diff --git a/src/ai/composite/value_translator.hpp b/src/ai/composite/value_translator.hpp
index 0f294351a2f8..0e1cc2f972ac 100644
--- a/src/ai/composite/value_translator.hpp
+++ b/src/ai/composite/value_translator.hpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "ai/manager.hpp"
 #include "terrain/filter.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 #include "util.hpp"
 #include "serialization/string_utils.hpp"
 #include "resources.hpp"
diff --git a/src/commandline_options.cpp b/src/commandline_options.cpp
index 9e0ad08cf9ec..96f1456f256e 100644
--- a/src/commandline_options.cpp
+++ b/src/commandline_options.cpp
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
 
 #include "config.hpp"
 #include "formatter.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 #include "log.hpp"                      // for logger, set_strict_severity, etc
 #include "serialization/string_utils.hpp"  // for split
-#include "util.hpp"                     // for lexical_cast
 
 #include <boost/any.hpp>                // for any
 #include <boost/program_options/cmdline.hpp>
diff --git a/src/config.cpp b/src/config.cpp
index e3579c9f3b94..31d424a6f29d 100644
--- a/src/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include "global.hpp"
 
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 #include "log.hpp"
 #include "util.hpp"
 #include "utils/const_clone.hpp"
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ static lg::log_domain log_config("config");
 #define DBG_CF LOG_STREAM(debug, log_config)
 
 
-#ifdef USE_HETEROGENOUS_LOOKUPS 
+#ifdef USE_HETEROGENOUS_LOOKUPS
 struct config_simple_key
 {
 	const char* str;
diff --git a/src/font/font_description.hpp b/src/font/font_description.hpp
index b46c06b3549f..aab0e195ee46 100644
--- a/src/font/font_description.hpp
+++ b/src/font/font_description.hpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #define FONT_FONT_DESCRIPTION_HPP
 
 #include "config.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 #include "util.hpp"
 #include "serialization/string_utils.hpp"
 
diff --git a/src/font/marked-up_text.cpp b/src/font/marked-up_text.cpp
index c554514bc8a6..a41f75a9710c 100644
--- a/src/font/marked-up_text.cpp
+++ b/src/font/marked-up_text.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ std::string::const_iterator parse_markup(std::string::const_iterator i1,
 												int* font_size,
 												color_t* color, int* style)
 {
+	try {
 	while(i1 != i2) {
 		switch(*i1) {
 		case '\\':
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ std::string::const_iterator parse_markup(std::string::const_iterator i1,
 		}
 		++i1;
 	}
+				} catch(bad_lexical_cast) {}
 	return i1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/game_initialization/lobby_data.cpp b/src/game_initialization/lobby_data.cpp
index c714aaf248c9..1f362995e459 100644
--- a/src/game_initialization/lobby_data.cpp
+++ b/src/game_initialization/lobby_data.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "formatter.hpp"
 #include "formula/string_utils.hpp"
 #include "gettext.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 #include "log.hpp"
 #include "map/map.hpp"
 #include "map/exception.hpp"
diff --git a/src/gui/auxiliary/filter.hpp b/src/gui/auxiliary/filter.hpp
index 3788a2864b98..49087bcd5668 100644
--- a/src/gui/auxiliary/filter.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/auxiliary/filter.hpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 #include "global.hpp"
 #include "gui/widgets/text_box.hpp"
-#include "util.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 #include "serialization/string_utils.hpp"
 #include "serialization/unicode.hpp"
 
diff --git a/src/gui/dialogs/campaign_selection.cpp b/src/gui/dialogs/campaign_selection.cpp
index b487f6c2cfb3..bdf080b15555 100644
--- a/src/gui/dialogs/campaign_selection.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/dialogs/campaign_selection.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "gui/widgets/tree_view_node.hpp"
 #include "gui/widgets/toggle_button.hpp"
 #include "gui/widgets/window.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 #include "serialization/string_utils.hpp"
 
