diff --git a/json-path-assert/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonassert/impl/JsonAsserterImpl.java b/json-path-assert/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonassert/impl/JsonAsserterImpl.java
index 10859683..661310b8 100644
--- a/json-path-assert/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonassert/impl/JsonAsserterImpl.java
+++ b/json-path-assert/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonassert/impl/JsonAsserterImpl.java
@@ -12,10 +12,8 @@ import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.*;
 
 public class JsonAsserterImpl implements JsonAsserter {
 
-
     private final Object jsonObject;
 
-
     /**
      * Instantiates a new JSONAsserter
      *
@@ -25,13 +23,19 @@ public class JsonAsserterImpl implements JsonAsserter {
         this.jsonObject = jsonObject;
     }
 
-
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public <T> JsonAsserter assertThat(String path, Matcher<T> matcher) {
-        T obj = JsonPath.<T>read(jsonObject, path);
+        T obj = null;
+        
+        try {
+            obj = JsonPath.<T>read(jsonObject, path);
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            throw new AssertionError(String.format("Error reading JSON path [%s]", path), e);
+        }
+
         if (!matcher.matches(obj)) {
 
             throw new AssertionError(String.format("JSON path [%s] doesn't match.\nExpected:\n%s\nActual:\n%s", path, matcher.toString(), obj));
diff --git a/json-path-assert/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonassert/JsonAssertTest.java b/json-path-assert/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonassert/JsonAssertTest.java
index 2e7f902f..70ff6e10 100644
--- a/json-path-assert/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonassert/JsonAssertTest.java
+++ b/json-path-assert/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonassert/JsonAssertTest.java
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 package com.jayway.jsonassert;
 
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.InvalidPathException;
+import org.hamcrest.Matchers;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.io.InputStream;
 
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.PathNotFoundException;
+
 import static com.jayway.jsonassert.JsonAssert.*;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.*;
 
@@ -73,7 +76,6 @@ public class JsonAssertTest {
 
     }
 
-
     @Test
     public void a_document_can_be_expected_not_to_contain_a_path() throws Exception {
         with(JSON).assertNotDefined("$.store.bicycle.cool");
@@ -159,13 +161,26 @@ public class JsonAssertTest {
     }
 
 
-    @Test(expected = InvalidPathException.class)
+    @Test(expected = AssertionError.class)
     public void assert_that_invalid_path_is_thrown() {
 
         JsonAsserter asserter = JsonAssert.with("{\"foo\":\"bar\"}");
         asserter.assertEquals("$foo", "bar");
     }
+    @Test
+    public void testAssertEqualsInteger() throws Exception {
+        with(getResourceAsStream("lotto.json")).assertEquals("lotto.winners[0].winnerId", 23);
+    }
 
+    @Test(expected = AssertionError.class)
+    public void testAssertEqualsIntegerInvalidExpected() throws Exception {
+        with(getResourceAsStream("lotto.json")).assertEquals("lotto.winners[0].winnerId", 24);
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = AssertionError.class)
+    public void testAssertEqualsIntegerInvalidField() throws Exception {
+        with(getResourceAsStream("lotto.json")).assertEquals("lotto.winners[0].winnerId1", 24);
+    }
 
     private InputStream getResourceAsStream(String resourceName) {
         return getClass().getClassLoader().getResourceAsStream(resourceName);