diff --git a/io/EptReader.cpp b/io/EptReader.cpp
index 294a321a06..892357bceb 100644
--- a/io/EptReader.cpp
+++ b/io/EptReader.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ class EptBounds : public SrsBounds
 namespace Utils
 {
     template<>
-    bool fromString<EptBounds>(const std::string& s, EptBounds& bounds)
+    StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& s, EptBounds& bounds)
     {
         if (!fromString(s, (SrsBounds&)bounds))
             return false;
diff --git a/pdal/EigenUtils.hpp b/pdal/EigenUtils.hpp
index eab7b822f0..7247791ee7 100644
--- a/pdal/EigenUtils.hpp
+++ b/pdal/EigenUtils.hpp
@@ -279,7 +279,9 @@ namespace Utils
 {
 
 template <>
-inline bool fromString<Eigen::MatrixXd>(const std::string& s, Eigen::MatrixXd& matrix) {
+inline StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& s,
+    Eigen::MatrixXd& matrix)
+{
     std::stringstream ss(s);
     std::string line;
     std::vector<std::vector<double>> rows;
diff --git a/pdal/SrsBounds.hpp b/pdal/SrsBounds.hpp
index f4c6b2f55a..01720476fa 100644
--- a/pdal/SrsBounds.hpp
+++ b/pdal/SrsBounds.hpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class PDAL_DLL SrsBounds : public Bounds
 namespace Utils
 {
     template<>
-    inline bool fromString<SrsBounds>(const std::string& s,
+    inline StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& s,
         SrsBounds& srsBounds)
     {
         std::string::size_type pos(0);
diff --git a/pdal/util/ProgramArgs.hpp b/pdal/util/ProgramArgs.hpp
index 93fe65f366..86852fd239 100644
--- a/pdal/util/ProgramArgs.hpp
+++ b/pdal/util/ProgramArgs.hpp
@@ -407,13 +407,20 @@ class TArg : public Arg
         }
 
         m_rawVal = s;
-        if (!Utils::fromString(s, m_var))
+        auto status = Utils::fromString(s, m_var);
+        if (!status)
         {
             std::string error(m_error);
 
             if (error.empty())
-                error = "Invalid value '" + s + "' for argument '" +
-                    m_longname + "'.";
+            {
+                if (status.what().size())
+                    error = "Invalid value for argument '" + m_longname +
+                        "': " + status.what();
+                else
+                    error = "Invalid value '" + s + "' for argument '" +
+                        m_longname + "'.";
+            }
             throw arg_val_error(error);
         }
         m_set = true;
@@ -755,12 +762,20 @@ class VArg : public BaseVArg
         T var;
 
         m_rawVal = s;
-        if (!Utils::fromString(s, var))
+        auto status = Utils::fromString(s, var);
+        if (!status)
         {
             std::string error(m_error);
 
             if (error.empty())
-                error = "Invalid value for argument '" + m_longname + "'.";
+            {
+                if (status.what().size())
+                    error = "Invalid value for argument '" + m_longname +
+                        "': " + status.what();
+                else
+                    error = "Invalid value '" + s + "' for argument '" +
+                        m_longname + "'.";
+            }
             throw arg_val_error(error);
         }
         if (!m_set)
diff --git a/pdal/util/Utils.hpp b/pdal/util/Utils.hpp
index 7c0b2fdd6f..01bc907fd7 100644
--- a/pdal/util/Utils.hpp
+++ b/pdal/util/Utils.hpp
@@ -82,6 +82,14 @@ namespace Utils
     public:
         StatusWithReason() : m_code(0)
         {}
+        StatusWithReason(bool ok)
+        {
+            if (ok)
+                m_code = 0;
+            else
+                m_code = -1;
+        }
+        StatusWithReason(int code);  // Not defined
         StatusWithReason(int code, const std::string& what) :
             m_code(code), m_what(what)
         {}
@@ -929,7 +937,7 @@ namespace Utils
 
 
     template<typename T>
-    bool fromString(const std::string& from, T* & to)
+    StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& from, T* & to)
     {
         void *v;
         // Uses sscanf instead of operator>>(istream, void*&) as a workaround
@@ -951,7 +959,7 @@ namespace Utils
       \return  \c true if the conversion was successful, \c false otherwise.
     */
     template<typename T>
-    bool fromString(const std::string& from, T& to)
+    StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& from, T& to)
     {
         std::istringstream iss(from);
 
@@ -961,7 +969,7 @@ namespace Utils
 
     // Optimization of above.
     template<>
-    inline bool fromString(const std::string& from, std::string& to)
+    inline StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& from, std::string& to)
     {
         to = from;
         return true;
@@ -975,7 +983,7 @@ namespace Utils
       \return  \c true if the conversion was successful, \c false otherwise.
     */
     template<>
-    inline bool fromString<char>(const std::string& s, char& to)
+    inline StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& s, char& to)
     {
         try
         {
@@ -1006,8 +1014,7 @@ namespace Utils
       \return  \c true if the conversion was successful, \c false otherwise.
     */
     template<>
-    inline bool fromString<unsigned char>(const std::string& s,
-        unsigned char& to)
+    inline StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& s, unsigned char& to)
     {
         try
         {
@@ -1039,7 +1046,7 @@ namespace Utils
       \return  \c true if the conversion was successful, \c false otherwise.
     */
     template<>
-    inline bool fromString<signed char>(const std::string& s, signed char& to)
+    inline StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& s, signed char& to)
     {
         try
         {
@@ -1070,7 +1077,7 @@ namespace Utils
       \return  \c true if the conversion was successful, \c false otherwise.
     */
     template<>
-    inline bool fromString<double>(const std::string& s, double& d)
+    inline StatusWithReason fromString(const std::string& s, double& d)
     {
         if (s == "nan" || s == "NaN")
         {