diff --git a/src/pdl/pdl.py b/src/pdl/pdl.py
index 09d752d2f..09d617a26 100644
--- a/src/pdl/pdl.py
+++ b/src/pdl/pdl.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 )
 from .pdl_interpreter import InterpreterState, process_prog
 from .pdl_lazy import PdlDict
-from .pdl_parser import parse_file, parse_str
+from .pdl_parser import parse_dict, parse_file, parse_str
 from .pdl_runner import exec_docker
 from .pdl_utils import validate_scope
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def exec_dict(
     Returns:
         Return the final result.
     """
-    program = Program.model_validate(prog)
+    program = parse_dict(prog)
     result = exec_program(program, config, scope, loc, output)
     return result
 
diff --git a/src/pdl/pdl_parser.py b/src/pdl/pdl_parser.py
index 0225cba43..4bda95f9f 100644
--- a/src/pdl/pdl_parser.py
+++ b/src/pdl/pdl_parser.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import json
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Any, Optional
 
 import yaml
 from pydantic import ValidationError
 
-from .pdl_ast import PDLException, PdlLocationType, Program
+from .pdl_ast import PDLException, PdlLocationType, Program, empty_block_location
 from .pdl_location_utils import get_line_map
 from .pdl_schema_error_analyzer import analyze_errors
 
@@ -25,22 +25,34 @@ def parse_str(
 ) -> tuple[Program, PdlLocationType]:
     if file_name is None:
         file_name = ""
-    prog_yaml = yaml.safe_load(pdl_str)
+    prog_dict = yaml.safe_load(pdl_str)
     line_table = get_line_map(pdl_str)
     loc = PdlLocationType(path=[], file=file_name, table=line_table)
+    prog = parse_dict(prog_dict, loc)
+    return prog, loc
+
+
+def parse_dict(
+    pdl_dict: dict[str, Any], loc: Optional[PdlLocationType] = None
+) -> Program:
     try:
-        prog = Program.model_validate(prog_yaml)
+        prog = Program.model_validate(pdl_dict)
         # set_program_location(prog, pdl_str)
     except ValidationError as exc:
         pdl_schema_file = Path(__file__).parent / "pdl-schema.json"
         with open(pdl_schema_file, "r", encoding="utf-8") as schema_fp:
             schema = json.load(schema_fp)
         defs = schema["$defs"]
-        errors = analyze_errors(defs, defs["Program"], prog_yaml, loc)
+        if loc is None:
+            loc = empty_block_location
+        errors = analyze_errors(defs, defs["Program"], pdl_dict, loc)
         if errors == []:
-            errors = [f"The file PDL {file_name} does not respect the schema."]
+            if loc.file == "":
+                errors = ["The PDL program does not respect the schema."]
+            else:
+                errors = [f"The file PDL {loc.file} does not respect the schema."]
         raise PDLParseError(errors) from exc
-    return prog, loc
+    return prog
 
 
 # def set_program_location(prog: Program, pdl_str: str, file_name: str = ""):