 #include "utils/functional.hpp"
diff --git a/src/gui/dialogs/editor/generate_map.cpp b/src/gui/dialogs/editor/generate_map.cpp
index 6498ae6ef5d4..26fa131a2a9a 100644
--- a/src/gui/dialogs/editor/generate_map.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/dialogs/editor/generate_map.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "gui/widgets/settings.hpp"
 #include "gui/widgets/text_box.hpp"
 #include "generators/map_generator.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 
 #include "utils/functional.hpp"
 
diff --git a/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.cpp b/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.cpp
index db89922fb1c1..bf4bccd6824a 100644
--- a/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 #include "gui/widgets/text_box.hpp"
 #include "gui/widgets/toggle_button.hpp"
 #include "gui/widgets/window.hpp"
-#include "util.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 
 #include "utils/functional.hpp"
 #include <boost/math/common_factor_rt.hpp>
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/pane.cpp b/src/gui/widgets/pane.cpp
index b574cb341b5a..b4960ec717ec 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/pane.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/pane.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "utils/const_clone.hpp"
 #include "gui/core/event/message.hpp"
 #include "gettext.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 
 #include "utils/functional.hpp"
 
diff --git a/src/lexical_cast.hpp b/src/lexical_cast.hpp
index e1980ec5ce72..7af8092aec9a 100644
--- a/src/lexical_cast.hpp
+++ b/src/lexical_cast.hpp
@@ -95,7 +95,13 @@ inline To lexical_cast(From value)
 }
 
 /** Thrown when a lexical_cast fails. */
-struct bad_lexical_cast : std::exception {};
+struct bad_lexical_cast : std::exception
+{
+	const char* what() const throw()
+	{
+		return "bad_lexical_cast";
+	}
+};
 
 namespace implementation {
 
diff --git a/src/terrain/translation.cpp b/src/terrain/translation.cpp
index 4858b042b3cc..1ce59e3b9311 100644
--- a/src/terrain/translation.cpp
+++ b/src/terrain/translation.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include "global.hpp"
 #include "gettext.hpp"
+#include "lexical_cast.hpp"
 #include "log.hpp"
 #include "terrain/translation.hpp"
 #include "serialization/string_utils.hpp"
diff --git a/src/units/frame.cpp b/src/units/frame.cpp
index f69189f82751..f6edd1c4dfea 100644
--- a/src/units/frame.cpp
+++ b/src/units/frame.cpp
@@ -171,11 +171,13 @@ progressive_<T>::progressive_(const std::string &data, int duration) :
 			ERR_NG << "Invalid time in unit animation: " << colon_split[1] << "\n";
 		}
 
-		std::vector<std::string> range = utils::split(colon_split[0],'~',split_flag);
-		T range0 = lexical_cast<T>(range[0]);
-		T range1 = (range.size() > 1) ? lexical_cast<T>(range[1]) : range0;
-		typedef std::pair<T,T> range_pair;
-		data_.push_back(std::pair<range_pair,int>(range_pair(range0, range1), time));
+		try {
+			std::vector<std::string> range = utils::split(colon_split[0],'~',split_flag);
+			T range0 = lexical_cast<T>(range[0]);
+			T range1 = (range.size() > 1) ? lexical_cast<T>(range[1]) : range0;
+			typedef std::pair<T,T> range_pair;
+			data_.push_back(std::pair<range_pair,int>(range_pair(range0, range1), time));
+		} catch(bad_lexical_cast) {}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
index 560a04329ff3..981a363c0e47 100644
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -20,33 +20,7 @@
 #include "util.hpp"
 
 #include <cstdlib>
-template<>
-size_t lexical_cast<size_t, const std::string&>(const std::string& a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	size_t res = strtoul(a.c_str(), &endptr, 10);
-
-	if (a.empty() || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
 
-#ifndef MSVC_DO_UNIT_TESTS
-template<>
-size_t lexical_cast<size_t, const char*>(const char* a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	size_t res = strtoul(a, &endptr, 10);
-
-	if (*a == '\0' || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
-#endif
 template<>
 size_t lexical_cast_default<size_t, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, size_t def)
 {
@@ -63,6 +37,7 @@ size_t lexical_cast_default<size_t, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, si
 		return res;
 	}
 }
+
 template<>
 size_t lexical_cast_default<size_t, const char*>(const char* a, size_t def)
 {
@@ -79,31 +54,7 @@ size_t lexical_cast_default<size_t, const char*>(const char* a, size_t def)
 		return res;
 	}
 }
-template<>
-long lexical_cast<long, const std::string&>(const std::string& a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	long res = strtol(a.c_str(), &endptr, 10);
-
-	if (a.empty() || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
-
-template<>
-long lexical_cast<long, const char*>(const char* a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	long res = strtol(a, &endptr, 10);
 
