diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index d781a3f..09580da 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ repositories {
 
 dependencies { 
     testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12'
-    testImplementation 'org.assertj:assertj-core:1.7.1'
+    testImplementation 'org.assertj:assertj-core:3.23.1'
 }
 
 test {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/DynamicParsers.java b/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/DynamicParsers.java
index 2a2b970..9f527bf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/DynamicParsers.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/DynamicParsers.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.NavigableMap;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Queue;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.SortedMap;
@@ -204,7 +205,20 @@ public Object parse(String input, ParserHelper helper) {
                 }
                 return result;
             }
-        };
+        },
+    	OPTIONAL {
+
+			@Override
+			public Object parse(String input, ParserHelper helper) {
+                if (!helper.isTargetTypeAssignableTo(Optional.class)) {
+                    return TRY_NEXT;
+                }
+                Object value = helper.parseType(input, helper.getParameterizedTypeArguments().get(0));
+                return Optional.ofNullable(value);
+			}
+    		
+    	},
+;
 
         static private Collection<Object> populateCollection(Collection<Object> collection,
                 Class<?> elementType, String input, ParserHelper helper) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/Helper.java b/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/Helper.java
index 71b69f6..b1b874d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/Helper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/Helper.java
@@ -40,6 +40,19 @@ public final Type getTargetType() {
     public final List<Class<?>> getParameterizedClassArguments() {
         return tt.getParameterizedClassArguments();
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * When the {@code targetType} is a parameterized type this method
+     * returns a list with the type arguments.
+     * <p>
+     * 
+     * @return List of {@link Type} types.
+     * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if the {@code targetType} is not a parameterized type.
+     */
+	public List<Type> getParameterizedTypeArguments() {
+		return tt.getParameterizedTypeArguments();
+	}
+
 
     /**
      * When the {@code targetType} is an array, this method
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/TargetType.java b/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/TargetType.java
index 73275a4..2782d68 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/TargetType.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/TargetType.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType;
 import java.lang.reflect.Type;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
 final class TargetType {
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ private Class<?> extractRawTargetType() {
         return targetType.getClass();
     }
 
-    final public List<Class<?>> getParameterizedClassArguments() {
+    List<Class<?>> getParameterizedClassArguments() {
         if (parameterizedClassArguments == null) {
             parameterizedClassArguments = extractParameterizedClassArguments();
         }
@@ -95,8 +96,17 @@ public String toString() {
         return targetType.toString();
     }
 
-	public boolean isPrimitive() {
+	boolean isPrimitive() {
 		return targetType instanceof Class && ((Class<?>) targetType).isPrimitive();
 	}
 
+	List<Type> getParameterizedTypeArguments() {
+        if (!(isTargetTypeParameterized())) {
+            String message = String.format("type must be parameterized: %s", Util.objectToString(targetType));
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException(message);
+        }
+        ParameterizedType pt = (ParameterizedType) targetType;
+        return Arrays.asList(pt.getActualTypeArguments());
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/MapTest.java b/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/MapTest.java
index 0394d77..406646d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/MapTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/MapTest.java
@@ -56,15 +56,20 @@ public void canParseToConcreteMapTypes() throws Exception {
                 new GenericType<Hashtable<String, String>>() {},
                 new GenericType<TreeMap<String, String>>() {}
                 );
-
     }
 
     private void parseToConcreteMapTypes(@SuppressWarnings("unchecked") GenericType<? extends Map<String, String>>... types) {
         for (GenericType<? extends Map<String, String>> type : types) {
             Class<?> rawType = toRawType(type);
             Map<String, String> map = parser.parse("a=A", type);
+            /*
+             * Workaround for testing IdentityHashMap with assertJ (version: 3.23.1)
+             */
+            map.forEach((k, v) -> assertThat(k).describedAs("key: %s", k).isEqualTo("a"));
+            map.forEach((k, v) -> assertThat(v).describedAs("value: %s", v).isEqualTo("A"));
+            
             assertThat(map)
-                    .containsOnly(MapEntry.entry("a", "A"))
+                    .describedAs("type: %s", type)
                     .isInstanceOf(rawType);
             assertThat(map.getClass())
                     .isEqualTo(rawType);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/OptionalTest.java b/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/OptionalTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88fb4c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/OptionalTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package com.github.drapostolos.typeparser;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class OptionalTest extends TestBase {
+
+    @Test
+    public void canParseSpaceToOptionalString() throws Exception {
+        GenericType<Optional<String>> type = new GenericType<Optional<String>>() {};
+        assertThat(parser.parse(" ", type)).contains(" ");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void canParseStringToEmptyOptional() throws Exception {
+        GenericType<Optional<String>> type = new GenericType<Optional<String>>() {};
+        assertThat(parser.parse("null", type)).isEmpty();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void canParseStringToEmptyOptionalWithWildcard() throws Exception {
+        GenericType<Optional<?>> type = new GenericType<Optional<?>>() {};
+        assertThat(parser.parse("null", type)).isEmpty();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+	public void canParseStringToOptionalListOfIntegers() throws Exception {
+    	Optional<List<Integer>> integers = parser.parse("1,2,3", new GenericType<Optional<List<Integer>>>() {});
+    	assertThat(integers.get()).containsExactly(1, 2, 3);
+	}
+    
+    @Test
+    public void canParseStringToOptionalLong() throws Exception {
+        GenericType<Optional<Long>> type = new GenericType<Optional<Long>>() {};
+        assertThat(parser.parse("1", type)).contains(1l);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenParsingWildcardType() throws Exception {
+        shouldThrow(NoSuchRegisteredParserException.class)
+        .containingErrorMessage("Can not parse \"dummy-string\"")
+        .containingErrorMessage("to type \"?\"")
+        .containingErrorMessage("due to: There is no registered 'Parser' for that type.")
+        .whenParsing(DUMMY_STRING)
+        .to(new GenericType<Optional<?>>() {});
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void canChangeNullStrategy() throws Exception {
+        parser = TypeParser.newBuilder()
+                .setNullStringStrategy((input, helper) -> input.isEmpty())
+                .build();
+
+        assertThat(parser.parse("", new GenericType<Optional<String>>() {})).isEmpty();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/TargetTypeTest.java b/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/TargetTypeTest.java
index 39a5f84..1d52b94 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/TargetTypeTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/github/drapostolos/typeparser/TargetTypeTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.github.drapostolos.typeparser;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -12,4 +13,12 @@ public void testToString() throws Exception {
         assertThat(type.toString()).isEqualTo(String.class.toString());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void shouldThrowWhenGettingParameterizedTypeArgumentsAndNotParameterized() throws Exception {
+        TargetType type = new TargetType(String.class);
+        
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> type.getParameterizedTypeArguments())
+        .hasMessageContaining("type must be parameterized")
+        .hasNoCause();
+    }
 }