diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators.ts
index 3c16e089a2cc6..58459d8ae93be 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators.ts
@@ -38,11 +38,19 @@ export interface LocatorFactory {
 }
 
 export function asLocatorDescription(lang: Language, selector: string): string | undefined {
-  const parsed = parseSelector(selector);
-  const lastPart = parsed.parts[parsed.parts.length - 1];
-  if (lastPart?.name === 'internal:describe')
-    return JSON.parse(lastPart.body as string);
-  return asLocator(lang, selector);
+  try {
+    const parsed = parseSelector(selector);
+    const lastPart = parsed.parts[parsed.parts.length - 1];
+    if (lastPart?.name === 'internal:describe') {
+      const description = JSON.parse(lastPart.body as string);
+      if (typeof description === 'string')
+        return description;
+    }
+    return innerAsLocators(new generators[lang](), parsed, false, 1)[0];
+  } catch (e) {
+    // Tolerate invalid input.
+    return selector;
+  }
 }
 
 export function asLocator(lang: Language, selector: string, isFrameLocator: boolean = false): string {
diff --git a/tests/library/locator-generator.spec.ts b/tests/library/locator-generator.spec.ts
index cc54a143e80b6..9040438125df8 100644
--- a/tests/library/locator-generator.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/library/locator-generator.spec.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 import { contextTest as it, expect } from '../config/browserTest';
-import { asLocator, asLocators } from '../../packages/playwright-core/lib/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators';
+import { asLocator, asLocators, asLocatorDescription } from '../../packages/playwright-core/lib/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators';
 import { locatorOrSelectorAsSelector as parseLocator } from '../../packages/playwright-core/lib/utils/isomorphic/locatorParser';
 import type { Page, Frame, Locator, FrameLocator } from 'playwright-core';
 
@@ -654,3 +654,10 @@ it('should not oom in locator parser', async ({ page }) => {
   const error = await locator.count().catch(e => e);
   expect(error.message).toContain('Frame locators are not allowed inside composite locators');
 });
+
+it('asLocatorDescription invalid input', async () => {
+  expect.soft(asLocatorDescription('javascript', `body >> internal:describe="desc"`)).toBe(`desc`);
+  expect.soft(asLocatorDescription('javascript', `body >> internal:describe=12`)).toBe(`locator('body')`);
+  expect.soft(asLocatorDescription('javascript', `following-sibling::*[1]`)).toBe(`following-sibling::*[1]`);
+  expect.soft(asLocatorDescription('javascript', `body >> internal:describe="desc" >> div`)).toBe(`locator('body').locator('div')`);
+});