diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 39aa7fc..6c9a99d 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -1,32 +1,31 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 
 <project name="LispInterpreter" basedir="." default="compile">
-    <property name="src.dir" value="src" />
-    <property name="build.dir" value="build" />
-    <property name="classes.dir" value="${build.dir}/classes" />
-    <property name="jar.dir" value="jar" />
-    <property name="jar-file" value="${jar.dir}/LispInterpreter.jar" />
-    <property name="main-class" value="main.LispMain" />
+  <property name="src.dir" value="src" />
+  <property name="build.dir" value="build" />
+  <property name="classes.dir" value="${build.dir}/classes" />
+  <property name="jar.dir" value="jar" />
+  <property name="jar-file" value="${jar.dir}/LispInterpreter.jar" />
+  <property name="main-class" value="main.LispMain" />
 
-    <target name="clean">
-        <delete dir="${build.dir}" />
-        <delete dir="${jar.dir}" />
-    </target>
+  <target name="clean">
+    <delete dir="${build.dir}" />
+    <delete dir="${jar.dir}" />
+  </target>
 
-    <target name="compile">
-        <mkdir dir="${classes.dir}" />
-        <javac srcdir="${src.dir}"
-               destdir="${classes.dir}"
-               includeantruntime="false" />
-    </target>
+  <target name="compile">
+    <mkdir dir="${classes.dir}" />
+    <javac srcdir="${src.dir}" destdir="${classes.dir}"
+      includeantruntime="false" />
+  </target>
 
-    <target name="jar" depends="compile">
-        <jar destfile="${jar-file}" basedir="${classes.dir}">
-            <manifest>
-                <attribute name="Main-Class" value="${main-class}" />
-            </manifest>
-        </jar>
-    </target>
+  <target name="jar" depends="compile">
+    <jar destfile="${jar-file}" basedir="${classes.dir}">
+      <manifest>
+        <attribute name="Main-Class" value="${main-class}" />
+      </manifest>
+    </jar>
+  </target>
 
-    <target name="clean-jar" depends="clean, jar" />
+  <target name="clean-jar" depends="clean, jar" />
 </project>
diff --git a/src/error/LispException.java b/src/error/LispException.java
index e0feb9e..41e499b 100644
--- a/src/error/LispException.java
+++ b/src/error/LispException.java
@@ -4,18 +4,6 @@ public abstract class LispException extends RuntimeException {
 
     private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
-    public static final LispException convertToLispException(RuntimeException e) {
-        return new LispException() {
-
-            private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
-
-            @Override
-            public String getMessage() {
-                return e.getMessage();
-            }
-        };
-    }
-
     public int getSeverity() {
         return 0;
     }
diff --git a/src/function/builtin/LOAD.java b/src/function/builtin/LOAD.java
index d50c46a..f5f83c2 100644
--- a/src/function/builtin/LOAD.java
+++ b/src/function/builtin/LOAD.java
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package function.builtin;
 
-import static error.LispException.convertToLispException;
-
 import java.io.*;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 
@@ -67,9 +65,6 @@ public class LOAD extends LispFunction {
             } catch (LispException e) {
                 errorManager.generateError(e);
                 return false;
-            } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-                errorManager.generateError(convertToLispException(e));
-                return false;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/interpreter/LispInterpreter.java b/src/interpreter/LispInterpreter.java
index 006aa1b..a10621f 100644
--- a/src/interpreter/LispInterpreter.java
+++ b/src/interpreter/LispInterpreter.java
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package interpreter;
 
-import static error.LispException.convertToLispException;
-
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 
 import environment.RuntimeEnvironment;
@@ -44,9 +42,6 @@ public class LispInterpreter {
         } catch (LispException e) {
             erasePrompt();
             errorManager.generateError(e);
-        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-            erasePrompt();
-            errorManager.generateError(convertToLispException(e));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/token/TokenFactory.java b/src/token/TokenFactory.java
index 8c5517b..3123aba 100644
--- a/src/token/TokenFactory.java
+++ b/src/token/TokenFactory.java
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package token;
 
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 
-import error.LineColumnException;
+import error.*;
 import file.FilePosition;
 
 public interface TokenFactory {
@@ -11,6 +11,25 @@ public interface TokenFactory {
 
     Token createEOFToken(FilePosition position);
 
