diff --git a/include/behaviortree_cpp/basic_types.h b/include/behaviortree_cpp/basic_types.h
index 706e0c61d..6e7c0ca6c 100644
--- a/include/behaviortree_cpp/basic_types.h
+++ b/include/behaviortree_cpp/basic_types.h
@@ -72,7 +72,15 @@ using StringView = std::string_view;
 template <typename T>
 inline T convertFromString(StringView /*str*/)
 {
-  static_assert(true, "This template specialization of convertFromString doesn't exist");
+  auto type_name = BT::demangle(typeid(T));
+
+  std::cerr << "You (maybe indirectly) called BT::convertFromString() for type ["
+            << type_name << "], but I can't find the template specialization.\n"
+            << std::endl;
+
+  throw LogicError(std::string("You didn't implement the template specialization of "
+                               "convertFromString for this type: ") +
+                   type_name);
 }
 
 template <>
diff --git a/include/behaviortree_cpp/tree_node.h b/include/behaviortree_cpp/tree_node.h
index d2211dc02..20cff4d3c 100644
--- a/include/behaviortree_cpp/tree_node.h
+++ b/include/behaviortree_cpp/tree_node.h
@@ -302,8 +302,6 @@ class TreeNode
   std::array<ScriptFunction, size_t(PreCond::COUNT_)> pre_parsed_;
   std::array<ScriptFunction, size_t(PostCond::COUNT_)> post_parsed_;
 
-  std::shared_ptr<ScriptingEnumsRegistry> scripting_enums_;
-
   Expected<NodeStatus> checkPreConditions();
   void checkPostConditions(NodeStatus status);
 
@@ -316,6 +314,28 @@ class TreeNode
 template <typename T>
 inline Result TreeNode::getInput(const std::string& key, T& destination) const
 {
+  // address the special case where T is an enum
+  auto ParseString = [this](const std::string& str) -> T
+  {
+    if constexpr (std::is_enum_v<T> && !std::is_same_v<T, NodeStatus>)
+    {
+      auto it = config_.enums->find(str);
+      // conversion available
+      if( it != config_.enums->end() )
+      {
+        return static_cast<T>(it->second);
+      }
+      else {
+        // hopefully str contains a number that can be parsed. May throw
+        return static_cast<T>(convertFromString<int>(str));
+      }
+    }
+    else {
+      return convertFromString<T>(str);
+    }
+  };
+
+
   auto remap_it = config_.input_ports.find(key);
   if (remap_it == config_.input_ports.end())
   {
@@ -327,18 +347,17 @@ inline Result TreeNode::getInput(const std::string& key, T& destination) const
   auto remapped_res = getRemappedKey(key, remap_it->second);
   try
   {
+    // pure string, not a blackboard key
     if (!remapped_res)
     {
-      destination = convertFromString<T>(remap_it->second);
+      destination = ParseString(remap_it->second);
       return {};
     }
     const auto& remapped_key = remapped_res.value();
 
     if (!config_.blackboard)
     {
-      return nonstd::make_unexpected("getInput() trying to access a Blackboard(BB) "
-                                     "entry, "
-                                     "but BB is invalid");
+      return nonstd::make_unexpected("getInput(): trying to access an invalid Blackboard");
     }
 
     std::unique_lock<std::mutex> entry_lock(config_.blackboard->entryMutex());
@@ -348,7 +367,7 @@ inline Result TreeNode::getInput(const std::string& key, T& destination) const
       if (!std::is_same_v<T, std::string> &&
           val->type() == typeid(std::string))
       {
-        destination = convertFromString<T>(val->cast<std::string>());
+        destination = ParseString(val->cast<std::string>());
       }
       else
       {
diff --git a/src/basic_types.cpp b/src/basic_types.cpp
index 569a69024..25f2fbb1a 100644
--- a/src/basic_types.cpp
+++ b/src/basic_types.cpp
@@ -107,7 +107,11 @@ template <>
 int convertFromString<int>(StringView str)
 {
   int result = 0;
-  std::from_chars(str.data(), str.data() + str.size(), result);
+  auto [ptr, ec] = std::from_chars(str.data(), str.data() + str.size(), result);
+  if(ec != std::errc())
+  {
+    throw RuntimeError(StrCat("Can't convert string [", str, "] to int"));
+  }
   return result;
 }
 
