diff --git a/source/ddbus/conv.d b/source/ddbus/conv.d
index dab1628..d75425e 100644
--- a/source/ddbus/conv.d
+++ b/source/ddbus/conv.d
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 module ddbus.conv;
 
 import ddbus.c_lib;
+import ddbus.exception : TypeMismatchException;
 import ddbus.util;
 import ddbus.thin;
+import std.exception : enforce;
 import std.string;
 import std.typecons;
 import std.range;
@@ -134,12 +136,10 @@ T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter *iter) if (canDBus!T) {
       return ret;
     }
   }
-  static if(isTuple!T) {
-    assert(dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(iter) == 'r');
-  } else static if(is(T == DictionaryEntry!(K1, V1), K1, V1)) {
-    assert(dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(iter) == 'e');
-  } else static if(!is(T == DBusAny) && !is(T == Variant!DBusAny)) {
-    assert(dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(iter) == typeCode!T());
+  static if(!is(T == DBusAny) && !is(T == Variant!DBusAny)) {
+    auto argType = dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(iter);
+    enforce(argType == typeCode!T(),
+      new TypeMismatchException(argType, typeCode!T()));
   }
   static if(is(T==string) || is(T==ObjectPath)) {
     const(char)* cStr;
@@ -272,6 +272,11 @@ unittest {
   auto args = tuple(5,true,"wow",var(5.9),[6,5],tuple(6.2,4,[["lol"]],emptyB,var([4,2])),map,anyVar,complexVar);
   msg.build(args.expand);
   msg.signature().assertEqual("ibsvai(diaasabv)a{ss}tv");
+
+  msg.read!string().assertThrow!TypeMismatchException();
+  msg.readTuple!(Tuple!(int, bool, double)).assertThrow!TypeMismatchException();
+  msg.readTuple!(Tuple!(int, bool, string, double)).assertEqual(tuple(5,true,"wow", 5.9));
+
   msg.readTuple!(typeof(args))().assertEqual(args);
   DBusMessageIter iter;
   dbus_message_iter_init(msg.msg, &iter);
diff --git a/source/ddbus/exception.d b/source/ddbus/exception.d
index e6e25d3..7e80bc1 100644
--- a/source/ddbus/exception.d
+++ b/source/ddbus/exception.d
@@ -35,3 +35,32 @@ class DBusException : Exception {
   }
 }
 
+/++
+  Thrown when the signature of a message does not match the requested types.
++/
+class TypeMismatchException : Exception {
+  package this(
+    int expectedType,
+    int actualType,
+    string file = __FILE__,
+    size_t line = __LINE__,
+    Throwable next = null
+  ) pure nothrow @safe {
+    _expectedType = expectedType;
+    _actualType = actualType;
+    super("The type of value at the current position in the message does not match the type of value to be read."
+      ~ " Expected: " ~ cast(char) expectedType ~ ", Got: " ~ cast(char) actualType);
+  }
+
+  int expectedType() @property pure const nothrow @nogc {
+    return _expectedType;
+  }
+
+  int actualType() @property pure const nothrow @nogc {
+    return _actualType;
+  }
+
+  private:
+  int _expectedType;
+  int _actualType;
+}