diff --git a/extra/command-line/parser/parser-tests.factor b/extra/command-line/parser/parser-tests.factor
index 5444f49c2a5..c2641cdf0c9 100644
--- a/extra/command-line/parser/parser-tests.factor
+++ b/extra/command-line/parser/parser-tests.factor
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ math.parser namespaces sequences tools.test ;
 
 IN: command-line.parser.tests
 
+TUPLE: foo ;
+
+[
+    { T{ option { name "--foo" } { type foo } } }
+    { "--foo" "abcd" } (parse-options)
+] [ cannot-convert-value? ] must-fail-with
+
 [
     { T{ option { name "--foo" } { required? t } } }
     { } (parse-options)
diff --git a/extra/command-line/parser/parser.factor b/extra/command-line/parser/parser.factor
index a05e69bfc99..691b0103cd3 100644
--- a/extra/command-line/parser/parser.factor
+++ b/extra/command-line/parser/parser.factor
@@ -32,9 +32,8 @@ TUPLE: option name type help variable default convert validate
 
 : option-name ( option -- name )
     {
-        [ name>> [ CHAR: - = ] trim-head ]
-        [ variable>> dup string? [ name>> ] unless ]
-    } 1|| ;
+        [ name>> ] [ variable>> dup string? [ name>> ] unless ]
+    } 1|| [ CHAR: - = ] trim-head ;
 
 :: option-#args ( option -- #args )
     option #args>> [ option const>> 1 xor ] unless* ;
@@ -107,6 +106,7 @@ M: cannot-convert-value error.
     dup quotation? [ call( str -- val ) ] [
         {
             { f [ ] }
+            { string [ ] }
             { object [ [ 1array <lexer> [ scan-object ] with-lexer ] with-manifest ] }
             { boolean [ {
                     { [ dup >lower { "t" "true" "1" "on" "y" "yes" } member? ] [ drop t ] }