-	if (*a == '\0' || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
 template<>
 long lexical_cast_default<long, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, long def)
 {
@@ -120,6 +71,7 @@ long lexical_cast_default<long, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, long d
 		return res;
 	}
 }
+
 template<>
 long lexical_cast_default<long, const char*>(const char* a, long def)
 {
@@ -136,33 +88,6 @@ long lexical_cast_default<long, const char*>(const char* a, long def)
 		return res;
 	}
 }
-template<>
-int lexical_cast<int, const std::string&>(const std::string& a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	int res = strtol(a.c_str(), &endptr, 10);
-
-	if (a.empty() || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
-
-#ifndef MSVC_DO_UNIT_TESTS
-template<>
-int lexical_cast<int, const char*>(const char* a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	int res = strtol(a, &endptr, 10);
-
-	if (*a == '\0' || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
-#endif
 
 template<>
 int lexical_cast_default<int, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, int def)
@@ -198,32 +123,6 @@ int lexical_cast_default<int, const char*>(const char* a, int def)
 	}
 }
 
-template<>
-double lexical_cast<double, const std::string&>(const std::string& a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	double res = strtod(a.c_str(), &endptr);
-
-	if (a.empty() || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
-
-template<>
-double lexical_cast<double, const char*>(const char* a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	double res = strtod(a, &endptr);
-
-	if (*a == '\0' || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
-
 template<>
 double lexical_cast_default<double, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, double def)
 {
@@ -250,31 +149,6 @@ double lexical_cast_default<double, const char*>(const char* a, double def)
 	}
 }
 
-template<>
-float lexical_cast<float, const std::string&>(const std::string& a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	float res = static_cast<float>(strtod(a.c_str(), &endptr));
-
-	if (a.empty() || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
-
-template<>
-float lexical_cast<float, const char*>(const char* a)
-{
-	char* endptr;
-	float res = static_cast<float>(strtod(a, &endptr));
-
-	if (*a == '\0' || *endptr != '\0') {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	} else {
-		return res;
-	}
-}
 template<>
 float lexical_cast_default<float, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, float def)
 {
@@ -300,4 +174,3 @@ float lexical_cast_default<float, const char*>(const char* a, float def)
 		return res;
 	}
 }
-
diff --git a/src/util.hpp b/src/util.hpp
index 4c326a69c8b1..fc4021e3c89e 100644
--- a/src/util.hpp
+++ b/src/util.hpp
@@ -77,28 +77,6 @@ inline double round_portable(double d) {
 	return (d >= 0.0) ? std::floor(d + 0.5) : std::ceil(d - 0.5);
 }
 
-struct bad_lexical_cast : public std::exception
-{
-	const char *what() const throw()
-	{
-		return "bad_lexical_cast";
-	}
-};
-
-
-template<typename To, typename From>
-To lexical_cast(From a)
-{
-	To res = To();
-	std::stringstream str;
-
-	if(str << a && str >> res) {
-		return res;
-	} else {
-		throw bad_lexical_cast();
-	}
-}
-
 template<typename To, typename From>
 To lexical_cast_default(From a, To def=To())
 {
@@ -112,60 +90,30 @@ To lexical_cast_default(From a, To def=To())
 	}
 }
 
-template<>
-size_t lexical_cast<size_t, const std::string&>(const std::string& a);
-
-template<>
-size_t lexical_cast<size_t, const char*>(const char* a);
-
 template<>
 size_t lexical_cast_default<size_t, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, size_t def);
 
 template<>
 size_t lexical_cast_default<size_t, const char*>(const char* a, size_t def);
 
-template<>
-long lexical_cast<long, const std::string&>(const std::string& a);
-
-template<>
-long lexical_cast<long, const char*>(const char* a);
-
 template<>
 long lexical_cast_default<long, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, long def);
 
 template<>
 long lexical_cast_default<long, const char*>(const char* a, long def);
 
-template<>
-int lexical_cast<int, const std::string&>(const std::string& a);
-
-template<>
-int lexical_cast<int, const char*>(const char* a);
-
 template<>
 int lexical_cast_default<int, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, int def);
 
 template<>
 int lexical_cast_default<int, const char*>(const char* a, int def);
 
-template<>
-double lexical_cast<double, const std::string&>(const std::string& a);
-
-template<>
-double lexical_cast<double, const char*>(const char* a);
-
 template<>
 double lexical_cast_default<double, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, double def);
 
 template<>
 double lexical_cast_default<double, const char*>(const char* a, double def);
 
-template<>
-float lexical_cast<float, const std::string&>(const std::string& a);
-
-template<>
-float lexical_cast<float, const char*>(const char* a);
-
 template<>
 float lexical_cast_default<float, const std::string&>(const std::string& a, float def);