diff --git a/src/main/java/com/cedarsoftware/util/convert/StringConversions.java b/src/main/java/com/cedarsoftware/util/convert/StringConversions.java
index c940a7ce..25daef47 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/cedarsoftware/util/convert/StringConversions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/cedarsoftware/util/convert/StringConversions.java
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ private static Byte toByte(String s) {
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
             Long value = toLong(s, bigDecimalMinByte, bigDecimalMaxByte);
             if (value == null) {
-                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value: " + s + " not parseable as a byte value or outside " + Byte.MIN_VALUE + " to " + Byte.MAX_VALUE);
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value '" + s + "' not parseable as a byte value or outside " + Byte.MIN_VALUE + " to " + Byte.MAX_VALUE);
             }
             return value.byteValue();
         }
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ private static Short toShort(Object o) {
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
             Long value = toLong(str, bigDecimalMinShort, bigDecimalMaxShort);
             if (value == null) {
-                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value: " + o + " not parseable as a short value or outside " + Short.MIN_VALUE + " to " + Short.MAX_VALUE);
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value '" + o + "' not parseable as a short value or outside " + Short.MIN_VALUE + " to " + Short.MAX_VALUE);
             }
             return value.shortValue();
         }
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ private static Integer toInt(Object from) {
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
             Long value = toLong(str, bigDecimalMinInteger, bigDecimalMaxInteger);
             if (value == null) {
-                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value: " + from + " not parseable as an int value or outside " + Integer.MIN_VALUE + " to " + Integer.MAX_VALUE);
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value '" + from + "' not parseable as an int value or outside " + Integer.MIN_VALUE + " to " + Integer.MAX_VALUE);
             }
             return value.intValue();
         }
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ private static Long toLong(Object from) {
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
             Long value = toLong(str, bigDecimalMinLong, bigDecimalMaxLong);
             if (value == null) {
-                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value: " + from + " not parseable as a long value or outside " + Long.MIN_VALUE + " to " + Long.MAX_VALUE);
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value '" + from + "' not parseable as a long value or outside " + Long.MIN_VALUE + " to " + Long.MAX_VALUE);
             }
             return value;
         }
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ static Float toFloat(Object from, Converter converter, ConverterOptions options)
         try {
             return Float.valueOf(str);
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value: " + from + " not parseable as a float value");
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value '" + from + "' not parseable as a float value");
         }
     }
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ static Double toDouble(Object from, Converter converter, ConverterOptions option
         try {
             return Double.valueOf(str);
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value: " + from + " not parseable as a double value");
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value '" + from + "' not parseable as a double value");
         }
     }
 
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ static BigInteger toBigInteger(Object from, Converter converter, ConverterOption
             BigDecimal bigDec = new BigDecimal(str);
             return bigDec.toBigInteger();
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value: " + from + " not parseable as a BigInteger value.");
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value '" + from + "' not parseable as a BigInteger value.");
         }
     }
 
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ static BigDecimal toBigDecimal(Object from, Converter converter, ConverterOption
         try {
             return new BigDecimal(str);
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value: " + from + " not parseable as a BigDecimal value.");
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value '" + from + "' not parseable as a BigDecimal value.");
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/cedarsoftware/util/convert/ConverterEverythingTest.java b/src/test/java/com/cedarsoftware/util/convert/ConverterEverythingTest.java
index f78bcaf2..d22d7997 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/cedarsoftware/util/convert/ConverterEverythingTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/cedarsoftware/util/convert/ConverterEverythingTest.java
@@ -195,14 +195,14 @@ class ConverterEverythingTest
                 { mapOf("value", "127"), Byte.MAX_VALUE },
                 { mapOf("value", 127L), Byte.MAX_VALUE },
 
-                { mapOf("_v", "-129"), new IllegalArgumentException("-129 not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
+                { mapOf("_v", "-129"), new IllegalArgumentException("'-129' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
                 { mapOf("_v", -129), (byte)127 },
-                { mapOf("value", "-129"), new IllegalArgumentException("-129 not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
+                { mapOf("value", "-129"), new IllegalArgumentException("'-129' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
                 { mapOf("value", -129L), (byte) 127 },
 
-                { mapOf("_v", "128"), new IllegalArgumentException("128 not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
+                { mapOf("_v", "128"), new IllegalArgumentException("'128' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
                 { mapOf("_v", 128), (byte) -128 },
-                { mapOf("value", "128"), new IllegalArgumentException("128 not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
+                { mapOf("value", "128"), new IllegalArgumentException("'128' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
                 { mapOf("value", 128L), (byte) -128 },
         });
         TEST_FACTORY.put(pair(String.class, Byte.class), new Object[][] {
@@ -216,13 +216,13 @@ class ConverterEverythingTest
                 { "-128", (byte)-128 },
                 { "127", (byte)127 },
                 { "", (byte)0 },
-                { "crapola", new IllegalArgumentException("Value: crapola not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
-                { "54 crapola", new IllegalArgumentException("Value: 54 crapola not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
-                { "54crapola", new IllegalArgumentException("Value: 54crapola not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
-                { "crapola 54", new IllegalArgumentException("Value: crapola 54 not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
-                { "crapola54", new IllegalArgumentException("Value: crapola54 not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
-                { "-129", new IllegalArgumentException("-129 not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
-                { "128", new IllegalArgumentException("128 not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
+                { "crapola", new IllegalArgumentException("Value 'crapola' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
+                { "54 crapola", new IllegalArgumentException("Value '54 crapola' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
+                { "54crapola", new IllegalArgumentException("Value '54crapola' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
+                { "crapola 54", new IllegalArgumentException("Value 'crapola 54' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
+                { "crapola54", new IllegalArgumentException("Value 'crapola54' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127")},
+                { "-129", new IllegalArgumentException("'-129' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
+                { "128", new IllegalArgumentException("'128' not parseable as a byte value or outside -128 to 127") },
         });
     }
     @BeforeEach