diff --git a/src/mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.cpp b/src/mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.cpp
index 0f9ba97c9..f867b97f4 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include <cmath>
 #include <limits>
+#include <sstream>
 
 namespace mbgl {
 
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ inline bool getBoolean(const rapidjson::Value& value, const char* name, const bo
 
 } // namespace
 
-Sprites parseSprite(const std::string& image, const std::string& json) {
+SpriteParseResult parseSprite(const std::string& image, const std::string& json) {
     using namespace rapidjson;
 
     Sprites sprites;
@@ -107,20 +108,18 @@ Sprites parseSprite(const std::string& image, const std::string& json) {
     // Parse the sprite image.
     const util::Image raster(image);
     if (!raster) {
-        Log::Warning(Event::Sprite, "Could not parse sprite image");
-        return sprites;
+        return std::string("Could not parse sprite image");
     }
 
     Document doc;
     doc.Parse<0>(json.c_str());
 
     if (doc.HasParseError()) {
-        Log::Warning(Event::Sprite, std::string{ "Failed to parse JSON: " } + doc.GetParseError() +
-                                        " at offset " + std::to_string(doc.GetErrorOffset()));
-        return sprites;
+        std::stringstream message;
+        message << "Failed to parse JSON: " << doc.GetParseError() << " at offset " << doc.GetErrorOffset();
+        return message.str();
     } else if (!doc.IsObject()) {
-        Log::Warning(Event::Sprite, "Sprite JSON root must be an object");
-        return sprites;
+        return std::string("Sprite JSON root must be an object");
     } else {
         for (Value::ConstMemberIterator itr = doc.MemberBegin(); itr != doc.MemberEnd(); ++itr) {
             const std::string name = { itr->name.GetString(), itr->name.GetStringLength() };
diff --git a/src/mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.hpp b/src/mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.hpp
index 71228aacf..d7e995335 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <mbgl/util/noncopyable.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/geo.hpp>
+#include <mbgl/util/variant.hpp>
 
 #include <string>
 #include <memory>
@@ -31,8 +32,13 @@ SpriteImagePtr createSpriteImage(const util::Image& image,
 
 using Sprites = std::map<std::string, SpriteImagePtr>;
 
+
+using SpriteParseResult = mapbox::util::variant<
+    Sprites,      // success
+    std::string>; // error
+
 // Parses an image and an associated JSON file and returns the sprite objects.
-Sprites parseSprite(const std::string& image, const std::string& json);
+SpriteParseResult parseSprite(const std::string& image, const std::string& json);
 
 } // namespace mbgl
 
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/sprite.cpp b/src/mbgl/map/sprite.cpp
index 900b2efa4..5f6190f58 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/sprite.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/sprite.cpp
@@ -85,11 +85,19 @@ Sprite::~Sprite() {
 
 void Sprite::emitSpriteLoadedIfComplete() {
     assert(loader);
-    if (loader->loadedImage && loader->loadedJSON && observer) {
-        std::unique_ptr<Data> data(std::move(loader->data));
-        loader.reset();
 
-        observer->onSpriteLoaded(std::move(data));
+    if (!loader->loadedImage || !loader->loadedJSON || !observer) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    std::unique_ptr<Data> data(std::move(loader->data));
+    loader.reset();
+
+    auto result = parseSprite(data->image, data->json);
+    if (result.is<Sprites>()) {
+        observer->onSpriteLoaded(result.get<Sprites>());
+    } else {
+        emitSpriteLoadingFailed(result.get<std::string>());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/sprite.hpp b/src/mbgl/map/sprite.hpp
index d8f91fd9c..b2020e7d6 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/sprite.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/sprite.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef MBGL_STYLE_SPRITE
 #define MBGL_STYLE_SPRITE
 
+#include <mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/image.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/noncopyable.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/ptr.hpp>
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ public:
     public:
         virtual ~Observer() = default;
 
-        virtual void onSpriteLoaded(std::unique_ptr<Data>) = 0;
+        virtual void onSpriteLoaded(const Sprites& sprites) = 0;
         virtual void onSpriteLoadingFailed(std::exception_ptr error) = 0;
     };
 
diff --git a/src/mbgl/style/style.cpp b/src/mbgl/style/style.cpp
index 48106d8f3..e091c92f5 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/style/style.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/style/style.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #include <mbgl/map/source.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/map/transform_state.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/annotation/sprite_store.hpp>
-#include <mbgl/annotation/sprite_parser.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/style/style_layer.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/style/style_parser.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/style/style_bucket.hpp>
@@ -191,9 +190,9 @@ void Style::onTileLoadingFailed(std::exception_ptr error) {
     emitResourceLoadingFailed(error);
 }
 
-void Style::onSpriteLoaded(std::unique_ptr<Sprite::Data> spriteData) {
+void Style::onSpriteLoaded(const Sprites& sprites) {
     // Add all sprite images to the SpriteStore object
-    spriteStore->setSprites(parseSprite(spriteData->image, spriteData->json));
+    spriteStore->setSprites(sprites);
 
     shouldReparsePartialTiles = true;
     emitTileDataChanged();
diff --git a/src/mbgl/style/style.hpp b/src/mbgl/style/style.hpp
index 359ab4d83..d6b762a83 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/style/style.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/style/style.hpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ private:
     void onTileLoadingFailed(std::exception_ptr error) override;
 
