diff --git a/src/backend/config.c b/src/backend/config.c
index 2cc36e8e1..0331e0ec7 100644
--- a/src/backend/config.c
+++ b/src/backend/config.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ NOBUG_DEFINE_FLAG_PARENT (config_file, config_all);
 
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DEFINE (CONFIG_SYNTAX, "syntax error in configfile");
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DEFINE (CONFIG_SYNTAX_KEY, "syntax error in key");
-LUMIERA_ERROR_DEFINE (CONFIG_TYPE, "value has wrong type");
+LUMIERA_ERROR_DEFINE (CONFIG_SYNTAX_VALUE, "syntax error in value");
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DEFINE (CONFIG_NO_ENTRY, "no configuration entry");
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DEFINE (CONFIG_DEFAULT, "illegal default value");
 
diff --git a/src/backend/config.h b/src/backend/config.h
index 307601ee5..8a6aa5198 100644
--- a/src/backend/config.h
+++ b/src/backend/config.h
@@ -40,10 +40,9 @@ NOBUG_DECLARE_FLAG (config_typed);
 NOBUG_DECLARE_FLAG (config_file);
 
 
-
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DECLARE (CONFIG_SYNTAX);
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DECLARE (CONFIG_SYNTAX_KEY);
-LUMIERA_ERROR_DECLARE (CONFIG_TYPE);
+LUMIERA_ERROR_DECLARE (CONFIG_SYNTAX_VALUE);
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DECLARE (CONFIG_NO_ENTRY);
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DECLARE (CONFIG_DEFAULT);
 
diff --git a/src/backend/config_typed.c b/src/backend/config_typed.c
index 08db10f19..259d2e225 100644
--- a/src/backend/config_typed.c
+++ b/src/backend/config_typed.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ lumiera_config_number_get (const char* key, long long* value, const char* def)
                 ret = 0; /* all ok */
               else
                 {
-                  LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_typed, CONFIG_TYPE);
+                  LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_typed, CONFIG_SYNTAX_VALUE);
                   if (def)
                     /* even when we return an error code we still try to initialize value with our default while in error state */
                     goto try_default;
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ lumiera_config_number_get (const char* key, long long* value, const char* def)
               else
                 {
                   /* default value is broken!! */
-                  /* note that this error gets ignored when we had a type error above */
+                  /* note that this error gets ignored by the application when we had a type error above, but will still be logged with nobug */
                   ret = -1;
                   LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_typed, CONFIG_DEFAULT);
                 }
diff --git a/tests/20config.tests b/tests/20config.tests
index ef3d8da7d..d4eebff47 100644
--- a/tests/20config.tests
+++ b/tests/20config.tests
@@ -39,18 +39,25 @@ out: 1234567890
 END
 
 export LUMIERA_TEST_NUMBER_1=987654321
+
 TEST "number get, env override" number_get test.number.1 '1234567890 # comment' <<END
 out: 987654321
 END
 
 export LUMIERA_TEST_NUMBER_1=barf
 TEST "number get, type error" number_get_nodefault test.number.1 <<END
-out: LUMIERA_ERROR_CONFIG_TYPE:value has wrong type
+out: LUMIERA_ERROR_CONFIG_SYNTAX_VALUE:syntax error in value
 END
+
+LUMIERA_TEST_NUMBER_1=NAN
+TEST "number get, env override, default fallback" number_get test.number.1 '1234567890 # comment' <<END
+out: LUMIERA_ERROR_CONFIG_SYNTAX_VALUE:syntax error in value, 1234567890
+END
+
 unset LUMIERA_TEST_NUMBER_1
 
 
-TEST "number get, syntax error" number_get no:fun:blah '1234567890 # comment' <<END
+TEST "number get, syntax error" number_get_nodefault test.NUMBER.1 <<END
 out: LUMIERA_ERROR_CONFIG_SYNTAX_KEY:syntax error in key
 END
 
diff --git a/tests/backend/test-config.c b/tests/backend/test-config.c
index 56168a1ca..b5099a38f 100644
--- a/tests/backend/test-config.c
+++ b/tests/backend/test-config.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ TEST ("number_get")
   if (!lumiera_config_number_get (argv[2], &number, argv[3]))
     printf ("%lld\n", number);
   else
-    printf ("%s\n", lumiera_error ());
+    printf ("%s, %lld\n", lumiera_error (), number);
 
   lumiera_config_destroy ();
 }