diff --git a/src/main/java/org/olat/modules/webFeed/managers/FeedManagerImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/olat/modules/webFeed/managers/FeedManagerImpl.java
index 35d29327b0d6f0a885ceb8532d282a3f0803d504..3becd59efc5e3be680b4b8f348dbdc6cfd4830b9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/olat/modules/webFeed/managers/FeedManagerImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/olat/modules/webFeed/managers/FeedManagerImpl.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
 import org.olat.admin.quota.QuotaConstants;
 import org.olat.core.CoreSpringFactory;
 import org.olat.core.commons.modules.bc.vfs.OlatRootFolderImpl;
@@ -476,11 +477,17 @@ public class FeedManagerImpl extends FeedManager {
 		SyndFeed feed = null;
 		SyndFeedInput input = new SyndFeedInput();
 		String feedURL = extFeed.getExternalFeedUrl();
+		
+		XmlReader reader = null;
 		try {
 			URL url = new URL(feedURL);
-			feed = input.build(new XmlReader(url));
+			reader = new XmlReader(url);
+			feed = input.build(reader);
 			// also add the external image url just in case we'll need it later
 			addExternalImageURL(feed, extFeed);
+		} catch(IllegalArgumentException e) {
+			log.warn("The external feed is invalid: " + feedURL, e);
+			IOUtils.closeQuietly(reader);
 		} catch (MalformedURLException e) {
 			log.info("The externalFeedUrl is invalid: " + feedURL);
 		} catch (FeedException e) {