     // Sprite::Observer implementation.
-    void onSpriteLoaded(std::unique_ptr<Sprite::Data>) override;
+    void onSpriteLoaded(const Sprites& sprites) override;
     void onSpriteLoadingFailed(std::exception_ptr error) override;
 
     void emitTileDataChanged();
diff --git a/test/annotations/sprite_atlas.cpp b/test/annotations/sprite_atlas.cpp
index 16140b051..0eece6c47 100644
--- a/test/annotations/sprite_atlas.cpp
+++ b/test/annotations/sprite_atlas.cpp
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ using namespace mbgl;
 TEST(Annotations, SpriteAtlas) {
     FixtureLog log;
 
+    auto spriteParseResult = parseSprite(util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png"),
+                                         util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.json"));
+
     SpriteStore store;
-    store.setSprites(parseSprite(util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png"),
-                                 util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.json")));
+    store.setSprites(spriteParseResult.get<Sprites>());
 
     SpriteAtlas atlas(63, 112, 1, store);
 
@@ -85,9 +87,12 @@ TEST(Annotations, SpriteAtlas) {
 }
 
 TEST(Annotations, SpriteAtlasSize) {
+    auto spriteParseResult = parseSprite(util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png"),
+                                         util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.json"));
+
     SpriteStore store;
-    store.setSprites(parseSprite(util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png"),
-                                 util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.json")));
+    store.setSprites(spriteParseResult.get<Sprites>());
+
     SpriteAtlas atlas(63, 112, 1.4, store);
 
     EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(1.4f, atlas.getPixelRatio());
diff --git a/test/annotations/sprite_parser.cpp b/test/annotations/sprite_parser.cpp
index 280a19c50..703315258 100644
--- a/test/annotations/sprite_parser.cpp
+++ b/test/annotations/sprite_parser.cpp
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ TEST(Annotations, SpriteParsing) {
     const auto image_1x = util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png");
     const auto json_1x = util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.json");
 
-    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x);
+    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x).get<Sprites>();
 
     std::set<std::string> names;
     std::transform(images.begin(), images.end(), std::inserter(names, names.begin()),
@@ -210,22 +210,13 @@ TEST(Annotations, SpriteParsing) {
 }
 
 TEST(Annotations, SpriteParsingInvalidJSON) {
-    FixtureLog log;
-
     const auto image_1x = util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png");
     const auto json_1x = R"JSON({ "image": " })JSON";
 
-    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x);
-    EXPECT_EQ(0u, images.size());
+    const auto error = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x).get<std::string>();
 
-    EXPECT_EQ(
-        1u,
-        log.count({
-            EventSeverity::Warning,
-            Event::Sprite,
-            int64_t(-1),
-            "Failed to parse JSON: lacks ending quotation before the end of string at offset 10",
-        }));
+    EXPECT_EQ(error,
+              std::string("Failed to parse JSON: lacks ending quotation before the end of string at offset 10"));
 }
 
 TEST(Annotations, SpriteParsingEmptyImage) {
@@ -234,7 +225,7 @@ TEST(Annotations, SpriteParsingEmptyImage) {
     const auto image_1x = util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png");
     const auto json_1x = R"JSON({ "image": {} })JSON";
 
-    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x);
+    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x).get<Sprites>();
     EXPECT_EQ(0u, images.size());
 
     EXPECT_EQ(1u, log.count({
@@ -251,7 +242,7 @@ TEST(Annotations, SpriteParsingSimpleWidthHeight) {
     const auto image_1x = util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png");
     const auto json_1x = R"JSON({ "image": { "width": 32, "height": 32 } })JSON";
 
-    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x);
+    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x).get<Sprites>();
     EXPECT_EQ(1u, images.size());
 }
 
@@ -261,7 +252,7 @@ TEST(Annotations, SpriteParsingWidthTooBig) {
     const auto image_1x = util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png");
     const auto json_1x = R"JSON({ "image": { "width": 65536, "height": 32 } })JSON";
 
-    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x);
+    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x).get<Sprites>();
     EXPECT_EQ(0u, images.size());
 
     EXPECT_EQ(1u, log.count({
@@ -284,7 +275,7 @@ TEST(Annotations, SpriteParsingNegativeWidth) {
     const auto image_1x = util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png");
     const auto json_1x = R"JSON({ "image": { "width": -1, "height": 32 } })JSON";
 
-    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x);
+    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x).get<Sprites>();
     EXPECT_EQ(0u, images.size());
 
     EXPECT_EQ(1u, log.count({
@@ -307,7 +298,7 @@ TEST(Annotations, SpriteParsingNullRatio) {
     const auto image_1x = util::read_file("test/fixtures/annotations/emerald.png");
     const auto json_1x = R"JSON({ "image": { "width": 32, "height": 32, "pixelRatio": 0 } })JSON";
 
-    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x);
+    const auto images = parseSprite(image_1x, json_1x).get<Sprites>();
     EXPECT_EQ(0u, images.size());
 
     EXPECT_EQ(1u, log.count({