diff --git a/core/include/gz/msgs/PointCloudPackedUtils.hh b/core/include/gz/msgs/PointCloudPackedUtils.hh
index f746f8c0..37074aaf 100644
--- a/core/include/gz/msgs/PointCloudPackedUtils.hh
+++ b/core/include/gz/msgs/PointCloudPackedUtils.hh
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <gz/msgs/pointcloud_packed.pb.h>
 
 #include <cstdarg>
+#include <functional>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <string>
 #include <utility>
diff --git a/core/src/DynamicFactory.hh b/core/src/DynamicFactory.hh
index 342f3edb..afe4c4c4 100644
--- a/core/src/DynamicFactory.hh
+++ b/core/src/DynamicFactory.hh
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #pragma warning(pop)
 #endif
 
+#include <functional>
 #include <map>
 #include <memory>
 #include <string>
diff --git a/core/src/MessageFactory.cc b/core/src/MessageFactory.cc
index 827205dc..45743dc1 100644
--- a/core/src/MessageFactory.cc
+++ b/core/src/MessageFactory.cc
@@ -115,7 +115,12 @@ MessageFactory::MessagePtr MessageFactory::New(
   std::unique_ptr<google::protobuf::Message> msg = New(_msgType);
   if (msg)
   {
-    google::protobuf::TextFormat::ParseFromString(_args, msg.get());
+    if (!google::protobuf::TextFormat::ParseFromString(_args, msg.get()))
+    {
+      // The user-provided string was invalid,
+      // return nullptr rather than an empty message.
+      msg.reset();
+    }
   }
   return msg;
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/Factory_TEST.cc b/test/integration/Factory_TEST.cc
index 96d9433d..7f8a08fe 100644
--- a/test/integration/Factory_TEST.cc
+++ b/test/integration/Factory_TEST.cc
@@ -53,23 +53,10 @@ TEST(FactoryTest, Type)
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////
 TEST(FactoryTest, New)
 {
-  // Correct call, using periods, fully qualified
+  // Preferred call, using periods, fully qualified
   auto msg = Factory::New<Vector3d>("gz.msgs.Vector3d");
-
   ASSERT_TRUE(msg.get() != nullptr);
 
-  msg->set_x(1.0);
-  msg->set_y(2.0);
-  msg->set_z(3.0);
-
-  auto msgFilled = Factory::New<Vector3d>(
-      "gz_msgs.Vector3d", "x: 1.0, y: 2.0, z: 3.0");
-  ASSERT_TRUE(msgFilled.get() != nullptr);
-
-  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(msg->x(), msgFilled->x());
-  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(msg->y(), msgFilled->y());
-  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(msg->z(), msgFilled->z());
-
   // Various other supported ways of specifying gz.msgs
   msg = Factory::New<Vector3d>("gz_msgs.Vector3d");
   EXPECT_TRUE(msg.get() != nullptr);
@@ -81,6 +68,33 @@ TEST(FactoryTest, New)
   EXPECT_TRUE(msg.get() != nullptr);
 }
 
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////
+TEST(FactoryTest, NewWithWellFormedData)
+{
+  gz::msgs::Vector3d msg;
+  msg.set_x(1.0);
+  msg.set_y(2.0);
+  msg.set_z(3.0);
+
+  auto msgFilled = Factory::New<gz::msgs::Vector3d>(
+      "gz.msgs.Vector3d", "x: 1.0, y: 2.0, z: 3.0");
+  ASSERT_TRUE(nullptr != msgFilled);
+
+  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(msg.x(), msgFilled->x());
+  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(msg.y(), msgFilled->y());
+  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(msg.z(), msgFilled->z());
+}
+
+
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////
+TEST(FactoryTest, NewWithMalformedData)
+{
+  /// Passing bad data to New results in a nullptr
+  auto msgFilled = Factory::New<gz::msgs::Vector3d>(
+      "gz.msgs.Vector3d", "x: 1.0, y: asdf, z: 3.0");
+  ASSERT_TRUE(nullptr == msgFilled);
+}
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////
 TEST(FactoryTest, DeprecatedNonFullyQualified)
 {