diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/FloatDict.java b/core/src/processing/data/FloatDict.java
index 9647dfd67..eafa0943d 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/FloatDict.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/FloatDict.java
@@ -276,7 +276,18 @@ public class FloatDict {
    */
   public float get(String key) {
     int index = index(key);
-    if (index == -1) return 0;
+    if (index == -1) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("No key named '" + key + "'");
+    }
+    return values[index];
+  }
+
+
+  public float get(String key, float alternate) {
+    int index = index(key);
+    if (index == -1) {
+      return alternate;
+    }
     return values[index];
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/IntDict.java b/core/src/processing/data/IntDict.java
index 749a2562a..5b3efedbe 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/IntDict.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/IntDict.java
@@ -298,10 +298,20 @@ public class IntDict {
    */
   public int get(String key) {
     int index = index(key);
-    if (index == -1) return 0;
+    if (index == -1) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("No key named '" + key + "'");
+    }
     return values[index];
   }
 
+
+  public int get(String key, int alternate) {
+    int index = index(key);
+    if (index == -1) return alternate;
+    return values[index];
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * Create a new key/value pair or change the value of one.
    *
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/StringDict.java b/core/src/processing/data/StringDict.java
index a5eb53c10..76021173c 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/StringDict.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/StringDict.java
@@ -246,6 +246,14 @@ public class StringDict {
     return values[index];
   }
 
+
+  public String get(String key, String alternate) {
+    int index = index(key);
+    if (index == -1) return alternate;
+    return values[index];
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * @webref stringdict:method
    * @brief Create a new key/value pair or change the value of one