diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/ClassUtils.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/ClassUtils.java
index 77ba2837ce1e8f744630c5c956bbbe9d8e6fde7a..9e6dd9a308c524169e6f4f91c06359ada38edee5 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/ClassUtils.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/ClassUtils.java
@@ -162,8 +162,9 @@ public final class ClassUtils
         try
         {
             final Class<?> clazz = Class.forName(className);
-            assert clazz.isInterface() == false : "'" + clazz + "' can not be instanciated as it is an interface.";
-            assert superClazz.isAssignableFrom(clazz) : "'" + clazz + "' does not implements/extends '"
+            assert clazz.isInterface() == false : "Interface '" + clazz.getName()
+                    + "' can not be instanciated as it is an interface.";
+            assert superClazz.isAssignableFrom(clazz) : "Class '" + clazz.getName() + "' does not implements/extends '"
                     + superClazz.getName() + "'.";
             if (properties == null)
             {
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ public final class ClassUtils
             return createInstance(constructor, properties);
         } catch (Exception ex)
         {
-            throw new ConfigurationFailureException("Cannot instanitate class '" + className + "'.", ex);
+            throw new ConfigurationFailureException("Cannot instantiate class '" + className + "'.", ex);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/ClassUtilsTest.java b/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/ClassUtilsTest.java
index 50ac8d2142f3da89c12e12cb32b4a55227d0aa32..682be2becc93975b85e5db6a5b7813713afc12c2 100644
--- a/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/ClassUtilsTest.java
+++ b/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/ClassUtilsTest.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public final class ClassUtilsTest
         // we will have 'ch.systemsx.cisd.common.utilities.ClassUtilsTest.privateMethodOnStack()' here.
         assertNull(ClassUtils.getMethodOnStack(1));
     }
-    
+
     @Test
     public void testCreateWithDefaultConstructor()
     {
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public final class ClassUtilsTest
         assertTrue(cs instanceof StringBuffer);
         assertEquals(0, cs.length());
     }
-    
+
     @Test
     public void testCreateWithPropertiesConstructor()
     {
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public final class ClassUtilsTest
         assertTrue(appendable instanceof MyClass);
         assertSame(properties, ((MyClass) appendable).getProperties());
     }
-    
+
     public static class MyClass implements Appendable
     {
         private final Properties properties;
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public final class ClassUtilsTest
         {
             this.properties = properties;
         }
-        
+
         public final Properties getProperties()
         {
             return properties;
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ public final class ClassUtilsTest
         {
             return null;
         }
-        
+
     }
-    
+
     @Test
     public void testCreateWithIncompatibleSuperclass()
     {
@@ -136,10 +136,10 @@ public final class ClassUtilsTest
             fail("AssertionError expected.");
         } catch (AssertionError e)
         {
-            assertEquals("class java.lang.Integer does not implements/extends java.lang.Float", e.getMessage());
+            assertEquals("Class 'java.lang.Integer' does not implements/extends 'java.lang.Float'.", e.getMessage());
         }
     }
-    
+
     @Test
     public void testCreateInstanceOfAnInterface()
     {
@@ -149,7 +149,8 @@ public final class ClassUtilsTest
             fail("AssertionError expected.");
         } catch (AssertionError e)
         {
-            assertEquals("interface java.lang.CharSequence can not be instanciated", e.getMessage());
+            assertEquals("Interface 'java.lang.CharSequence' can not be instanciated as it is an interface.", e
+                    .getMessage());
         }
     }
 }