diff --git a/src/env_parallel.bash b/src/env_parallel.bash
index fce855c9..ca0b0b3c 100755
--- a/src/env_parallel.bash
+++ b/src/env_parallel.bash
@@ -203,6 +203,22 @@ parset() {
 
     _parset_name="$1"
     shift
+    if [ "$_parset_name" == "" ] ; then
+	echo parset: Error: No destination variable given. >&2
+	echo parset: Error: Try: >&2
+	echo parset: Error: ' ' parset myvar echo ::: foo >&2
+	return 255
+    fi
+    echo "$_parset_name" |
+	perl -ne 'chomp;for (split /[, ]/) {
+	    if(not /^[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z_0-9]*$/) {
+                print STDERR "parset: Error: $_ is an invalid variable name.\n";
+                print STDERR "parset: Error: Variable names must be letter followed by letters or digits.\n";
+                $exitval = 255;
+            }
+        }
+        exit $exitval;
+        ' || return 255
     if echo "$_parset_name" | grep -E ',| ' >/dev/null ; then
 	# $1 contains , or space
 	# Split on , or space to get the names
diff --git a/src/parset.pod b/src/parset.pod
index a051e831..8d3bb8c4 100644
--- a/src/parset.pod
+++ b/src/parset.pod
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ B<parallel> into shell variables.
 The B<parset> function is defined as part of B<env_parallel>.
 
 If I<variablename> is a single variable name, this will be treated as
-the destination variable and made to an array.
+the destination variable and made into an array.
 
 If I<variablename> contains multiple names separated by ',' or space,
 the names will be the destination variables.
@@ -70,7 +70,12 @@ You cannot pipe into B<parset>, but must use a tempfile:
   parset res echo :::: parallel_input
   echo "${res[0]}"
   echo "${res[9]}"
-  
+
+or Bash process substitution:
+
+  parset res echo :::: <(seq 100)
+  echo "${res[0]}"
+  echo "${res[99]}"
 
 =head3 Installation