diff --git a/src/python/pants/util/objects.py b/src/python/pants/util/objects.py
index 430a6fcef9a2..41c395b8e1bb 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/util/objects.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/util/objects.py
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ def __init__(self, type_name, msg, *args, **kwargs):
       full_msg, *args, **kwargs)
 
 
-class TypedDatatypeInstanceConstructionError(Exception):
+class TypedDatatypeInstanceConstructionError(TypeError):
 
   def __init__(self, type_name, msg, *args, **kwargs):
     full_msg = "error: in constructor of type {}: {}".format(type_name, msg)
diff --git a/tests/python/pants_test/option/test_global_options.py b/tests/python/pants_test/option/test_global_options.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9d6a622ffa5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/python/pants_test/option/test_global_options.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# coding=utf-8
+# Copyright 2018 Pants project contributors (see CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (see LICENSE).
+
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, generators, nested_scopes, print_function,
+                        unicode_literals, with_statement)
+
+from pants.option.global_options import GlobMatchErrorBehavior
+from pants_test.base_test import BaseTest
+
+
+class GlobalOptionsTest(BaseTest):
+
+  def test_exception_glob_match_constructor(self):
+    # NB: 'allow' is not a valid value for GlobMatchErrorBehavior.
+    with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as cm:
+      GlobMatchErrorBehavior(str('allow'))
+    expected_msg = (
+      """error: in constructor of type GlobMatchErrorBehavior: type check error:
+Value 'allow' for failure_behavior must be one of: [u'ignore', u'warn', u'error'].""")
+    self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception), expected_msg)
diff --git a/tests/python/pants_test/util/test_objects.py b/tests/python/pants_test/util/test_objects.py
index 951d566797b7..9992e228ad77 100644
--- a/tests/python/pants_test/util/test_objects.py
+++ b/tests/python/pants_test/util/test_objects.py
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@
 import pickle
 from abc import abstractmethod
 
-from pants.util.objects import (Exactly, SubclassesOf, SuperclassesOf, TypeCheckError,
-                                TypedDatatypeInstanceConstructionError, datatype)
+from pants.util.objects import Exactly, SubclassesOf, SuperclassesOf, datatype
 from pants_test.base_test import BaseTest
 
 
@@ -415,7 +414,7 @@ def test_instance_construction_errors(self):
     expected_msg = "__new__() takes exactly 2 arguments (3 given)"
     self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception), str(expected_msg))
 
-    with self.assertRaises(TypedDatatypeInstanceConstructionError) as cm:
+    with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as cm:
       CamelCaseWrapper(nonneg_int=3)
     expected_msg = (
       """error: in constructor of type CamelCaseWrapper: type check error:
@@ -430,7 +429,7 @@ def test_instance_construction_errors(self):
 
   def test_type_check_errors(self):
     # single type checking failure
-    with self.assertRaises(TypeCheckError) as cm:
+    with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as cm:
       SomeTypedDatatype([])
     expected_msg = (
       """error: in constructor of type SomeTypedDatatype: type check error:
@@ -438,7 +437,7 @@ def test_type_check_errors(self):
     self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception), str(expected_msg))
 
     # type checking failure with multiple arguments (one is correct)
-    with self.assertRaises(TypeCheckError) as cm:
+    with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as cm:
       AnotherTypedDatatype(str('correct'), str('should be list'))
     expected_msg = (
       """error: in constructor of type AnotherTypedDatatype: type check error:
@@ -446,7 +445,7 @@ def test_type_check_errors(self):
     self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception), str(expected_msg))
 
     # type checking failure on both arguments
-    with self.assertRaises(TypeCheckError) as cm:
+    with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as cm:
       AnotherTypedDatatype(3, str('should be list'))
     expected_msg = (
       """error: in constructor of type AnotherTypedDatatype: type check error:
@@ -454,14 +453,14 @@ def test_type_check_errors(self):
 field 'elements' was invalid: value 'should be list' (with type 'str') must satisfy this type constraint: Exactly(list).""")
     self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception), str(expected_msg))
 
-    with self.assertRaises(TypeCheckError) as cm:
+    with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as cm:
       NonNegativeInt(str('asdf'))
     expected_msg = (
       """error: in constructor of type NonNegativeInt: type check error:
 field 'an_int' was invalid: value 'asdf' (with type 'str') must satisfy this type constraint: Exactly(int).""")
     self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception), str(expected_msg))
 
-    with self.assertRaises(TypeCheckError) as cm:
+    with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as cm:
       NonNegativeInt(-3)
     expected_msg = (
       """error: in constructor of type NonNegativeInt: type check error: