diff --git a/include/argparse.hpp b/include/argparse.hpp
index 94c5f1d..71c7a35 100644
--- a/include/argparse.hpp
+++ b/include/argparse.hpp
@@ -103,12 +103,17 @@ namespace argparse
     class Converter
     {
         public:
-            auto from_string(std::string const & s, T & t) const -> bool
+            auto from_string(std::string const & s) const -> std::optional<T>
             {
                 auto iss = std::istringstream(s);
+                auto t = T();
                 iss >> t;
 
-                return !iss.fail() && (iss.eof() || iss.peek() == std::istringstream::traits_type::eof());
+                if (!iss.fail() && (iss.eof() || iss.peek() == std::istringstream::traits_type::eof()))
+                {
+                    return t;
+                }
+                return std::nullopt;
             }
 
             auto to_string(T const & t) const -> std::string
@@ -126,10 +131,10 @@ namespace argparse
     };
 
     template<typename T>
-    inline auto from_string(std::string const & s, T & t) -> bool
+    inline auto from_string(std::string const & s) -> std::optional<T>
     {
         auto const conv = Converter<T>();
-        return conv.from_string(s, t);
+        return conv.from_string(s);
     }
 
     template<typename T>
@@ -546,10 +551,9 @@ namespace argparse
                         }
                         else
                         {
-                            auto value = T();
-                            if (argparse::from_string(string, value))
+                            if (auto const optvalue = argparse::from_string<T>(string); optvalue.has_value())
                             {
-                                return std::any(value);
+                                return std::any(*optvalue);
                             }
                             else
                             {
@@ -990,7 +994,7 @@ namespace argparse
 
                     static auto is_negative_number(std::string const & token) -> bool
                     {
-                        if (auto num = double(); from_string(token, num))
+                        if (auto const parsed = from_string<double>(token); parsed.has_value())
                         {
                             return true;
                         }
diff --git a/test/unittest/custom.h b/test/unittest/custom.h
index 1218888..949ac6c 100644
--- a/test/unittest/custom.h
+++ b/test/unittest/custom.h
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ template<>
 class Converter<foo::Custom>
 {
     public:
-        auto from_string(std::string const & s, foo::Custom & t) const -> bool
+        auto from_string(std::string const & s) const -> std::optional<foo::Custom>
         {
-            t = foo::Custom(s);
-            return true;
+            auto t = foo::Custom(s);
+            return t;
         }
 
         auto to_string(foo::Custom const & t) const -> std::string
diff --git a/tutorial/custom1.cpp b/tutorial/custom1.cpp
index 3ce1101..6a725f5 100644
--- a/tutorial/custom1.cpp
+++ b/tutorial/custom1.cpp
@@ -24,12 +24,13 @@ template<>
 class Converter<geometry::Point>
 {
     public:
-        auto from_string(std::string const & s, geometry::Point & p) const -> bool
+        auto from_string(std::string const & s) const -> std::optional<geometry::Point>
         {
             std::istringstream iss(s);
+            auto p = geometry::Point();
             char comma;
             iss >> p.x >> comma >> p.y;
-            return true;
+            return p;
         }
 
         auto to_string(geometry::Point const & p) const -> std::string
diff --git a/tutorial/custom2.cpp b/tutorial/custom2.cpp
index 4c1e7c5..b497438 100644
--- a/tutorial/custom2.cpp
+++ b/tutorial/custom2.cpp
@@ -24,12 +24,15 @@ template<>
 class Converter<geometry::Point>
 {
     public:
-        auto from_string(std::string const & s, geometry::Point & p) const -> bool
+        auto from_string(std::string const & s) const -> std::optional<geometry::Point>
         {
             std::istringstream iss(s);
+            auto p = geometry::Point();
             char comma;
             iss >> p.x >> comma >> p.y;
-            return !iss.fail();
+            return !iss.fail()
+                ? std::optional<geometry::Point>(p)
+                : std::nullopt;
         }
 
         auto to_string(geometry::Point const & p) const -> std::string
diff --git a/tutorial/custom3.cpp b/tutorial/custom3.cpp
index 7b98e1d..a01aa2e 100644
--- a/tutorial/custom3.cpp
+++ b/tutorial/custom3.cpp
@@ -24,12 +24,15 @@ template<>
 class Converter<geometry::Point>
 {
     public:
-        auto from_string(std::string const & s, geometry::Point & p) const -> bool
+        auto from_string(std::string const & s) const -> std::optional<geometry::Point>
         {
             std::istringstream iss(s);
+            auto p = geometry::Point();
             char comma;
             iss >> p.x >> comma >> p.y;
-            return !iss.fail();
+            return !iss.fail()
+                ? std::optional<geometry::Point>(p)
+                : std::nullopt;
         }
 
         auto to_string(geometry::Point const & p) const -> std::string
diff --git a/tutorial/readme.md b/tutorial/readme.md
index 49bc635..a7f08da 100644
--- a/tutorial/readme.md
+++ b/tutorial/readme.md
@@ -958,12 +958,13 @@ template<>
 class Converter<geometry::Point>
 {
     public:
-        auto from_string(std::string const & s, geometry::Point & p) const -> bool
+        auto from_string(std::string const & s) const -> std::optional<geometry::Point>
         {
             std::istringstream iss(s);
+            auto p = geometry::Point();
             char comma;
             iss >> p.x >> comma >> p.y;
-            return true;
+            return p;
         }
 
         auto to_string(geometry::Point const & p) const -> std::string
@@ -1005,7 +1006,7 @@ optional arguments:
 $ custom1 0,0 1,1
 The distance is 1.41421
 ```
-The return value of `argparse::Converter::from_string` indicates whether the conversion succeeded. You can use it to your advantage (`custom2.cpp`):
+The `argparse::Converter::from_string` function should return an empty optional to indicate conversion failure. You can use it to your advantage (`custom2.cpp`):
 ```c++
 #include "argparse.hpp"
 #include <string>
@@ -1033,12 +1034,15 @@ template<>
 class Converter<geometry::Point>
 {
     public:
-        auto from_string(std::string const & s, geometry::Point & p) const -> bool
+        auto from_string(std::string const & s) const -> std::optional<geometry::Point>
         {
             std::istringstream iss(s);
+            auto p = geometry::Point();
             char comma;
             iss >> p.x >> comma >> p.y;
-            return !iss.fail();
+            return !iss.fail()
+                ? std::optional<geometry::Point>(p)
+                : std::nullopt;
         }
 
         auto to_string(geometry::Point const & p) const -> std::string
@@ -1110,12 +1114,15 @@ template<>
 class Converter<geometry::Point>
 {
     public:
-        auto from_string(std::string const & s, geometry::Point & p) const -> bool
+        auto from_string(std::string const & s) const -> std::optional<geometry::Point>
         {
             std::istringstream iss(s);
+            auto p = geometry::Point();
             char comma;
             iss >> p.x >> comma >> p.y;
-            return !iss.fail();
+            return !iss.fail()
+                ? std::optional<geometry::Point>(p)
+                : std::nullopt;
         }
 
         auto to_string(geometry::Point const & p) const -> std::string