+    public static class EmptyTokenTextException extends LineColumnException {
+
+        private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
+
+        public EmptyTokenTextException(FilePosition position) {
+            super(position);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public int getSeverity() {
+            return ErrorManager.CRITICAL_LEVEL;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String getMessagePrefix() {
+            return "empty token";
+        }
+    }
+
     public static class BadCharacterException extends LineColumnException {
 
         private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
diff --git a/src/token/TokenFactoryImpl.java b/src/token/TokenFactoryImpl.java
index 796e147..eb22e69 100644
--- a/src/token/TokenFactoryImpl.java
+++ b/src/token/TokenFactoryImpl.java
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ import util.Characters;
 public class TokenFactoryImpl implements TokenFactory {
 
     public Token createToken(String text, FilePosition position) {
+        if (text.length() == 0)
+            throw new EmptyTokenTextException(position);
+            
         char firstCharacter = text.charAt(0);
 
         switch (firstCharacter) {
diff --git a/test/function/builtin/APPLYTester.java b/test/function/builtin/APPLYTester.java
index 3547ab3..90a4aa0 100644
--- a/test/function/builtin/APPLYTester.java
+++ b/test/function/builtin/APPLYTester.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import static testutil.TestUtilities.*;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import function.ArgumentValidator.*;
+import function.builtin.EVAL.UndefinedFunctionException;
 import sexpression.Cons;
 
 public class APPLYTester {
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ public class APPLYTester {
         assertSExpressionsMatch(parseString("35"), APPLY.apply(parsedArgumentList));
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = RuntimeException.class)
+    @Test(expected = UndefinedFunctionException.class)
     public void testApplyWithUndefinedFunction() {
         evaluateString("(apply 'f '(1 2 3))");
     }
diff --git a/test/function/builtin/SYMBOL_FUNCTIONTester.java b/test/function/builtin/SYMBOL_FUNCTIONTester.java
index 1cf33f4..3a892be 100644
--- a/test/function/builtin/SYMBOL_FUNCTIONTester.java
+++ b/test/function/builtin/SYMBOL_FUNCTIONTester.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class SYMBOL_FUNCTIONTester {
         assertEquals("(Y (N M) (+ N M))", evaluateString(input).toString());
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = RuntimeException.class)
+    @Test(expected = UndefinedSymbolFunctionException.class)
     public void testSymbolFunction_NonFunction() {
         String input = "(symbol-function 'a)";
 
diff --git a/test/token/TokenFactoryTester.java b/test/token/TokenFactoryTester.java
index dfec019..6f24bb7 100644
--- a/test/token/TokenFactoryTester.java
+++ b/test/token/TokenFactoryTester.java
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 package token;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 import org.junit.*;
 
+import error.ErrorManager;
 import file.FilePosition;
-import token.TokenFactory.BadCharacterException;
+import token.TokenFactory.*;
 
 public class TokenFactoryTester {
 
@@ -29,12 +30,6 @@ public class TokenFactoryTester {
         assertTrue(tokenFactory.createEOFToken(testPosition) instanceof Eof);
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = RuntimeException.class)
-    public void testEmptyString_ThrowsException() {
-        String text = "";
-        createToken(text);
-    }
-
     @Test
     public void testLeftParenthesisCreation() {
         String text = "(";
@@ -71,10 +66,34 @@ public class TokenFactoryTester {
         assertTrue(createToken(text) instanceof QuotedString);
     }
 
+    @Test(expected = EmptyTokenTextException.class)
+    public void testEmptyString_ThrowsException() {
+        createToken("");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void EmptyTokenTextException_ContainsCorrectSeverity() {
+        try {
+            createToken("");
+        } catch (EmptyTokenTextException e) {
+            assertTrue(e.getSeverity() == ErrorManager.CRITICAL_LEVEL);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void EmptyTokenTextException_ContainsMessage() {
+        try {
+            createToken("");
+        } catch (EmptyTokenTextException e) {
+            String message = e.getMessage();
+            assertNotNull(message);
+            assertTrue(message.length() > 0);
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test(expected = BadCharacterException.class)
-    public void testBadCharacter() {
-        String text = "[abc]";
-        tokenFactory.createToken(text, testPosition);
+    public void testBadCharacter_ThrowsException() {
+        createToken("[abc]");
     }
 
 }