diff --git a/src/err.h b/src/err.h
index bf62ca80..732d1311 100644
--- a/src/err.h
+++ b/src/err.h
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@
 #define E_EXPR_NODES_EXCEEDED 114
 #define E_EXPECTING_EOXPR   115
 #define E_EXPECTING_ATOM    116
+#define E_BAD_VAL_FOR_SYSVAR 117
 
 #ifdef MK_GLOBALS
 #undef EXTERN
@@ -272,6 +273,7 @@ EXTERN char *ErrMsg[]
 /* E_EXPR_NODES_EXCEEDED */ "Maximum expression complexity exceeded",
 /* E_EXPECTING_EOXPR */    "Expecting operator or end-of-expression",
 /* E_EXPECTING_ATOM */     "Expecting constant, variable, function call or (expression)",
+/* E_BAD_VAL_FOR_SYSVAR */ "Invalid value for system variable",
 }
 #endif /* MK_GLOBALS */
 ;
diff --git a/src/var.c b/src/var.c
index 7edff3f0..b019e65b 100644
--- a/src/var.c
+++ b/src/var.c
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ static int latitude_longitude_func(int do_set, Value *val, double *var, double m
     } else {
         if (val->type != STR_TYPE) return E_BAD_TYPE;
         x = strtod_in_c_locale(val->v.str, &endptr);
-        if (*endptr) return E_BAD_TYPE;
+        if (*endptr) return E_BAD_VAL_FOR_SYSVAR;
     }
     if (x < min) return E_2LOW;
     if (x > max) return E_2HIGH;
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ static int datetime_sep_func(int do_set, Value *val)
     if (val->type != STR_TYPE) return E_BAD_TYPE;
     if (strcmp(val->v.str, "T") &&
         strcmp(val->v.str, "@")) {
-        return E_BAD_TYPE;
+        return E_BAD_VAL_FOR_SYSVAR;
     }
     DateTimeSep = val->v.str[0];
     return OK;
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ static int default_color_func(int do_set, Value *val)
     }
     if (val->type != STR_TYPE) return E_BAD_TYPE;
     if (sscanf(val->v.str, "%d %d %d", &col_r, &col_g, &col_b) != 3) {
-        return E_BAD_TYPE;
+        return E_BAD_VAL_FOR_SYSVAR;
     }
     /* They either all have to be -1, or all between 0 and 255 */
     if (col_r == -1 && col_g == -1 && col_b == -1) {
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ static int date_sep_func(int do_set, Value *val)
     if (val->type != STR_TYPE) return E_BAD_TYPE;
     if (strcmp(val->v.str, "/") &&
         strcmp(val->v.str, "-")) {
-        return E_BAD_TYPE;
+        return E_BAD_VAL_FOR_SYSVAR;
     }
     DateSep = val->v.str[0];
     return OK;
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ static int time_sep_func(int do_set, Value *val)
     if (val->type != STR_TYPE) return E_BAD_TYPE;
     if (strcmp(val->v.str, ":") &&
         strcmp(val->v.str, ".")) {
-        return E_BAD_TYPE;
+        return E_BAD_VAL_FOR_SYSVAR;
     }
     TimeSep = val->v.str[0];
     return OK;
diff --git a/tests/test.cmp b/tests/test.cmp
index f0834c99..9790f39d 100644
--- a/tests/test.cmp
+++ b/tests/test.cmp
@@ -16762,7 +16762,12 @@ mbpad("
 ]8;;https://dianne.skoll.ca\Hello, linky!
 ]8;;\]8;;https://dianne.skoll.ca\Hello, linky!
 ]8;;\]8;;https://dianne.skoll.ca\Hello, linky!
-]8;;\DynBuf Mallocs: 1120 mallocs; 31872640 bytes
+]8;;\../tests/test.rem(1900): Invalid value for system variable
+../tests/test.rem(1901): Invalid value for system variable
+../tests/test.rem(1902): Invalid value for system variable
+../tests/test.rem(1903): Invalid value for system variable
+../tests/test.rem(1904): Invalid value for system variable
+DynBuf Mallocs: 1124 mallocs; 31872896 bytes
 Variable hash table statistics:
   Entries: 100146; Buckets: 87719; Non-empty Buckets: 66303
   Maxlen: 5; Minlen: 0; Avglen: 1.142; Stddev: 0.878; Avg nonempty len: 1.510
@@ -16784,7 +16789,7 @@ Expression nodes high-water: 302076
     Expression nodes leaked: 0
      Parse level high-water: 34
 Max expr node evaluations per line: 2001
-Total expression node evaluations:  106733
+Total expression node evaluations:  106738
 
 Test 2
 
@@ -25187,6 +25192,7 @@ TRANSLATE "Invalid multibyte sequence" ""
 TRANSLATE "Maximum expression complexity exceeded" ""
 TRANSLATE "Expecting operator or end-of-expression" ""
 TRANSLATE "Expecting constant, variable, function call or (expression)" ""
+TRANSLATE "Invalid value for system variable" ""
 
 # Other Messages
 TRANSLATE "%s function `%s' defined at %s(%s) does not use its argument" ""
diff --git a/tests/test.rem b/tests/test.rem
index f40e305b..c4a79960 100644
--- a/tests/test.rem
+++ b/tests/test.rem
@@ -1896,6 +1896,13 @@ REM INFO "Url: https://dianne.skoll.ca" MSG Hello, linky!
 REM INFO "Url: https://dianne.skoll.ca" MSF Hello, linky!
 REM INFO "Url: https://dianne.skoll.ca" SPECIAL COLOR 255 0 0 Hello, linky!
 
+# Bad values for system variables
+SET $Latitude "Cabbage"
+SET $Longitude "Carrots"
+SET $TimeSep "FOO"
+SET $DateSep "BAR"
+SET $DefaultColor "My oh my, what lovely eyes!"
+
 # Don't want Remind to queue reminders
 EXIT