diff --git a/lib/rspec/graphql_matchers/base_matcher.rb b/lib/rspec/graphql_matchers/base_matcher.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a878dd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/rspec/graphql_matchers/base_matcher.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+module RSpec
+  module GraphqlMatchers
+    class BaseMatcher
+      private
+
+      def types_match?(actual_type, expected_type)
+        expected_type.nil? || expected_type.to_s == actual_type.to_s
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/rspec/graphql_matchers/have_a_field.rb b/lib/rspec/graphql_matchers/have_a_field.rb
index 17b7839..5832ed4 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/graphql_matchers/have_a_field.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/graphql_matchers/have_a_field.rb
@@ -1,20 +1,27 @@
+require_relative 'base_matcher'
+
 module RSpec
   module GraphqlMatchers
-    class HaveAField
-      def initialize(field_name)
-        @field_name = field_name.to_s
-        @field_type = @graph_object = nil
+    class HaveAField < BaseMatcher
+      def initialize(expected_field_name)
+        @expected_field_name = expected_field_name.to_s
+        @expected_field_type = @graph_object = nil
       end
 
       def matches?(graph_object)
         @graph_object = graph_object
 
-        actual_field = @graph_object.fields[@field_name]
-        actual_field && types_match?(@field_type, actual_field.type)
+        unless @graph_object.respond_to?(:fields)
+          raise "Invalid object #{@graph_object} provided to have_a_field " \
+            'matcher. It does not seem to be a valid GraphQL object type.'
+        end
+
+        @actual_field = @graph_object.fields[@expected_field_name]
+        valid_field? && types_match?(@actual_field.type, @expected_field_type)
       end
 
-      def that_returns(field_type)
-        @field_type = field_type
+      def that_returns(expected_field_type)
+        @expected_field_type = expected_field_type
 
         self
       end
@@ -22,23 +29,38 @@ def that_returns(field_type)
       alias of_type that_returns
 
       def failure_message
-        "expected #{describe_obj(@graph_object)} to #{description}"
+        "expected #{describe_obj(@graph_object)} to " \
+          "#{description}, #{explanation}."
       end
 
       def description
-        "define field `#{@field_name}`" + of_type_description
+        "define field `#{@expected_field_name}`" + of_type_description
       end
 
       private
 
-      def of_type_description
-        return '' unless @field_type
+      def explanation
+        return 'but no field was found with that name' unless @actual_field
+
+        "but the field type was `#{@actual_field.type}`"
+      end
+
+      def valid_field?
+        unless @expected_field_type.nil? || @actual_field.respond_to?(:type)
+          error_msg = "The `#{@expected_field_name}` field defined by the GraphQL " \
+          'object does\'t seem valid as it does not respond to #type. ' \
+          "\n\n\tThe field found was #{@actual_field.inspect}. "
+          puts error_msg
+          raise error_msg
+        end
 
-        " of type `#{@field_type}`"
+        @actual_field
       end
 
-      def types_match?(expected_type, actual_type)
-        !expected_type || expected_type.to_s == actual_type.to_s
+      def of_type_description
+        return '' unless @expected_field_type
+
+        " of type `#{@expected_field_type}`"
       end
 
       def describe_obj(field)
diff --git a/spec/rspec/have_a_field_matcher_spec.rb b/spec/rspec/have_a_field_matcher_spec.rb
index ddf437c..ef9dcd3 100644
--- a/spec/rspec/have_a_field_matcher_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rspec/have_a_field_matcher_spec.rb
@@ -2,8 +2,17 @@
 
 module RSpec::GraphqlMatchers
   describe 'expect(a_type).to have_a_field(field_name).that_returns(a_type)' do
-    subject(:a_type) { double(:type, fields: type_fields) }
-    let(:type_fields) { { 'id' => double(:field, type: types.String) } }
+    subject(:a_type) do
+      types_to_define = type_fields
+      GraphQL::ObjectType.define do
+        name 'TestObject'
+
+        types_to_define.each do |fname, ftype|
+          field fname, ftype
+        end
+      end
+    end
+    let(:type_fields) { { 'id' => types.String, 'other' => !types.ID } }
 
     it { is_expected.to have_a_field(:id) }
 
@@ -17,7 +26,7 @@ module RSpec::GraphqlMatchers
 
     it 'fails with a failure message when the type does not define the field' do
       expect { expect(a_type).to have_a_field(:ids) }
-        .to fail_with("expected #{a_type.inspect} to define field `ids`")
+        .to fail_with("expected #{a_type.inspect} to define field `ids`, but no field was found with that name.")
     end
 
     it 'provides a description' do
@@ -27,15 +36,53 @@ module RSpec::GraphqlMatchers
       expect(matcher.description).to eq('define field `id`')
     end
 
-    it 'passes when the type defines the field with correct type' do
+    it 'passes when the type defines the field with correct type as strings' do
       expect(a_type).to have_a_field(:id).that_returns('String')
+      expect(a_type).to have_a_field('other').that_returns('ID!')
+    end
+
+    it 'passes when the type defines the field with correct type as graphql objects' do
+      expect(a_type).to have_a_field(:id).that_returns(types.String)
+      expect(a_type).to have_a_field('other').that_returns(!types.ID)
     end
 
     it 'fails when the type defines a field of the wrong type' do
       expect { expect(a_type).to have_a_field(:id).returning('String!') }
         .to fail_with(
-          "expected #{a_type.inspect} to define field `id` of type `String!`"
+          "expected #{a_type.inspect} to define field `id` of type `String!`," \
+          ' but the field type was `String`.'
+        )
+
+      expect { expect(a_type).to have_a_field('other').returning(!types.Int) }
+        .to fail_with(
+          "expected #{a_type.inspect} to define field `other` of type `Int!`," \
+          ' but the field type was `ID!`.'
         )
     end
+
+    context 'when an invalid type is passed' do
+      let(:a_type) { double(to_s: 'InvalidObject') }
+
+      it 'fails with a Runtime error' do
+        expect { expect(a_type).to have_a_field(:id) }
+          .to raise_error(
+            RuntimeError,
+            'Invalid object InvalidObject provided to have_a_field matcher. ' \
+            'It does not seem to be a valid GraphQL object type.'
+          )
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when a field is found but it does not seem a valid graphql field' do
+      before do
+        allow(a_type.fields)
+          .to receive(:[]).and_return double(inspect: 'AnInvalidField')
+      end
+
+      it 'fails with a Runtime error' do
+        expect { expect(a_type).to have_a_field(:id).of_type(!types.Int) }
+          .to raise_error(RuntimeError)
+      end
+    end
   end
 end