diff --git a/eo/src/eoExceptions.h b/eo/src/eoExceptions.h
index d38b6cb1..4d56ddb9 100644
--- a/eo/src/eoExceptions.h
+++ b/eo/src/eoExceptions.h
@@ -103,4 +103,30 @@ public:
 private:
     std::string _name;
 };
+
+/*!
+ * An error that signals a bad parameter type
+ *
+ * Thrown by eoParser::valueOf
+ *
+ * @ingroup Parameters 
+ */
+class eoWrongParamTypeException : public std::exception
+{
+public:
+    eoWrongParamTypeException(std::string name) : _name(name){}
+
+    virtual const char* what() const throw()
+    {
+        std::ostringstream ss;
+        ss << "You asked for the parameter " << _name << " but it has not been declared under this type";
+        return ss.str().c_str();
+    }
+
+    ~eoWrongParamTypeException() throw() {}
+
+private:
+    std::string _name;
+};
+
 #endif // __eoExceptions_h__
diff --git a/eo/src/utils/eoParser.cpp b/eo/src/utils/eoParser.cpp
index 7489cf65..cc306bf7 100644
--- a/eo/src/utils/eoParser.cpp
+++ b/eo/src/utils/eoParser.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ Authors:
 #include <utils/compatibility.h>
 #include <utils/eoParser.h>
 #include <utils/eoLogger.h>
-#include <eoExceptions.h>
 
 
 using namespace std;
diff --git a/eo/src/utils/eoParser.h b/eo/src/utils/eoParser.h
index b33f956e..be680ab0 100644
--- a/eo/src/utils/eoParser.h
+++ b/eo/src/utils/eoParser.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ Authors:
 #include "eoParam.h"
 #include "eoObject.h"
 #include "eoPersistent.h"
+#include "eoExceptions.h"
 
 /** Parameter saving and loading
 
@@ -191,17 +192,24 @@ public:
      *
      * Remember to specify the expected return type with a templated call:
      * unsigned int popSize = eoparser.value<unsigned int>("popSize");
+     *
+     * If the template type is not the good one, an eoWrongParamTypeException is raised.
      */
     template<class ValueType>
-    ValueType value(const std::string& _name) const
+    ValueType valueOf(const std::string& _name) const
     {
         eoParam* param = getParam(_name);
 
-        eoValueParam<ValueType>* vparam(
-                dynamic_cast< eoValueParam<ValueType>* >(param)
-            );
+        // Note: eoParam is the polymorphic base class of eoValueParam, thus we can do a dynamix cast
+        eoValueParam<ValueType>* vparam = dynamic_cast< eoValueParam<ValueType>* >(param);
 
-        return vparam->value();
+        if( vparam == NULL ) {
+            // if the dynamic cast has failed, chances are that ValueType 
+            // is not the same than the one used at declaration.
+            throw eoWrongParamTypeException( _name );
+        } else {
+            return vparam->value();
+        }
     }