diff --git a/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/signing/config/SignerType.java b/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/signing/config/SignerType.java
index 6e4473d7..295b74e0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/signing/config/SignerType.java
+++ b/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/signing/config/SignerType.java
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ public static SignerType fromConfigValue(String configValue) {
         return signerType;
       }
     }
-    throw new RuntimeException(String.format("Unsupported signer type: %s", configValue));
+    throw new IllegalArgumentException(String.format("Unsupported signer type: %s", configValue));
   }
 
   public String getType() {
diff --git a/src/test/java/co/rsk/federate/signing/ECDSASignerFactoryTest.java b/src/test/java/co/rsk/federate/signing/ECDSASignerFactoryTest.java
index 25711c75..23bace85 100644
--- a/src/test/java/co/rsk/federate/signing/ECDSASignerFactoryTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/co/rsk/federate/signing/ECDSASignerFactoryTest.java
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ void buildFromConfigHSM() throws SignerException {
     @Test
     void buildFromConfigUnknown() throws SignerException {
         Config configMock = mockConfig("a-random-type");
+        SignerConfig signerConfig = new SignerConfig("a-random-id", configMock);
         try {
-            SignerConfig signerConfig = new SignerConfig("a-random-id", configMock);
             factory.buildFromConfig(signerConfig);
             fail();
         } catch (RuntimeException e) {