diff --git a/conf/lex.go b/conf/lex.go
index 27a427fa..77199f70 100644
--- a/conf/lex.go
+++ b/conf/lex.go
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ func lexKeyStart(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	r := lx.peek()
 	switch {
 	case isKeySeparator(r):
-		return lx.errorf("Unexpected key separator '%v'.", r)
+		return lx.errorf("Unexpected key separator '%v'", r)
 	case isWhitespace(r) || isNL(r):
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexKeyStart)
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ func lexValue(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 		lx.backup() // avoid an extra state and use the same as above
 		return lexNumberOrDateOrIPStart
 	case r == '.': // special error case, be kind to users
-		return lx.errorf("Floats must start with a digit, not '.'.")
+		return lx.errorf("Floats must start with a digit")
 	case isNL(r):
 		return lx.errorf("Expected value but found new line")
 	}
diff --git a/conf/lex_test.go b/conf/lex_test.go
index 9e6ea55e..521af4b2 100644
--- a/conf/lex_test.go
+++ b/conf/lex_test.go
@@ -1,22 +1,22 @@
 package conf
 
-import (
-	"testing"
-)
+import "testing"
 
 // Test to make sure we get what we expect.
 func expect(t *testing.T, lx *lexer, items []item) {
 	for i := 0; i < len(items); i++ {
 		item := lx.nextItem()
+		_ = item.String()
 		if item.typ == itemEOF {
 			break
-		} else if item.typ == itemError {
-			t.Fatal(item.val)
 		}
 		if item != items[i] {
 			t.Fatalf("Testing: '%s'\nExpected %q, received %q\n",
 				lx.input, items[i], item)
 		}
+		if item.typ == itemError {
+			break
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -77,6 +77,20 @@ func TestSimpleKeyIntegerValues(t *testing.T) {
 	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
 }
 
+func TestSimpleKeyNegativeIntegerValues(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedItems := []item{
+		{itemKey, "foo", 1},
+		{itemInteger, "-123", 1},
+		{itemEOF, "", 1},
+	}
+	lx := lex("foo = -123")
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+	lx = lex("foo=-123")
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+	lx = lex("foo=-123\r\n")
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+}
+
 func TestSimpleKeyFloatValues(t *testing.T) {
 	expectedItems := []item{
 		{itemKey, "foo", 1},
@@ -91,6 +105,25 @@ func TestSimpleKeyFloatValues(t *testing.T) {
 	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
 }
 
+func TestBadFloatValues(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedItems := []item{
+		{itemKey, "foo", 1},
+		{itemError, "Floats must start with a digit", 1},
+		{itemEOF, "", 1},
+	}
+	lx := lex("foo = .2")
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+}
+
+func TestBadKey(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedItems := []item{
+		{itemError, "Unexpected key separator ':'", 1},
+		{itemEOF, "", 1},
+	}
+	lx := lex(" :foo = 22")
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+}
+
 func TestSimpleKeyBoolValues(t *testing.T) {
 	expectedItems := []item{
 		{itemKey, "foo", 1},
@@ -134,6 +167,31 @@ func TestTopValuesWithComments(t *testing.T) {
 	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
 }
 
+func TestRawString(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedItems := []item{
+		{itemKey, "foo", 1},
+		{itemString, "bar", 1},
+		{itemEOF, "", 1},
+	}
+
+	lx := lex("foo = bar")
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+
+	lx = lex(`foo = bar' `)
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+}
+
+func TestDateValues(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedItems := []item{
+		{itemKey, "foo", 1},
+		{itemDatetime, "2016-05-04T18:53:41Z", 1},
+		{itemEOF, "", 1},
+	}
+
+	lx := lex("foo = 2016-05-04T18:53:41Z")
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+}
+
 func TestArrays(t *testing.T) {
 	expectedItems := []item{
 		{itemKey, "foo", 1},
@@ -158,7 +216,7 @@ var mlArray = `
 foo = [
  1, # One
  2, // Two
- 3 , // Three
+ 3 # Three
  'bar'     ,
  "bar"
 ]
@@ -348,6 +406,32 @@ func TestWhitespaceKeySep(t *testing.T) {
 	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
 }
 
+var escString = `
+foo  = \t
+bar  = \r
+baz  = \n
+q    = \"
+bs   = \\
+`
+
+func TestEscapedString(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedItems := []item{
+		{itemKey, "foo", 2},
+		{itemString, `\t`, 2},
+		{itemKey, "bar", 3},
+		{itemString, `\r`, 3},
+		{itemKey, "baz", 4},
+		{itemString, `\n`, 4},
+		{itemKey, "q", 5},
+		{itemString, `\"`, 5},
+		{itemKey, "bs", 6},
+		{itemString, `\\`, 6},
+		{itemEOF, "", 6},
+	}
+	lx := lex(escString)
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+}
+
 var nestedWhitespaceMap = `
 foo  {
   host  {
diff --git a/conf/parse_test.go b/conf/parse_test.go
index fda9b6e4..db8b0210 100644
--- a/conf/parse_test.go
+++ b/conf/parse_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package conf
 import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 // Test to make sure we get what we expect.
@@ -130,3 +131,18 @@ func TestSample4(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	test(t, sample4, ex)
 }
+
+var sample5 = `
+  now = 2016-05-04T18:53:41Z
+  gmt = false
+
+`
+
+func TestSample5(t *testing.T) {
+	dt, _ := time.Parse("2006-01-02T15:04:05Z", "2016-05-04T18:53:41Z")
+	ex := map[string]interface{}{
+		"now": dt,
+		"gmt": false,
+	}
+	test(t, sample5, ex)
+}