diff --git a/framework/contrib/hit/lex.cc b/framework/contrib/hit/lex.cc
index e3c5e82bc7ae..5f226d224bf6 100644
--- a/framework/contrib/hit/lex.cc
+++ b/framework/contrib/hit/lex.cc
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ tokTypeName(TokType t)
   // clang-format on
 }
 
-Token::Token(TokType t, const std::string & val, size_t offset, int line)
-  : type(t), val(val), offset(offset), line(line)
+Token::Token(TokType t, const std::string & val, const std::string & name, size_t offset, int line)
+  : type(t), val(val), name(name), offset(offset), line(line)
 {
 }
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ void
 Lexer::emit(TokType type)
 {
   auto substr = _input.substr(_start, _pos - _start);
-  _tokens.push_back(Token(type, substr, _start, _line_count));
+  _tokens.push_back(Token(type, substr, _name, _start, _line_count));
   _line_count += lineCount(substr);
   _start = _pos;
 }
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ Lexer::ignore()
 LexFunc
 Lexer::error(const std::string & msg)
 {
-  _tokens.push_back(Token(TokType::Error, msg, _start, _line_count));
+  _tokens.push_back(Token(TokType::Error, msg, _name, _start, _line_count));
   return nullptr;
 }
 
@@ -471,7 +471,8 @@ lexHit(Lexer * l)
     l->emit(TokType::EOF);
     return NULL;
   }
-  return l->error("invalid character '" + std::string(1, c) + "' - did you leave a field value blank after a previous '='?");
+  return l->error("invalid character '" + std::string(1, c) +
+                  "' - did you leave a field value blank after a previous '='?");
 }
 
 std::vector<Token>
diff --git a/framework/contrib/hit/lex.h b/framework/contrib/hit/lex.h
index 99959f47928b..1999584841b1 100644
--- a/framework/contrib/hit/lex.h
+++ b/framework/contrib/hit/lex.h
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ enum class TokType
 /// Token represents an (atomic) token/quantum of input text.
 struct Token
 {
-  Token(TokType t, const std::string & val, size_t offset = 0, int line = 0);
+  Token(TokType t,
+        const std::string & val,
+        const std::string & name,
+        size_t offset = 0,
+        int line = 0);
   /// str returns a human-friendly string representation of the token.
   std::string str();
 
@@ -40,6 +44,8 @@ struct Token
   TokType type;
   /// val is the actual text from the input that makes this token.
   std::string val;
+  /// name of the original input file
+  std::string name;
   /// offset is the byte offset into the original input identifying the start position where this
   /// token was found.  This can be used to determine line numbers, column offsets, etc. useful for
   /// error messages among other things.
diff --git a/framework/contrib/hit/parse.cc b/framework/contrib/hit/parse.cc
index 6a14a0ce01c8..1dc7e32d4500 100644
--- a/framework/contrib/hit/parse.cc
+++ b/framework/contrib/hit/parse.cc
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 
-#include <string>
-#include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
-#include <sstream>
-#include <set>
 #include <iterator>
 #include <memory>
 #include <regex>
+#include <set>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "parse.h"
 
@@ -188,6 +188,15 @@ Node::remove()
   delete this;
 }
 
+const std::string &
+Node::name()
+{
+  if (_toks.size() > 0)
+    return _toks[0].name;
+  static std::string unknown_name = "[unknown]";
+  return unknown_name;
+}
+
 int
 Node::line()
 {
@@ -690,7 +699,7 @@ class Parser
     if (_pos >= _tokens.size())
     {
       _pos++;
-      return Token{TokType::EOF, "", _input.size()};
+      return Token{TokType::EOF, "", _name, _input.size()};
     }
     auto tok = _tokens[_pos];
     _pos++;
diff --git a/framework/contrib/hit/parse.h b/framework/contrib/hit/parse.h
index 761e59af23fc..a693ac93d0ea 100644
--- a/framework/contrib/hit/parse.h
+++ b/framework/contrib/hit/parse.h
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 #ifndef HIT_PARSE
 #define HIT_PARSE
 
-#include <string>
-#include <vector>
-#include <map>
 #include <algorithm>
-#include <typeinfo>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
+#include <typeinfo>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "lex.h"
 
@@ -147,6 +147,9 @@ class Node
   /// line returns the line number of the original parsed input (file) that contained the start of
   /// the content that this node was built from.
   int line();
+  /// name returns the file name of the original parsed input (file) that contained the start of
+  /// the content that this node was built from.
+  const std::string & name();
 
   /// the following functions return the stored value of the node (if any exists) of the type
   /// indicated in the function name. If the node holds a value of a different type or doesn't hold
@@ -266,6 +269,9 @@ template <>
 inline unsigned int
 Node::paramInner(Node * n)
 {
+  if (n->intVal() < 0)
+    throw Error("negative value read from file '" + n->name() + "' on line " +
+                std::to_string(n->line()));
   return n->intVal();
 }
 template <>
@@ -299,7 +305,12 @@ Node::paramInner(Node * n)
   auto tmp = n->vecIntVal();
   std::vector<unsigned int> vec;
   for (auto val : tmp)
+  {
+    if (val < 0)
+      throw Error("negative value read from file '" + n->name() + "' on line " +
+                  std::to_string(n->line()));
     vec.push_back(val);
+  }
   return vec;
 }
 template <>