilder.New()
+                .SetMessage(
+                    ThrowHelper_InvalidIndexCursor_Message,
+                    argument)
+                .SetExtension("argument", argument)
+                .SetExtension("cursor", cursor)
+                .SetCode(ErrorCodes.Paging.InvalidCursor)
+                .Build());
 }
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types/Types/Pagination/PagingMiddleware.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types/Types/Pagination/PagingMiddleware.cs
index 3a38fd10b25..9ac5912d877 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types/Types/Pagination/PagingMiddleware.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/src/Types/Types/Pagination/PagingMiddleware.cs
@@ -6,18 +6,12 @@
 
 namespace HotChocolate.Types.Pagination;
 
-public class PagingMiddleware
+public class PagingMiddleware(FieldDelegate next, IPagingHandler pagingHandler)
 {
-    private readonly FieldDelegate _next;
-    private readonly IPagingHandler _pagingHandler;
-
-    public PagingMiddleware(FieldDelegate next, IPagingHandler pagingHandler)
-    {
-        _next = next ??
-            throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(next));
-        _pagingHandler = pagingHandler ??
-            throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(pagingHandler));
-    }
+    private readonly FieldDelegate _next = next ??
+        throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(next));
+    private readonly IPagingHandler _pagingHandler = pagingHandler ??
+        throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(pagingHandler));
 
     public async Task InvokeAsync(IMiddlewareContext context)
     {
@@ -37,9 +31,28 @@ public async Task InvokeAsync(IMiddlewareContext context)
 
         if (context.Result is not null and not IPage)
         {
-            context.Result = await _pagingHandler
-                .SliceAsync(context, context.Result)
-                .ConfigureAwait(false);
+            try
+            {
+                context.Result = await _pagingHandler
+                    .SliceAsync(context, context.Result)
+                    .ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+            catch (GraphQLException ex)
+            {
+                var errors = new IError[ex.Errors.Count];
+
+                for (var i = 0; i < ex.Errors.Count; i++)
+                {
+                    errors[i] = ErrorBuilder
+                        .FromError(ex.Errors[i])
+                        .AddLocation(context.Selection.SyntaxNode)
+                        .SetSyntaxNode(context.Selection.SyntaxNode)
+                        .SetPath(context.Path)
+                        .Build();
+                }
+
+                throw new GraphQLException(errors);
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/IntegrationTests.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/IntegrationTests.cs
index 71bce264a9a..a930a4166f4 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/IntegrationTests.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/IntegrationTests.cs
@@ -944,6 +944,60 @@ public async Task TotalCountWithCustomConnection()
         // assert
         result.ToJson().MatchSnapshot();
     }
+    
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Invalid_After_Index_Cursor()
+    {
+        Snapshot.FullName();
+
+        var executor =
+            await new ServiceCollection()
+                .AddGraphQL()
+                .AddQueryType<QueryType>()
+                .Services
+                .BuildServiceProvider()
+                .GetRequestExecutorAsync();
+
+        var result = await executor.ExecuteAsync(
+            """
+            {
+              letters(first: 2 after: "INVALID") {
+                  edges {
+                      cursor
+                  }
+              }
+            }
+            """);
+        
+        await result.MatchSnapshotAsync();
+    }
+    
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Invalid_Before_Index_Cursor()
+    {
+        Snapshot.FullName();
+
+        var executor =
+            await new ServiceCollection()
+                .AddGraphQL()
+                .AddQueryType<QueryType>()
+                .Services
+                .BuildServiceProvider()
+                .GetRequestExecutorAsync();
+
+        var result = await executor.ExecuteAsync(
+            """
+            {
+              letters(first: 2 before: "INVALID") {
+                  edges {
+                      cursor
+                  }
+              }
+            }
+            """);
+        
+        await result.MatchSnapshotAsync();
+    }
 
     public class QueryType : ObjectType<Query>
     {
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/__snapshots__/IntegrationTests.Invalid_After_Index_Cursor.snap b/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/__snapshots__/IntegrationTests.Invalid_After_Index_Cursor.snap
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fd32147a5f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/__snapshots__/IntegrationTests.Invalid_After_Index_Cursor.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{
+  "errors": [
+    {
+      "message": "The cursor specified in `after` has an invalid format.",
+      "locations": [
+        {
+          "line": 2,
+          "column": 3
+        }
+      ],
+      "path": [
+        "letters"
+      ],
+      "extensions": {
+        "argument": "after",
+        "cursor": "INVALID",
+        "code": "HC0078"
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "data": {
+    "letters": null
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/__snapshots__/IntegrationTests.Invalid_Before_Index_Cursor.snap b/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/__snapshots__/IntegrationTests.Invalid_Before_Index_Cursor.snap
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0b3bb27ed69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Core/test/Types.CursorPagination.Tests/__snapshots__/IntegrationTests.Invalid_Before_Index_Cursor.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{
+  "errors": [
+    {
+      "message": "The cursor specified in `before` has an invalid format.",
+      "locations": [
+        {
+          "line": 2,
+          "column": 3
+        }
+      ],
+      "path": [
+        "letters"
+      ],
+      "extensions": {
+        "argument": "before",
+        "cursor": "INVALID",
+        "code": "HC0078"
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "data": {
+    "letters": null
+  }
+}