diff --git a/lib/AbstractException.php b/lib/AbstractException.php
index d26b3cd..73a1707 100644
--- a/lib/AbstractException.php
+++ b/lib/AbstractException.php
@@ -74,8 +74,9 @@ abstract class AbstractException extends \Exception {
         "User/ExceptionConflict.alreadyExists"        => 10403,
         "User/ExceptionSession.invalid"               => 10431,
         "User/ExceptionInput.invalidTimezone"         => 10441,
-        "User/ExceptionInput.invalidBoolean"          => 10442,
-        "User/ExceptionInput.invalidUsername"         => 10443,
+        "User/ExceptionInput.invalidValue"            => 10442,
+        "User/ExceptionInput.invalidNonZeroInteger"   => 10443,
+        "User/ExceptionInput.invalidUsername"         => 10444,
         "Feed/Exception.internalError"                => 10500,
         "Feed/Exception.invalidCertificate"           => 10501,
         "Feed/Exception.invalidUrl"                   => 10502,
diff --git a/lib/User.php b/lib/User.php
index 124fd23..bf457a9 100644
--- a/lib/User.php
+++ b/lib/User.php
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ class User {
             Arsse::$db->userPropertiesSet($user, $extra);
         }
         // retrieve from the database to get at least the user number, and anything else the driver does not provide
-        $meta = Arsse::$db->userPropertiesGet($user);
+        $meta = Arsse::$db->userPropertiesGet($user, $includeLarge);
         // combine all the data
         $out = ['num' => $meta['num']];
         foreach (self::PROPERTIES as $k => $t) {
@@ -156,8 +156,11 @@ class User {
         $in = [];
         foreach (self::PROPERTIES as $k => $t) {
             if (array_key_exists($k, $data)) {
-                // TODO: handle type mistmatch exception
-                $in[$k] = V::normalize($data[$k], $t | V::M_NULL | V::M_STRICT);
+                try {
+                    $in[$k] = V::normalize($data[$k], $t | V::M_NULL | V::M_STRICT);
+                } catch (\JKingWeb\Arsse\ExceptionType $e) {
+                    throw new User\ExceptionInput("invalidValue", ['field' => $k, 'type' => $t], $e);
+                }
             }
         }
         if (isset($in['tz']) && !@timezone_open($in['tz'])) {
diff --git a/locale/en.php b/locale/en.php
index f58d7b4..cbf3d79 100644
--- a/locale/en.php
+++ b/locale/en.php
@@ -148,8 +148,20 @@ return [
     'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/User/Exception.authFailed'                   => 'Authentication failed',
     'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/User/ExceptionSession.invalid'               => 'Session with ID {0} does not exist',
     'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/User/ExceptionInput.invalidUsername'         => 'User names may not contain the Unicode character {0}',
-    'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/User/ExceptionInput.invalidBoolean'          => 'User property "{0}" must be a boolean value (true or false)',
+    'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/User/ExceptionInput.invalidValue'            =>
+        'User property "{field}" must be {type, select,
+            1 {null}
+            2 {true or false}
+            3 {an integer}
+            4 {a real number}
+            5 {a DateTime object}
+            6 {a string}
+            7 {an array}
+            8 {a DateInterval object}
+            other {another type}
+         }',
     'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/User/ExceptionInput.invalidTimezone'         => 'User property "{field}" must be a valid zoneinfo timezone',
+    'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/User/ExceptionInput.invalidNonZeroInteger'   => 'User property "{field}" must be greater than zero',
     'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/Feed/Exception.internalError'                => 'Could not download feed "{url}" because of an internal error which is probably a bug',
     'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/Feed/Exception.invalidCertificate'           => 'Could not download feed "{url}" because its server is serving an invalid SSL certificate',
     'Exception.JKingWeb/Arsse/Feed/Exception.invalidUrl'                   => 'Feed URL "{url}" is invalid',
diff --git a/tests/cases/User/TestUser.php b/tests/cases/User/TestUser.php
