diff --git a/plugins/chain_plugin/chain_plugin.cpp b/plugins/chain_plugin/chain_plugin.cpp
index 5f137445112..0a07bb4c58e 100644
--- a/plugins/chain_plugin/chain_plugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/chain_plugin/chain_plugin.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #include <eosio/chain/wast_to_wasm.hpp>
 
 #include <boost/signals2/connection.hpp>
+#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
+#include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
 #include <fc/io/json.hpp>
 #include <fc/variant.hpp>
@@ -600,6 +602,35 @@ read_only::get_info_results read_only::get_info(const read_only::get_info_params
    };
 }
 
+template<>
+uint64_t convert_to_type(const string& str, const string& desc) {
+   uint64_t value = 0;
+   try {
+      name s(str);
+      value = s.value;
+   } catch( ... ) {
+      try {
+         auto trimmed_str = str;
+         boost::trim(trimmed_str);
+         value = boost::lexical_cast<uint64_t>(trimmed_str.c_str(), trimmed_str.size());
+      } catch( ... ) {
+         try {
+            auto symb = eosio::chain::symbol::from_string(str);
+            value = symb.value();
+         } catch( ... ) {
+            try {
+               value = ( eosio::chain::string_to_symbol( 0, str.c_str() ) >> 8 );
+            } catch( ... ) {
+               FC_ASSERT( false, "Could not convert ${desc} string '${str}' to any of the following: "
+                                 "uint64_t, valid name, or valid symbol (with or without the precision)",
+                          ("desc", desc)("str", str));
+            }
+         }
+      }
+   }
+   return value;
+}
+
 abi_def get_abi( const controller& db, const name& account ) {
    const auto &d = db.db();
    const account_object *code_accnt = d.find<account_object, by_name>(account);
diff --git a/plugins/chain_plugin/include/eosio/chain_plugin/chain_plugin.hpp b/plugins/chain_plugin/include/eosio/chain_plugin/chain_plugin.hpp
index 43a23802b7a..11b019ef2d3 100644
--- a/plugins/chain_plugin/include/eosio/chain_plugin/chain_plugin.hpp
+++ b/plugins/chain_plugin/include/eosio/chain_plugin/chain_plugin.hpp
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 #include <eosio/chain/plugin_interface.hpp>
 
 #include <boost/container/flat_set.hpp>
-#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
-#include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
 #include <fc/static_variant.hpp>
 
@@ -50,6 +48,16 @@ struct permission {
 template<typename>
 struct resolver_factory;
 
+template<typename Type>
+Type convert_to_type(const string& str, const string& desc) {
+   try {
+      return fc::variant(str).as<Type>();
+   } FC_RETHROW_EXCEPTIONS(warn, "Could not convert ${desc} string '${str}' to key type.", ("desc", desc)("str",str) )
+}
+
+template<>
+uint64_t convert_to_type(const string& str, const string& desc);
+
 class read_only {
    const controller& db;
 
@@ -273,28 +281,7 @@ class read_only {
       read_only::get_table_rows_result result;
       const auto& d = db.db();
 
-      uint64_t scope = 0;
-      try {
-         name s(p.scope);
-         scope = s.value;
-      } catch( ... ) {
-         try {
-            auto trimmed_scope_str = p.scope;
-            boost::trim(trimmed_scope_str);
-            scope = boost::lexical_cast<uint64_t>(trimmed_scope_str.c_str(), trimmed_scope_str.size());
-         } catch( ... ) {
-            try {
-               auto symb = eosio::chain::symbol::from_string(p.scope);
-               scope = symb.value();
-            } catch( ... ) {
-               try {
-                  scope = ( eosio::chain::string_to_symbol( 0, p.scope.c_str() ) >> 8 );
-               } catch( ... ) {
-                  FC_ASSERT( false, "could not convert scope string to any of the following: uint64_t, valid name, or valid symbol (with or without the precision)" );
-               }
-            }
-         }
-      }
+      uint64_t scope = convert_to_type<uint64_t>(p.scope, "scope");
 
       abi_serializer abis;
       abis.set_abi(abi);
@@ -306,12 +293,12 @@ class read_only {
          auto upper = idx.lower_bound(boost::make_tuple(next_tid));
 
          if (p.lower_bound.size()) {
-            lower = idx.lower_bound(boost::make_tuple(t_id->id, fc::variant(
-               p.lower_bound).as<typename IndexType::value_type::key_type>()));
+            auto lv = convert_to_type<typename IndexType::value_type::key_type>(p.lower_bound, "lower_bound");
+            lower = idx.lower_bound(boost::make_tuple(t_id->id, lv));
          }
          if (p.upper_bound.size()) {
-            upper = idx.lower_bound(boost::make_tuple(t_id->id, fc::variant(
-               p.upper_bound).as<typename IndexType::value_type::key_type>()));
+            auto uv = convert_to_type<typename IndexType::value_type::key_type>(p.upper_bound, "upper_bound");
+            upper = idx.lower_bound(boost::make_tuple(t_id->id, uv));
          }
 
          vector<char> data;
diff --git a/programs/cleos/httpc.cpp b/programs/cleos/httpc.cpp
index f893afc080f..ab612fa82ae 100644
--- a/programs/cleos/httpc.cpp
+++ b/programs/cleos/httpc.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <ostream>
 #include <string>
 #include <regex>
+#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
 #include <boost/asio.hpp>
 #include <boost/asio/ssl.hpp>
 #include <fc/variant.hpp>