diff --git a/src/univalue/univalue.cpp b/src/univalue/univalue.cpp
index e8fc5134336..6920c44c96f 100644
--- a/src/univalue/univalue.cpp
+++ b/src/univalue/univalue.cpp
@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <iomanip>
 #include <sstream>
+#include <stdexcept>      // std::runtime_error
+
 #include "univalue.h"
 
+#include "utilstrencodings.h" // ParseXX
+
 using namespace std;
 
 const UniValue NullUniValue;
@@ -224,4 +228,77 @@ const UniValue& find_value( const UniValue& obj, const std::string& name)
     }
 
     return NullUniValue;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+std::vector<std::string> UniValue::getKeys() const
+{
+    if (typ != VOBJ)
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON value is not an object as expected");
+    return keys;
+}
+
+std::vector<UniValue> UniValue::getValues() const
+{
+    if (typ != VOBJ && typ != VARR)
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON value is not an object or array as expected");
+    return values;
+}
+
+bool UniValue::get_bool() const
+{
+    if (typ != VBOOL)
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON value is not a boolean as expected");
+    return getBool();
+}
+
+std::string UniValue::get_str() const
+{
+    if (typ != VSTR)
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON value is not a string as expected");
+    return getValStr();
+}
+
+int UniValue::get_int() const
+{
+    if (typ != VNUM)
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON value is not an integer as expected");
+    int32_t retval;
+    if (!ParseInt32(getValStr(), &retval))
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON integer out of range");
+    return retval;
+}
+
+int64_t UniValue::get_int64() const
+{
+    if (typ != VNUM)
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON value is not an integer as expected");
+    int64_t retval;
+    if (!ParseInt64(getValStr(), &retval))
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON integer out of range");
+    return retval;
+}
+
+double UniValue::get_real() const
+{
+    if (typ != VREAL && typ != VNUM)
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON value is not a number as expected");
+    double retval;
+    if (!ParseDouble(getValStr(), &retval))
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON double out of range");
+    return retval;
+}
+
+const UniValue& UniValue::get_obj() const
+{
+    if (typ != VOBJ)
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON value is not an object as expected");
+    return *this;
+}
+
+const UniValue& UniValue::get_array() const
+{
+    if (typ != VARR)
+        throw std::runtime_error("JSON value is not an array as expected");
+    return *this;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/univalue/univalue.h b/src/univalue/univalue.h
index 57a96abe26a..79018bb7877 100644
--- a/src/univalue/univalue.h
+++ b/src/univalue/univalue.h
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 
 #include <sstream>        // .get_int64()
 #include <utility>        // std::pair
-#include <stdlib.h>       // atoi(), atof()   TODO: remove
 
 class UniValue {
 public:
@@ -75,7 +74,7 @@ public:
 
     bool isNull() const { return (typ == VNULL); }
     bool isTrue() const { return (typ == VBOOL) && (val == "1"); }
-    bool isFalse() const { return (!isTrue()); }
+    bool isFalse() const { return (typ == VBOOL) && (val != "1"); }
     bool isBool() const { return (typ == VBOOL); }
     bool isStr() const { return (typ == VSTR); }
     bool isNum() const { return (typ == VNUM); }
@@ -140,27 +139,22 @@ private:
     void writeObject(unsigned int prettyIndent, unsigned int indentLevel, std::string& s) const;
 
 public:
-    //
-    // The following were added for compatibility with json_spirit.
-    // Most duplicate other methods, and should be removed.
-    //
-    std::vector<std::string> getKeys() const { return keys; }
-    std::vector<UniValue> getValues() const { return values; }
-    bool get_bool() const { return getBool(); }
-    std::string get_str() const { return getValStr(); }
-    int get_int() const { return atoi(getValStr().c_str()); }
-    double get_real() const { return atof(getValStr().c_str()); }
-    const UniValue& get_obj() const { return *this; }
-    const UniValue& get_array() const { return *this; }
+    // Strict type-specific getters, these throw std::runtime_error if the
+    // value is of unexpected type
+    std::vector<std::string> getKeys() const;
+    std::vector<UniValue> getValues() const;
+    bool get_bool() const;
+    std::string get_str() const;
+    int get_int() const;
+    int64_t get_int64() const;
+    double get_real() const;
+    const UniValue& get_obj() const;
+    const UniValue& get_array() const;
+
     enum VType type() const { return getType(); }
     bool push_back(std::pair<std::string,UniValue> pear) {
         return pushKV(pear.first, pear.second);
     }
-    int64_t get_int64() const {
-        int64_t ret;
-        std::istringstream(getValStr()) >> ret;
-        return ret;
-    }
     friend const UniValue& find_value( const UniValue& obj, const std::string& name);
 };