diff --git a/smocore/include/opts.h b/smocore/include/opts.h
index 647cd55..ace753c 100644
--- a/smocore/include/opts.h
+++ b/smocore/include/opts.h
@@ -29,9 +29,13 @@ public:
     class Exception : public std::exception
     {
     public:
-        Exception() = default;
+        explicit Exception(std::string message_);
         ~Exception() override = default;
-        const char* what() const noexcept override = 0;
+
+        const char* what() const noexcept override;
+
+    protected:
+        std::string message;
     };
 
     std::string argv0;
@@ -45,13 +49,11 @@ public:
 };
 
 class OptionsParserError
-: public std::invalid_argument, public OptionParser::Exception
+: public OptionParser::Exception
 {
 public:
     OptionsParserError(
         const std::string& errorMessage, const OptionParser& parser);
-
-    const char* what() const noexcept override;
 };
 
 class JustPrintUsageNoError
@@ -59,10 +61,6 @@ class JustPrintUsageNoError
 {
 public:
     explicit JustPrintUsageNoError(const OptionParser& parser);
-    const char* what() const noexcept override;
-
-private:
-    std::string message;
 };
 
 #endif // OPTS_H
diff --git a/smocore/opts.cpp b/smocore/opts.cpp
index 0f56f98..ea928a6 100644
--- a/smocore/opts.cpp
+++ b/smocore/opts.cpp
@@ -10,28 +10,28 @@
 #include <spinscale/callableTracer.h>
 
 
+OptionParser::Exception::Exception(std::string message_)
+: message(std::move(message_))
+{
+}
+
+const char* OptionParser::Exception::what() const noexcept
+{
+    return message.c_str();
+}
+
 OptionsParserError::OptionsParserError(
     const std::string& errorMessage, const OptionParser& parser
 )
-: std::invalid_argument(errorMessage + "\n" + parser.getUsage())
+: OptionParser::Exception(errorMessage + "\n" + parser.getUsage())
 {
 }
 
-const char* OptionsParserError::what() const noexcept
-{
-    return std::invalid_argument::what();
-}
-
 JustPrintUsageNoError::JustPrintUsageNoError(const OptionParser& parser)
-: message(parser.getUsage())
+: OptionParser::Exception(parser.getUsage())
 {
 }
 
-const char* JustPrintUsageNoError::what() const noexcept
-{
-    return message.c_str();
-}
-
 struct option OptionParser::longOptions[] = {
     {"dapspec", required_argument, 0, 's'},
     {"spec", required_argument, 0, 's'},