diff --git a/src/Dimensions/format.jl b/src/Dimensions/format.jl
index 9bc2e9ef2..ff31f4af2 100644
--- a/src/Dimensions/format.jl
+++ b/src/Dimensions/format.jl
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ end
 
 format(val::AbstractArray, D::Type, axis::AbstractRange) = format(AutoLookup(), D, val, axis)
 format(m::LookupArray, D::Type, axis::AbstractRange) = format(m, D, parent(m), axis)
+format(v::AutoVal, D::Type, axis::AbstractRange) = _valformaterror(val(v), D)
+format(v, D::Type, axis::AbstractRange) = _valformaterror(v, D) 
 
 # Format LookupArrays
 # No more identification required for NoLookup
@@ -131,3 +133,7 @@ checkaxis(lookup, axis) = first(axes(lookup)) == axis || _checkaxiserror(lookup,
     throw(DimensionMismatch(
         "axes of $(basetypeof(lookup)) of $(first(axes(lookup))) do not match array axis of $axis"
     ))
+@noinline _valformaterror(v, D::Type) =
+    throw(ArgumentError(
+        "Lookup value of `$v` for dimension $D cannot be converted to a `LookupArray`. Did you mean to pass a range or array?"
+    ))
diff --git a/test/dimension.jl b/test/dimension.jl
index 4ef8df203..81eaa7fde 100644
--- a/test/dimension.jl
+++ b/test/dimension.jl
@@ -117,6 +117,13 @@ end
     @test sortdims(dimz, (X, X)) === dimz
 end
 
+@testset "constructing with keywords" begin
+    @test X(1; foo=:bar) == X(DimensionalData.AutoVal(1, (; foo=:bar)))
+    @test X(1:10; foo=:bar) == X(DimensionalData.AutoLookup(1:10, (; foo=:bar)))
+    @test Dim{:x}(1; foo=:bar) == Dim{:x}(DimensionalData.AutoVal(1, (; foo=:bar)))
+    @test Dim{:x}(1:10; foo=:bar) == Dim{:x}(DimensionalData.AutoLookup(1:10, (; foo=:bar)))
+end
+
 @testset "applying function on a dimension" begin
     d = X(0:0.01:2π)
     a = DimArray(cos, d)
diff --git a/test/format.jl b/test/format.jl
index 93ff2b62b..36ff80f0d 100644
--- a/test/format.jl
+++ b/test/format.jl
@@ -94,4 +94,9 @@ end
         @test format(l, X, Base.OneTo(2)) === Sampled(l, ForwardOrdered(), Regular(0.0), Points(), NoMetadata())
     end
 
+    @testset "LookupArray conversion errors" begin
+        @test_throws ArgumentError DimArray(rand(5, 4), (X(1), Y(1:4)))
+        @test_throws ArgumentError DimArray(rand(5), X(1; foo=:bar))
+    end
+
 end