diff --git a/persist/string-adapter/adapter.go b/persist/string-adapter/adapter.go
index 031f80b5e..75f5d73c8 100644
--- a/persist/string-adapter/adapter.go
+++ b/persist/string-adapter/adapter.go
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ func (a *Adapter) LoadPolicy(model model.Model) error {
 		if str == "" {
 			continue
 		}
-		_ = persist.LoadPolicyLine(str, model)
+		if err := persist.LoadPolicyLine(str, model); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/persist/string-adapter/adapter_test.go b/persist/string-adapter/adapter_test.go
index 620e8f41a..9ab40e8a3 100644
--- a/persist/string-adapter/adapter_test.go
+++ b/persist/string-adapter/adapter_test.go
@@ -171,3 +171,16 @@ g, alice, data_group_admin
 		t.Error("unexpected enforce result")
 	}
 }
+
+// Test_LoadPolicyMalformedLine verifies that a malformed policy line (here an
+// unterminated quoted field) makes LoadPolicy return an error instead of
+// silently producing a model that lacks the rule.
+func Test_LoadPolicyMalformedLine(t *testing.T) {
+	a := NewAdapter(`p, alice, data1, "read`)
+	m := model.NewModel()
+
+	err := a.LoadPolicy(m)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("LoadPolicy() error = nil, want a parse error for the unterminated quoted field")
+	}
+}