diff --git a/public/biopet-framework/src/main/scala/nl/lumc/sasc/biopet/utils/ConfigUtils.scala b/public/biopet-framework/src/main/scala/nl/lumc/sasc/biopet/utils/ConfigUtils.scala
index 9f1cddb7913cf7846daa72c7b9e695988b3a14c6..cef97ffaa2472a8bc77b19f77b2454dde0fa68eb 100644
--- a/public/biopet-framework/src/main/scala/nl/lumc/sasc/biopet/utils/ConfigUtils.scala
+++ b/public/biopet-framework/src/main/scala/nl/lumc/sasc/biopet/utils/ConfigUtils.scala
@@ -330,14 +330,23 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
   trait ImplicitConversions {
     import scala.language.implicitConversions
 
+    private def requiredValue(value: ConfigValue): Unit = {
+      if (!valueExists(value))
+        throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist but is required, key: '" + value.requestIndex.key + "'")
+    }
+
+    private def valueExists(value: ConfigValue): Boolean = {
+      value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None
+    }
+
     /**
      * Convert ConfigValue to File
      * @param value Input ConfigValue
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2file(value: ConfigValue): File = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) new File(any2string(value.value))
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      new File(any2string(value.value))
     }
 
     /**
@@ -346,7 +355,7 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2optionFile(value: ConfigValue): Option[File] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) Some(new File(any2string(value.value)))
+      if (valueExists(value)) Some(new File(any2string(value.value)))
       else None
     }
 
@@ -356,8 +365,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2string(value: ConfigValue): String = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2string(value.value)
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2string(value.value)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -366,7 +375,7 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2optionString(value: ConfigValue): Option[String] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) Some(any2string(value.value))
+      if (valueExists(value)) Some(any2string(value.value))
       else None
     }
 
@@ -376,8 +385,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2long(value: ConfigValue): Long = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2long(value.value)
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2long(value.value)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -386,7 +395,7 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2optionLong(value: ConfigValue): Option[Long] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) Option(any2long(value.value))
+      if (valueExists(value)) Option(any2long(value.value))
       else None
     }
 
@@ -396,8 +405,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2int(value: ConfigValue): Int = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2int(value.value)
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2int(value.value)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -406,7 +415,7 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2optionInt(value: ConfigValue): Option[Int] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) Option(any2int(value.value))
+      if (valueExists(value)) Option(any2int(value.value))
       else None
     }
 
@@ -416,8 +425,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2double(value: ConfigValue): Double = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2double(value.value)
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2double(value.value)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -426,7 +435,7 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2optionDouble(value: ConfigValue): Option[Double] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) Option(any2double(value.value))
+      if (valueExists(value)) Option(any2double(value.value))
       else None
     }
 
@@ -436,8 +445,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2float(value: ConfigValue): Float = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2float(value.value)
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2float(value.value)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -446,7 +455,7 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2optionFloat(value: ConfigValue): Option[Float] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) Option(any2float(value.value))
+      if (valueExists(value)) Option(any2float(value.value))
       else None
     }
 
@@ -456,8 +465,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2boolean(value: ConfigValue): Boolean = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2boolean(value.value)
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2boolean(value.value)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -466,7 +475,7 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2optionBoolean(value: ConfigValue): Option[Boolean] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) Option(any2boolean(value.value))
+      if (valueExists(value)) Option(any2boolean(value.value))
       else None
     }
 
@@ -476,8 +485,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2list(value: ConfigValue): List[Any] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2list(value.value)
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2list(value.value)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -486,8 +495,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2stringList(value: ConfigValue): List[String] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2stringList(value.value)
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2stringList(value.value)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -496,8 +505,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2stringSet(value: ConfigValue): Set[String] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2stringList(value.value).toSet
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2stringList(value.value).toSet
     }
 
     /**
@@ -506,8 +515,8 @@ object ConfigUtils extends Logging {
      * @return
      */
     implicit def configValue2map(value: ConfigValue): Map[String, Any] = {
-      if (value != null && value.value != null && value.value != None) any2map(value.value)
-      else throw new IllegalStateException("Value does not exist")
+      requiredValue(value)
+      any2map(value.value)
     }
   }
 }