index 8863d5f..84228ca 100644
--- a/tests/cases/User/TestUser.php
+++ b/tests/cases/User/TestUser.php
@@ -331,13 +331,14 @@ class TestUser extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\Test\AbstractTest {
     /** @dataProvider provideProperties */
     public function testGetThePropertiesOfAUser(array $exp, array $base, array $extra): void {
         $user = "john.doe@example.com";
+        $exp = array_merge(['num' => null], array_combine(array_keys(User::PROPERTIES), array_fill(0, sizeof(User::PROPERTIES), null)), $exp);
         $u = new User($this->drv);
         \Phake::when($this->drv)->userPropertiesGet->thenReturn($extra);
         \Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->userPropertiesGet->thenReturn($base);
         \Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->userExists->thenReturn(true);
         $this->assertSame($exp, $u->propertiesGet($user));
-        \Phake::verify($this->drv)->userPropertiesGet($user);
-        \Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->userPropertiesGet($user);
+        \Phake::verify($this->drv)->userPropertiesGet($user, true);
+        \Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->userPropertiesGet($user, true);
         \Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->userExists($user);
     }
 
@@ -356,14 +357,15 @@ class TestUser extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\Test\AbstractTest {
         $extra = ['tz' => "Europe/Istanbul"];
         $base = ['num' => 47, 'admin' => false, 'lang' => null, 'tz' => "Etc/UTC", 'sort_asc' => false];
         $exp = ['num' => 47, 'admin' => false, 'lang' => null, 'tz' => "Europe/Istanbul", 'sort_asc' => false];
+        $exp = array_merge(['num' => null], array_combine(array_keys(User::PROPERTIES), array_fill(0, sizeof(User::PROPERTIES), null)), $exp);
         $u = new User($this->drv);
         \Phake::when($this->drv)->userPropertiesGet->thenReturn($extra);
         \Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->userPropertiesGet->thenReturn($base);
         \Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->userAdd->thenReturn(true);
         \Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->userExists->thenReturn(false);
         $this->assertSame($exp, $u->propertiesGet($user));
-        \Phake::verify($this->drv)->userPropertiesGet($user);
-        \Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->userPropertiesGet($user);
+        \Phake::verify($this->drv)->userPropertiesGet($user, true);
+        \Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->userPropertiesGet($user, true);
         \Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->userPropertiesSet($user, $extra);
         \Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->userAdd($user, null);
         \Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->userExists($user);
@@ -377,7 +379,7 @@ class TestUser extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\Test\AbstractTest {
         try {
             $u->propertiesGet($user);
         } finally {
-            \Phake::verify($this->drv)->userPropertiesGet($user);
+            \Phake::verify($this->drv)->userPropertiesGet($user, true);
         }
     }
 
@@ -421,13 +423,14 @@ class TestUser extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\Test\AbstractTest {
     public function providePropertyChanges(): iterable {
         return [
             [['admin' => true],    ['admin' => true]],
-            [['admin' => 2],       new ExceptionInput("invalidBoolean")],
-            [['sort_asc' => 2],    new ExceptionInput("invalidBoolean")],
+            [['admin' => 2],       new ExceptionInput("invalidValue")],
+            [['sort_asc' => 2],    new ExceptionInput("invalidValue")],
             [['tz' => "Etc/UTC"],  ['tz' => "Etc/UTC"]],
             [['tz' => "Etc/blah"], new ExceptionInput("invalidTimezone")],
-            [['tz' => false],      new ExceptionInput("invalidTimezone")],
+            [['tz' => false],      new ExceptionInput("invalidValue")],
             [['lang' => "en-ca"],  ['lang' => "en-CA"]],
             [['lang' => null],     ['lang' => null]],
+            [['page_size' => 0],   new ExceptionInput("invalidNonZeroInteger")]
         ];
     }