Index: core/src/test/scala/unit/kafka/producer/AsyncProducerTest.scala
===================================================================
--- core/src/test/scala/unit/kafka/producer/AsyncProducerTest.scala	(revision 1373685)
+++ core/src/test/scala/unit/kafka/producer/AsyncProducerTest.scala	(working copy)
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@
       fail("should complain about wrong config")
     }
     catch {
-      case e: KafkaException => //expected
+      case e: IllegalArgumentException => //expected
     }
   }
 
Index: core/src/main/scala/kafka/utils/Utils.scala
===================================================================
--- core/src/main/scala/kafka/utils/Utils.scala	(revision 1373685)
+++ core/src/main/scala/kafka/utils/Utils.scala	(working copy)
@@ -213,12 +213,15 @@
    * Read a required integer property value or throw an exception if no such property is found
    */
   def getInt(props: Properties, name: String): Int = {
-    if(props.containsKey(name))
-      return getInt(props, name, -1)
-    else
-      throw new KafkaException("Missing required property '" + name + "'")
+    require(props.containsKey(name), "Missing required property '" + name + "'")
+    return getInt(props, name, -1)
   }
-  
+
+  def getIntInRange(props: Properties, name: String, range: (Int, Int)): Int = {
+    require(props.containsKey(name), "Missing required property '" + name + "'")
+    getIntInRange(props, name, -1, range)
+  }
+
   /**
    * Read an integer from the properties instance
    * @param props The properties to read from
@@ -239,7 +242,7 @@
    * @param name The property name
    * @param default The default value to use if the property is not found
    * @param range The range in which the value must fall (inclusive)
-   * @throws KafkaException If the value is not in the given range
+   * @throws IllegalArgumentException If the value is not in the given range
    * @return the integer value
    */
   def getIntInRange(props: Properties, name: String, default: Int, range: (Int, Int)): Int = {
@@ -248,10 +251,8 @@
         props.getProperty(name).toInt
       else
         default
-    if(v < range._1 || v > range._2)
-      throw new KafkaException(name + " has value " + v + " which is not in the range " + range + ".")
-    else
-      v
+    require(v >= range._1 && v <= range._2, name + " has value " + v + " which is not in the range " + range + ".")
+    v
   }
 
  def getShortInRange(props: Properties, name: String, default: Short, range: (Short, Short)): Short = {
@@ -260,10 +261,8 @@
         props.getProperty(name).toShort
       else
         default
-    if(v < range._1 || v > range._2)
-      throw new KafkaException(name + " has value " + v + " which is not in the range " + range + ".")
-    else
-      v
+    require(v >= range._1 && v <= range._2, name + " has value " + v + " which is not in the range " + range + ".")
+    v
   }
 
   def getIntInRange(buffer: ByteBuffer, name: String, range: (Int, Int)): Int = {
@@ -291,10 +290,8 @@
    * Read a required long property value or throw an exception if no such property is found
    */
   def getLong(props: Properties, name: String): Long = {
-    if(props.containsKey(name))
-      return getLong(props, name, -1)
-    else
-      throw new KafkaException("Missing required property '" + name + "'")
+    require(props.containsKey(name), "Missing required property '" + name + "'")
+    return getLong(props, name, -1)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -314,7 +311,7 @@
    * @param name The property name
    * @param default The default value to use if the property is not found
    * @param range The range in which the value must fall (inclusive)
-   * @throws KafkaException If the value is not in the given range
+   * @throws IllegalArgumentException If the value is not in the given range
    * @return the long value
    */
   def getLongInRange(props: Properties, name: String, default: Long, range: (Long, Long)): Long = {
@@ -323,10 +320,8 @@
         props.getProperty(name).toLong
       else
         default
-    if(v < range._1 || v > range._2)
-      throw new KafkaException(name + " has value " + v + " which is not in the range " + range + ".")
-    else
-      v
+    require(v >= range._1 && v <= range._2, name + " has value " + v + " which is not in the range " + range + ".")
+    v
   }
 
   /**
@@ -339,12 +334,11 @@
   def getBoolean(props: Properties, name: String, default: Boolean): Boolean = {
     if(!props.containsKey(name))
       default
-    else if("true" == props.getProperty(name))
-      true
-    else if("false" == props.getProperty(name))
-      false
-    else
-      throw new KafkaException("Unacceptable value for property '" + name + "', boolean values must be either 'true' or 'false" )
+    else {
+      val v = props.getProperty(name)
+      require(v == "true" || v == "false", "Unacceptable value for property '" + name + "', boolean values must be either 'true' or 'false")
+      v.toBoolean
+    }
   }
   
   /**
@@ -361,30 +355,24 @@
    * Get a string property or throw and exception if no such property is defined.
    */
   def getString(props: Properties, name: String): String = {
-    if(props.containsKey(name))
-      props.getProperty(name)
-    else
-      throw new KafkaException("Missing required property '" + name + "'")
+    require(props.containsKey(name), "Missing required property '" + name + "'")
+    props.getProperty(name)
   }
 
   /**
    * Get a property of type java.util.Properties or throw and exception if no such property is defined.
    */
   def getProps(props: Properties, name: String): Properties = {
-    if(props.containsKey(name)) {
-      val propString = props.getProperty(name)
-      val propValues = propString.split(",")
-      val properties = new Properties
-      for(i <- 0 until propValues.length) {
-        val prop = propValues(i).split("=")
-        if(prop.length != 2)
-          throw new KafkaException("Illegal format of specifying properties '" + propValues(i) + "'")
-        properties.put(prop(0), prop(1))
-      }
-      properties
+    require(props.containsKey(name), "Missing required property '" + name + "'")
+    val propString = props.getProperty(name)
+    val propValues = propString.split(",")
+    val properties = new Properties
+    for(i <- 0 until propValues.length) {
+      val prop = propValues(i).split("=")
+      require(prop.length == 2, "Illegal format of specifying properties '" + propValues(i) + "'")
+      properties.put(prop(0), prop(1))
     }
-    else
-      throw new KafkaException("Missing required property '" + name + "'")
+    properties
   }
 
   /**
@@ -394,13 +382,11 @@
     if(props.containsKey(name)) {
       val propString = props.getProperty(name)
       val propValues = propString.split(",")
-      if(propValues.length < 1)
-        throw new KafkaException("Illegal format of specifying properties '" + propString + "'")
+      require(propValues.length >= 1, "Illegal format of specifying properties '" + propString + "'")
       val properties = new Properties
       for(i <- 0 until propValues.length) {
         val prop = propValues(i).split("=")
-        if(prop.length != 2)
-          throw new KafkaException("Illegal format of specifying properties '" + propValues(i) + "'")
+        require(prop.length == 2, "Illegal format of specifying properties '" + propValues(i) + "'")
         properties.put(prop(0), prop(1))
       }
       properties
Index: core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaConfig.scala
===================================================================
--- core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaConfig.scala	(revision 1373685)
+++ core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaConfig.scala	(working copy)
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
   val hostName: String = Utils.getString(props, "hostname", InetAddress.getLocalHost.getHostAddress)
 
   /* the broker id for this server */
-  val brokerId: Int = Utils.getInt(props, "brokerid")
-  
+  val brokerId: Int = Utils.getIntInRange(props, "brokerid", (0, Int.MaxValue))
+
   /* the SO_SNDBUFF buffer of the socket sever sockets */
   val socketSendBuffer: Int = Utils.getInt(props, "socket.send.buffer", 100*1024)