@@ -115,7 +119,11 @@ template <>
 long convertFromString<long>(StringView str)
 {
   long result = 0;
-  std::from_chars(str.data(), str.data() + str.size(), result);
+  auto [ptr, ec] = std::from_chars(str.data(), str.data() + str.size(), result);
+  if(ec != std::errc())
+  {
+    throw RuntimeError(StrCat("Can't convert string [", str, "] to long"));
+  }
   return result;
 }
 
@@ -123,7 +131,11 @@ template <>
 unsigned convertFromString<unsigned>(StringView str)
 {
   unsigned result = 0;
-  std::from_chars(str.data(), str.data() + str.size(), result);
+  auto [ptr, ec] = std::from_chars(str.data(), str.data() + str.size(), result);
+  if(ec != std::errc())
+  {
+    throw RuntimeError(StrCat("Can't convert string [", str, "] to unsigned"));
+  }
   return result;
 }
 
@@ -131,7 +143,11 @@ template <>
 unsigned long convertFromString<unsigned long>(StringView str)
 {
   unsigned long result = 0;
-  std::from_chars(str.data(), str.data() + str.size(), result);
+  auto [ptr, ec] = std::from_chars(str.data(), str.data() + str.size(), result);
+  if(ec != std::errc())
+  {
+    throw RuntimeError(StrCat("Can't convert string [", str, "] to unsigned long"));
+  }
   return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/gtest_ports.cpp b/tests/gtest_ports.cpp
index ea969847c..2b2b5d196 100644
--- a/tests/gtest_ports.cpp
+++ b/tests/gtest_ports.cpp
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ class ActionVectorIn : public SyncActionNode
   {
     return {BT::InputPort<std::vector<double>>("states")};
   }
+private:
   std::vector<double>* states_;
 };
 
@@ -230,3 +231,63 @@ TEST(PortTest, SubtreeStringInput_Issue489)
   ASSERT_EQ(7, states[1]);
 }
 
+enum class Color
+{
+  Red = 0,
+  Blue = 1,
+  Green = 2,
+  Undefined
+};
+
+class ActionEnum : public SyncActionNode
+{
+public:
+  ActionEnum(const std::string& name, const NodeConfig& config) :
+    SyncActionNode(name, config)
+  {}
+
+  NodeStatus tick() override
+  {
+    getInput("color", color);
+    return NodeStatus::SUCCESS;
+  }
+
+  static PortsList providedPorts()
+  {
+    return {BT::InputPort<Color>("color")};
+  }
+
+  Color color = Color::Undefined;
+};
+
+TEST(PortTest, StrintToEnum)
+{
+  std::string xml_txt = R"(
+    <root BTCPP_format="4" >
+      <BehaviorTree ID="Main">
+        <Sequence>
+          <ActionEnum color="Blue"/>
+          <ActionEnum color="2"/>
+        </Sequence>
+      </BehaviorTree>
+    </root>)";
+
+  BehaviorTreeFactory factory;
+  factory.registerNodeType<ActionEnum>("ActionEnum");
+  factory.registerScriptingEnums<Color>();
+
+  auto tree = factory.createTreeFromText(xml_txt);
+
+  NodeStatus status = tree.tickWhileRunning();
+
+  ASSERT_EQ(status, NodeStatus::SUCCESS);
+
+  auto first_node = dynamic_cast<ActionEnum*>(tree.subtrees.front()->nodes[1].get());
+  auto second_node = dynamic_cast<ActionEnum*>(tree.subtrees.front()->nodes[2].get());
+
+  ASSERT_EQ(Color::Blue, first_node->color);
+  ASSERT_EQ(Color::Green, second_node->color);
+}
+
+
+