diff --git a/homeassistant/components/api/__init__.py b/homeassistant/components/api/__init__.py
index d183d46a717..242c21eb524 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/api/__init__.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/api/__init__.py
@@ -260,11 +260,18 @@ class APIEntityStateView(HomeAssistantView):
         if not user.is_admin:
             raise Unauthorized(entity_id=entity_id)
         hass = request.app[KEY_HASS]
+
+        body = await request.text()
+
         try:
-            data = await request.json()
+            data: Any = json_loads(body) if body else None
         except ValueError:
             return self.json_message("Invalid JSON specified.", HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST)
 
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            return self.json_message(
+                "State data should be a JSON object.", HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST
+            )
         if (new_state := data.get("state")) is None:
             return self.json_message("No state specified.", HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST)
 
@@ -477,9 +484,19 @@ class APITemplateView(HomeAssistantView):
     @require_admin
     async def post(self, request: web.Request) -> web.Response:
         """Render a template."""
+        body = await request.text()
+
+        try:
+            data: Any = json_loads(body) if body else None
+        except ValueError:
+            return self.json_message("Invalid JSON specified.", HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST)
+
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            return self.json_message(
+                "Template data should be a JSON object.", HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST
+            )
+        tpl = _cached_template(data["template"], request.app[KEY_HASS])
         try:
-            data = await request.json()
-            tpl = _cached_template(data["template"], request.app[KEY_HASS])
             return tpl.async_render(variables=data.get("variables"), parse_result=False)  # type: ignore[no-any-return]
         except (ValueError, TemplateError) as ex:
             return self.json_message(
diff --git a/tests/components/api/test_init.py b/tests/components/api/test_init.py
index 26a3d7c7a8c..bc484a1632a 100644
--- a/tests/components/api/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/components/api/test_init.py
@@ -129,6 +129,28 @@ async def test_api_state_change_with_bad_data(
     assert resp.status == HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST
 
 
+async def test_api_state_change_with_invalid_json(
+    hass: HomeAssistant, mock_api_client: TestClient
+) -> None:
+    """Test if API sends appropriate error if send invalid json data."""
+    resp = await mock_api_client.post("/api/states/test.test", data="{,}")
+
+    assert resp.status == HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST
+    assert await resp.json() == {"message": "Invalid JSON specified."}
+
+
+async def test_api_state_change_with_string_body(
+    hass: HomeAssistant, mock_api_client: TestClient
+) -> None:
+    """Test if API sends appropriate error if we send a string instead of a JSON object."""
+    resp = await mock_api_client.post(
+        "/api/states/bad.entity.id", json='"{"state": "new_state"}"'
+    )
+
+    assert resp.status == HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST
+    assert await resp.json() == {"message": "State data should be a JSON object."}
+
+
 async def test_api_state_change_to_zero_value(
     hass: HomeAssistant, mock_api_client: TestClient
 ) -> None:
@@ -529,6 +551,31 @@ async def test_api_template_error(
     assert resp.status == HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST
 
 
+async def test_api_template_with_invalid_json(
+    hass: HomeAssistant, mock_api_client: TestClient
+) -> None:
+    """Test if API sends appropriate error if send invalid json data."""
+    resp = await mock_api_client.post(const.URL_API_TEMPLATE, data="{,}")
+
+    assert resp.status == HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST
+    assert await resp.json() == {"message": "Invalid JSON specified."}
+
+
+async def test_api_template_error_with_string_body(
+    hass: HomeAssistant, mock_api_client: TestClient
+) -> None:
+    """Test that the API returns an appropriate error when a string is sent in the body."""
+    hass.states.async_set("sensor.temperature", 10)
+
+    resp = await mock_api_client.post(
+        const.URL_API_TEMPLATE,
+        json='"{"template": "{{ states.sensor.temperature.state"}"',
+    )
+
+    assert resp.status == HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST
+    assert await resp.json() == {"message": "Template data should be a JSON object."}
+
+
 async def test_stream(hass: HomeAssistant, mock_api_client: TestClient) -> None:
     """Test the stream."""
     listen_count = _listen_count(hass)