diff --git a/mercurial/ui.py b/mercurial/ui.py
--- a/mercurial/ui.py
+++ b/mercurial/ui.py
@@ -164,6 +164,26 @@ class ui(object):
         return v
 
     def configbool(self, section, name, default=False, untrusted=False):
+        """parse a configuration element as a boolean
+
+        >>> u = ui(); s = 'foo'
+        >>> u.setconfig(s, 'true', 'yes')
+        >>> u.configbool(s, 'true')
+        True
+        >>> u.setconfig(s, 'false', 'no')
+        >>> u.configbool(s, 'false')
+        False
+        >>> u.configbool(s, 'unknown')
+        False
+        >>> u.configbool(s, 'unknown', True)
+        True
+        >>> u.setconfig(s, 'invalid', 'somevalue')
+        >>> u.configbool(s, 'invalid')
+        Traceback (most recent call last):
+            ...
+        ConfigError: foo.invalid is not a boolean ('somevalue')
+        """
+
         v = self.config(section, name, None, untrusted)
         if v is None:
             return default
@@ -171,12 +191,47 @@ class ui(object):
             return v
         b = util.parsebool(v)
         if b is None:
-            raise error.ConfigError(_("%s.%s not a boolean ('%s')")
+            raise error.ConfigError(_("%s.%s is not a boolean ('%s')")
                                     % (section, name, v))
         return b
 
+    def configint(self, section, name, default=None, untrusted=False):
+        """parse a configuration element as an integer
+
+        >>> u = ui(); s = 'foo'
+        >>> u.setconfig(s, 'int1', '42')
+        >>> u.configint(s, 'int1')
+        42
+        >>> u.setconfig(s, 'int2', '-42')
+        >>> u.configint(s, 'int2')
+        -42
+        >>> u.configint(s, 'unknown', 7)
+        7
+        >>> u.setconfig(s, 'invalid', 'somevalue')
+        >>> u.configint(s, 'invalid')
+        Traceback (most recent call last):
+            ...
+        ConfigError: foo.invalid is not an integer ('somevalue')
+        """
+
+        v = self.config(section, name, None, untrusted)
+        if v is None:
+            return default
+        try:
+            return int(v)
+        except ValueError:
+            raise error.ConfigError(_("%s.%s is not an integer ('%s')")
+                                    % (section, name, v))
+
     def configlist(self, section, name, default=None, untrusted=False):
-        """Return a list of comma/space separated strings"""
+        """parse a configuration element as a list of comma/space separated
+        strings
+
+        >>> u = ui(); s = 'foo'
+        >>> u.setconfig(s, 'list1', 'this,is "a small" ,test')
+        >>> u.configlist(s, 'list1')
+        ['this', 'is', 'a small', 'test']
+        """
 
         def _parse_plain(parts, s, offset):
             whitespace = False
diff --git a/tests/test-doctest.py b/tests/test-doctest.py
--- a/tests/test-doctest.py
+++ b/tests/test-doctest.py
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ doctest.testmod(mercurial.match)
 import mercurial.store
 doctest.testmod(mercurial.store)
 
+import mercurial.ui
+doctest.testmod(mercurial.ui)
+
 import mercurial.url
 doctest.testmod(mercurial.url)
 
diff --git a/tests/test-ui-config.py b/tests/test-ui-config.py
--- a/tests/test-ui-config.py
+++ b/tests/test-ui-config.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ parsed = dispatch._parseconfig(testui, [
     'values.string=string value',
     'values.bool1=true',
     'values.bool2=false',
+    'values.boolinvalid=foo',
+    'values.int1=42',
+    'values.int2=-42',
+    'values.intinvalid=foo',
     'lists.list1=foo',
     'lists.list2=foo bar baz',
     'lists.list3=alice, bob',
@@ -23,7 +27,7 @@ parsed = dispatch._parseconfig(testui, [
     'lists.list16="longer quotation" with "no ending quotation',
     'lists.list17=this is \\" "not a quotation mark"',
     'lists.list18=\n \n\nding\ndong',
-])
+    ])
 
 print repr(testui.configitems('values'))
 print repr(testui.configitems('lists'))
@@ -43,6 +47,9 @@ print repr(testui.configbool('values', '
 print repr(testui.configbool('values', 'unknown'))
 print repr(testui.configbool('values', 'unknown', True))
 print "---"
+print repr(testui.configint('values', 'int1'))
+print repr(testui.configint('values', 'int2'))
+print "---"
 print repr(testui.configlist('lists', 'list1'))
 print repr(testui.configlist('lists', 'list2'))
 print repr(testui.configlist('lists', 'list3'))
@@ -79,3 +86,13 @@ def function():
 # values that aren't strings should work
 testui.setconfig('hook', 'commit', function)
 print function == testui.config('hook', 'commit')
+
+# invalid values
+try:
+    testui.configbool('values', 'boolinvalid')
+except error.ConfigError:
+    print 'boolinvalid'
+try:
+    testui.configint('values', 'intinvalid')
+except error.ConfigError:
+    print 'intinvalid'
diff --git a/tests/test-ui-config.py.out b/tests/test-ui-config.py.out
--- a/tests/test-ui-config.py.out
+++ b/tests/test-ui-config.py.out
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-[('string', 'string value'), ('bool1', 'true'), ('bool2', 'false')]
+[('string', 'string value'), ('bool1', 'true'), ('bool2', 'false'), ('boolinvalid', 'foo'), ('int1', '42'), ('int2', '-42'), ('intinvalid', 'foo')]
 [('list1', 'foo'), ('list2', 'foo bar baz'), ('list3', 'alice, bob'), ('list4', 'foo bar baz alice, bob'), ('list5', 'abc d"ef"g "hij def"'), ('list6', '"hello world", "how are you?"'), ('list7', 'Do"Not"Separate'), ('list8', '"Do"Separate'), ('list9', '"Do\\"NotSeparate"'), ('list10', 'string "with extraneous" quotation mark"'), ('list11', 'x, y'), ('list12', '"x", "y"'), ('list13', '""" key = "x", "y" """'), ('list14', ',,,,     '), ('list15', '" just with starting quotation'), ('list16', '"longer quotation" with "no ending quotation'), ('list17', 'this is \\" "not a quotation mark"'), ('list18', '\n \n\nding\ndong')]
 ---
 'string value'
@@ -6,13 +6,16 @@
 'false'
 None
 ---
-values.string not a boolean ('string value')
+values.string is not a boolean ('string value')
 True
 False
 False
 False
 True
 ---
+42
+-42
+---
 ['foo']
 ['foo', 'bar', 'baz']
 ['alice', 'bob']
@@ -42,3 +45,5 @@ True
 ['foo', 'bar']
 None
 True
+boolinvalid
+intinvalid