diff --git a/src/include/souffle/provenance/Explain.h b/src/include/souffle/provenance/Explain.h
index d223e1a761c..86a3b4b2e6a 100644
--- a/src/include/souffle/provenance/Explain.h
+++ b/src/include/souffle/provenance/Explain.h
@@ -100,7 +100,13 @@ class Explain {
                 return true;
             }
             query = parseTuple(command[1]);
-            printTree(prov.explain(query.first, query.second, ExplainConfig::getExplainConfig().depthLimit));
+            try {
+                printTree(prov.explain(
+                        query.first, query.second, ExplainConfig::getExplainConfig().depthLimit));
+            } catch (const ValueReadException& e) {
+                printError(tfm::format("%s\n", e.what()));
+                return true;
+            }
         } else if (command[0] == "subproof") {
             std::pair<std::string, std::vector<std::string>> query;
             int label = -1;
@@ -144,29 +150,40 @@ class Explain {
             printInfo(rules);
 
             printPrompt("Pick a rule number: ");
-
-            std::string ruleNum = getInput();
-            auto variables = prov.explainNegationGetVariables(query.first, query.second, std::stoi(ruleNum));
-
-            // @ and @non_matching are special sentinel values returned by ExplainProvenance
-            if (variables.size() == 1 && variables[0] == "@") {
-                printInfo("The tuple exists, cannot explain negation of it!\n");
-                return true;
-            } else if (variables.size() == 1 && variables[0] == "@non_matching") {
-                printInfo("The variable bindings don't match, cannot explain!\n");
-                return true;
-            } else if (variables.size() == 1 && variables[0] == "@fact") {
-                printInfo("The rule is a fact!\n");
+            int ruleNum = 0;
+            try {
+                ruleNum = stoi(getInput());
+            } catch (std::exception& e) {
+                printError("Invalid rule number\n");
                 return true;
             }
 
-            std::map<std::string, std::string> varValues;
-            for (auto var : variables) {
-                printPrompt("Pick a value for " + var + ": ");
-                varValues[var] = getInput();
-            }
+            try {
+                auto variables = prov.explainNegationGetVariables(query.first, query.second, ruleNum);
+
+                // @ and @non_matching are special sentinel values returned by ExplainProvenance
+                if (variables.size() == 1 && variables[0] == "@") {
+                    printInfo("The tuple exists, cannot explain negation of it!\n");
+                    return true;
+                } else if (variables.size() == 1 && variables[0] == "@non_matching") {
+                    printInfo("The variable bindings don't match, cannot explain!\n");
+                    return true;
+                } else if (variables.size() == 1 && variables[0] == "@fact") {
+                    printInfo("The rule is a fact!\n");
+                    return true;
+                }
+
+                std::map<std::string, std::string> varValues;
+                for (auto var : variables) {
+                    printPrompt("Pick a value for " + var + ": ");
+                    varValues[var] = getInput();
+                }
 
-            printTree(prov.explainNegation(query.first, std::stoi(ruleNum), query.second, varValues));
+                printTree(prov.explainNegation(query.first, ruleNum, query.second, varValues));
+            } catch (const ValueReadException& e) {
+                printError(tfm::format("%s\n", e.what()));
+                return true;
+            }
         } else if (command[0] == "rule" && command.size() == 2) {
             auto query = split(command[1], ' ');
             if (query.size() != 2) {
diff --git a/src/include/souffle/provenance/ExplainProvenance.h b/src/include/souffle/provenance/ExplainProvenance.h
index e5031e621cc..cbaf8357755 100644
--- a/src/include/souffle/provenance/ExplainProvenance.h
+++ b/src/include/souffle/provenance/ExplainProvenance.h
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@
 namespace souffle {
 class TreeNode;
 
+class ValueReadException : public std::runtime_error {
+public:
+    ValueReadException(const std::string& what_arg) : std::runtime_error(what_arg) {}
+};
+
 /** Equivalence class for variables in query command */
 class Equivalence {
 public:
@@ -240,15 +245,21 @@ class ExplainProvenance {
     }
 
     RamDomain valueRead(const char type, const std::string& value) const {
-        switch (type) {
-            case 'i': return ramBitCast(RamSignedFromString(value));
-            case 'u': return ramBitCast(RamUnsignedFromString(value));
-            case 'f': return ramBitCast(RamFloatFromString(value));
-            case 's':
-                assert(2 <= value.size() && value[0] == '"' && value.back() == '"');
-                return symTable.encode(value.substr(1, value.size() - 2));
-            case 'r': fatal("not implemented");
-            default: fatal("unhandled type attr code");
+        try {
+            switch (type) {
+                case 'i': return ramBitCast(RamSignedFromString(value));
+                case 'u': return ramBitCast(RamUnsignedFromString(value));
+                case 'f': return ramBitCast(RamFloatFromString(value));
+                case 's':
+                    assert(2 <= value.size() && value[0] == '"' && value.back() == '"');
+                    return symTable.encode(value.substr(1, value.size() - 2));
+                case 'r': fatal("not implemented");
+                default: fatal("unhandled type attr code");
+            }
+        } catch (const std::invalid_argument& e) {
+            throw ValueReadException(tfm::format("Invalid argument %s for type '%c'", value, type));
+        } catch (const std::out_of_range& e) {
+            throw ValueReadException(tfm::format("Out of range value %s for type '%c'", value, type));
         }
     }
 };