diff --git a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/Race.java b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/Race.java
index da67542b..c12377e5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/Race.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/Race.java
@@ -7,9 +7,13 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.minelittlepony.unicopia.ability.magic.Affine;
 import com.minelittlepony.unicopia.util.Registries;
+import com.mojang.brigadier.context.CommandContext;
+import com.mojang.brigadier.exceptions.CommandSyntaxException;
+import com.mojang.brigadier.exceptions.DynamicCommandExceptionType;
 
 import net.minecraft.command.argument.RegistryKeyArgumentType;
 import net.minecraft.entity.player.PlayerEntity;
+import net.minecraft.server.command.ServerCommandSource;
 import net.minecraft.text.Text;
 import net.minecraft.util.Identifier;
 import net.minecraft.util.registry.Registry;
@@ -19,6 +23,7 @@ public final class Race implements Affine {
     public static final String DEFAULT_ID = "unicopia:human";
     public static final Registry<Race> REGISTRY = Registries.createDefaulted(Unicopia.id("race"), DEFAULT_ID);
     public static final RegistryKey<? extends Registry<Race>> REGISTRY_KEY = REGISTRY.getKey();
+    private static final DynamicCommandExceptionType UNKNOWN_RACE_EXCEPTION = new DynamicCommandExceptionType(id -> Text.translatable("race.unknown", id));
 
     public static Race register(String name, boolean magic, FlightType flight, boolean earth) {
         return register(Unicopia.id(name), magic, flight, earth);
@@ -156,4 +161,17 @@ public final class Race implements Affine {
     public static Race fromName(String name) {
         return fromName(name, EARTH);
     }
+
+    public static Race fromArgument(CommandContext<ServerCommandSource> context, String name) throws CommandSyntaxException {
+        Identifier id = context.getArgument(name, RegistryKey.class).getValue();
+        return REGISTRY.getOrEmpty(id).orElseThrow(() -> UNKNOWN_RACE_EXCEPTION.create(id));
+    }
 }
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/command/RacelistCommand.java b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/command/RacelistCommand.java
index a1aa1edb..3560df6a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/command/RacelistCommand.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/command/RacelistCommand.java
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class RacelistCommand {
 
         builder.then(CommandManager.literal("allow")
                 .then(CommandManager.argument("race", raceArgument)
-                .executes(context -> toggle(context.getSource(), context.getSource().getPlayer(), context.getArgument("race", Race.class), "allowed", race -> {
+                .executes(context -> toggle(context.getSource(), context.getSource().getPlayer(), Race.fromArgument(context, "race"), "allowed", race -> {
                     boolean result = Unicopia.getConfig().speciesWhiteList.get().add(race);
 
                     Unicopia.getConfig().save();
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class RacelistCommand {
         ));
         builder.then(CommandManager.literal("disallow")
                 .then(CommandManager.argument("race", raceArgument)
-                .executes(context -> toggle(context.getSource(), context.getSource().getPlayer(), context.getArgument("race", Race.class), "disallowed", race -> {
+                .executes(context -> toggle(context.getSource(), context.getSource().getPlayer(), Race.fromArgument(context, "race"), "disallowed", race -> {
                     boolean result = Unicopia.getConfig().speciesWhiteList.get().remove(race);
 
                     Unicopia.getConfig().save();
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/command/SpeciesCommand.java b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/command/SpeciesCommand.java
index 84590154..b36f4a5c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/command/SpeciesCommand.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/unicopia/command/SpeciesCommand.java
@@ -29,19 +29,19 @@ class SpeciesCommand {
 
         builder.then(CommandManager.literal("set")
                .then(CommandManager.argument("race", raceArgument)
-                       .executes(context -> set(context.getSource(), context.getSource().getPlayer(), context.getArgument("race", Race.class), true))
+                       .executes(context -> set(context.getSource(), context.getSource().getPlayer(), Race.fromArgument(context, "race"), true))
                .then(CommandManager.argument("target", EntityArgumentType.player())
-                       .executes(context -> set(context.getSource(), EntityArgumentType.getPlayer(context, "target"), context.getArgument("race", Race.class), false))
-               )));
+                       .executes(context -> set(context.getSource(), EntityArgumentType.getPlayer(context, "target"), Race.fromArgument(context, "race"), false)))
+               ));
 
         builder.then(CommandManager.literal("describe")
                .then(CommandManager.argument("race", raceArgument)
-                       .executes(context -> describe(context.getSource().getPlayer(), context.getArgument("race", Race.class))
-               )));
+                       .executes(context -> describe(context.getSource().getPlayer(), Race.fromArgument(context, "race")))
+               ));
 
         builder.then(CommandManager.literal("list")
                        .executes(context -> list(context.getSource().getPlayer())
-                ));
+               ));
 
         dispatcher.register(builder);
     }