diff --git a/ppx/browser/ppx_deriving_json_runtime.ml b/ppx/browser/ppx_deriving_json_runtime.ml
index 44100e5..31484d5 100644
--- a/ppx/browser/ppx_deriving_json_runtime.ml
+++ b/ppx/browser/ppx_deriving_json_runtime.ml
@@ -3,8 +3,26 @@ type t = Js.Json.t
 let to_json t = t
 let of_json t = t
 let to_string t = Js.Json.stringify t
-let of_string s = Js.Json.parseExn s
-let of_json_error msg = raise @@ Json.Decode.DecodeError msg
+
+exception Of_string_error of string
+
+let of_string s =
+  try Js.Json.parseExn s
+  with exn ->
+    let msg =
+      match Js.Exn.asJsExn exn with
+      | Some jsexn -> Js.Exn.message jsexn
+      | None -> None
+    in
+    let msg =
+      (* msg really cannot be None in browser or any sane JS runtime *)
+      Option.value msg ~default:"JSON error"
+    in
+    raise (Of_string_error msg)
+
+exception Of_json_error = Json.Decode.DecodeError
+
+let of_json_error msg = raise (Of_json_error msg)
 
 module To_json = struct
   external string_to_json : string -> t = "%identity"
diff --git a/ppx/native/ppx_deriving_json_runtime.ml b/ppx/native/ppx_deriving_json_runtime.ml
index 6d0bcef..ff63b32 100644
--- a/ppx/native/ppx_deriving_json_runtime.ml
+++ b/ppx/native/ppx_deriving_json_runtime.ml
@@ -3,12 +3,31 @@ type t = Yojson.Basic.t
 let to_json t = t
 let of_json t = t
 let to_string t = Yojson.Basic.to_string t
-let of_string s = Yojson.Basic.from_string s
+
+exception Of_string_error of string
+
+let of_string s =
+  try Yojson.Basic.from_string s
+  with Yojson.Json_error msg -> raise (Of_string_error msg)
 
 exception Of_json_error of string
 
 let of_json_error msg = raise (Of_json_error msg)
 
+let show_json_type = function
+  | `Assoc _ -> "object"
+  | `Bool _ -> "bool"
+  | `Float _ -> "float"
+  | `Int _ -> "int"
+  | `List _ -> "array"
+  | `Null -> "null"
+  | `String _ -> "string"
+
+let of_json_error_type_mismatch json expected =
+  raise
+    (Of_json_error
+       ("expected " ^ expected ^ " but got " ^ show_json_type json))
+
 module To_json = struct
   let string_to_json v = `String v
   let bool_to_json v = `Bool v
@@ -28,19 +47,43 @@ module To_json = struct
 end
 
 module Of_json = struct
-  let string_of_json = Yojson.Basic.Util.to_string
-  let bool_of_json = Yojson.Basic.Util.to_bool
-  let int_of_json = Yojson.Basic.Util.to_int
-  let float_of_json = Yojson.Basic.Util.to_number
+  let typeof = function
+    | `Assoc _ -> "object"
+    | `Bool _ -> "bool"
+    | `Float _ -> "float"
+    | `Int _ -> "int"
+    | `List _ -> "array"
+    | `Null -> "null"
+    | `String _ -> "string"
+
+  let string_of_json = function
+    | `String s -> s
+    | json -> of_json_error_type_mismatch json "string"
+
+  let bool_of_json = function
+    | `Bool b -> b
+    | json -> of_json_error_type_mismatch json "bool"
+
+  let int_of_json = function
+    | `Int i -> i
+    | json -> of_json_error_type_mismatch json "int"
+
+  let float_of_json = function
+    | `Float f -> f
+    | `Int i -> float_of_int i
+    | json -> of_json_error_type_mismatch json "float"
 
   let unit_of_json = function
     | `Null -> ()
     | _ -> of_json_error "expected null"
 
-  let option_of_json v_of_json = Yojson.Basic.Util.to_option v_of_json
+  let option_of_json v_of_json = function
+    | `Null -> None
+    | json -> Some (v_of_json json)
 
-  let list_of_json v_of_json json =
-    List.map v_of_json (Yojson.Basic.Util.to_list json)
+  let list_of_json v_of_json = function
+    | `List l -> List.map v_of_json l
+    | json -> of_json_error_type_mismatch json "array"
 
   let result_of_json ok_of_json err_of_json json =
     match json with