diff --git a/changelog.d/mrf-regex-error.fix b/changelog.d/mrf-regex-error.fix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2c43bc04a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/mrf-regex-error.fix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MRF: Log sensible error for subdomains_regex
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf.ex
index 7f6dce925..1071f8e6e 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf.ex
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Pleroma: A lightweight social networking server
-# Copyright © 2017-2022 Pleroma Authors <https://pleroma.social/>
+# Copyright © 2017-2023 Pleroma Authors <https://pleroma.social/>
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 
 defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF do
@@ -139,7 +139,16 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF do
 
   @spec subdomains_regex([String.t()]) :: [Regex.t()]
   def subdomains_regex(domains) when is_list(domains) do
-    for domain <- domains, do: ~r(^#{String.replace(domain, "*.", "(.*\\.)*")}$)i
+    for domain <- domains do
+      try do
+        target = String.replace(domain, "*.", "(.*\\.)*")
+        ~r<^#{target}$>i
+      rescue
+        e ->
+          Logger.error("MRF: Invalid subdomain Regex: #{domain}")
+          reraise e, __STACKTRACE__
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   @spec subdomain_match?([Regex.t()], String.t()) :: boolean()
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf_test.exs
index 4ad45c818..3ead73792 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf_test.exs
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 # Pleroma: A lightweight social networking server
-# Copyright © 2017-2022 Pleroma Authors <https://pleroma.social/>
+# Copyright © 2017-2023 Pleroma Authors <https://pleroma.social/>
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 
 defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRFTest do
   use ExUnit.Case
   use Pleroma.Tests.Helpers
+
+  import ExUnit.CaptureLog
+
   alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF
 
   test "subdomains_regex/1" do
@@ -61,6 +64,14 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRFTest do
       refute MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "EXAMPLE.COM")
       refute MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "example.com")
     end
+
+    @tag capture_log: true
+    test "logs sensible error on accidental wildcard" do
+      assert_raise Regex.CompileError, fn ->
+        assert capture_log(MRF.subdomains_regex(["*unsafe.tld"])) =~
+                 "MRF: Invalid subdomain Regex: *unsafe.tld"
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe "instance_list_from_tuples/1" do