diff --git a/include/cxxopts.hpp b/include/cxxopts.hpp
index 72cf54e..0d54815 100644
--- a/include/cxxopts.hpp
+++ b/include/cxxopts.hpp
@@ -533,6 +533,16 @@ namespace cxxopts
       }
     }
 
+    template <typename T>
+    void stringstream_parser(const std::string& text, T& value)
+    {
+      std::stringstream in(text);
+      in >> value;
+      if (!in) {
+        throw argument_incorrect_type(text);
+      }
+    }
+
     inline
     void
     parse_value(const std::string& text, uint8_t& value)
@@ -605,6 +615,15 @@ namespace cxxopts
       value = text;
     }
 
+    // The fallback parser. It uses the stringstream parser to parse all types
+    // that have not been overloaded explicitly.  It has to be placed in the
+    // source code before all other more specialized templates.
+    template <typename T>
+    void
+    parse_value(const std::string& text, T& value) {
+      stringstream_parser(text, value);
+    }
+
     template <typename T>
     void
     parse_value(const std::string& text, std::vector<T>& value)
diff --git a/src/example.cpp b/src/example.cpp
index f9f50b2..44271b4 100644
--- a/src/example.cpp
+++ b/src/example.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
         "thisisareallylongwordthattakesupthewholelineandcannotbebrokenataspace")
       ("help", "Print help")
       ("int", "An integer", cxxopts::value<int>(), "N")
+      ("float", "A floating point number", cxxopts::value<float>())
       ("option_that_is_too_long_for_the_help", "A very long option")
     #ifdef CXXOPTS_USE_UNICODE
       ("unicode", u8"A help option with non-ascii: à. Here the size of the"
@@ -118,6 +119,11 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
       std::cout << "int = " << options["int"].as<int>() << std::endl;
     }
 
+    if (options.count("float"))
+    {
+      std::cout << "float = " << options["float"].as<float>() << std::endl;
+    }
+
     std::cout << "Arguments remain = " << argc << std::endl;
 
   } catch (const cxxopts::OptionException& e)
diff --git a/test/options.cpp b/test/options.cpp
index 69cb964..1446929 100644
--- a/test/options.cpp
+++ b/test/options.cpp
@@ -336,3 +336,31 @@ TEST_CASE("Integer overflow", "[options]")
   options.parse_positional("positional");
   CHECK_THROWS_AS(options.parse(argc, argv), cxxopts::argument_incorrect_type);
 }
+
+TEST_CASE("Floats", "[options]")
+{
+  cxxopts::Options options("parses_floats", "parses floats correctly");
+  options.add_options()
+    ("double", "Double precision", cxxopts::value<double>())
+    ("positional", "Floats", cxxopts::value<std::vector<float>>());
+
+  Argv av({"floats", "--double", "0.5", "--", "4", "-4", "1.5e6", "-1.5e6"});
+
+  char** argv = av.argv();
+  auto argc = av.argc();
+
+  options.parse_positional("positional");
+  options.parse(argc, argv);
+
+  REQUIRE(options.count("double") == 1);
+  REQUIRE(options.count("positional") == 4);
+
+  CHECK(options["double"].as<double>() == 0.5);
+
+  auto& positional = options["positional"].as<std::vector<float>>();
+  CHECK(positional[0] == 4);
+  CHECK(positional[1] == -4);
+  CHECK(positional[2] == 1.5e6);
+  CHECK(positional[3] == -1.5e6);
+}
+