diff --git a/lib/rspec-virtus/matcher.rb b/lib/rspec-virtus/matcher.rb
index 38af067..370f7b0 100644
--- a/lib/rspec-virtus/matcher.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec-virtus/matcher.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 module RSpec
   module Virtus
     class Matcher
+      MESSAGES = {
+        undefined_attribute: 'expected :%{attribute} to be defined in %{subject}',
+        incorrect_type: 'expected :%{attribute} to be %{expected}, got %{actual}'
+      }.freeze
+
+      attr_accessor :failure_message
+
       def initialize(attribute_name)
         @attribute_name = attribute_name
         @options = {}
@@ -18,29 +25,22 @@ def of_type(type, options={})
 
       def matches?(subject)
         @subject = subject
-        attribute_exists? && type_correct?
-      end
 
-      def failure_message
-        "expected #{@attribute_name} to be defined"
-      end
+        failure = validate
+        @failure_message = compose_message(failure) if failure
 
-      def failure_message_when_negated
-        "expected #{@attribute_name} not to be defined"
+        failure.nil?
       end
 
       private
 
-      def attribute
-        @subject.attribute_set[@attribute_name]
-      end
-
-      def member_type
-        attribute.member_type.primitive
+      def validate
+        return [:undefined_attribute, {}] unless attribute_exists?
+        return [:incorrect_type, expected_actual_types] unless type_correct?
       end
 
-      def attribute_type
-        attribute.primitive
+      def attribute
+        @subject.attribute_set[@attribute_name]
       end
 
       def attribute_exists?
@@ -49,13 +49,54 @@ def attribute_exists?
 
       def type_correct?
         if @options[:member_type]
-          member_type == @options[:member_type] && attribute_type == @options[:type]
+          type_match? && member_type_match?
         elsif @options[:type]
-          attribute_type == @options[:type]
+          type_match?
         else
           true
         end
       end
+
+      def type_match?
+        attribute_match?(attribute, @options[:type])
+      end
+
+      def member_type_match?
+        attribute_match?(attribute.member_type, @options[:member_type])
+      end
+
+      def attribute_match?(actual, expected)
+        [actual.class, actual.type, actual.primitive].include?(expected)
+      end
+
+      def compose_message(failure)
+        key, params = failure
+        MESSAGES[key] % { attribute: @attribute_name, subject: @subject }.merge(params)
+      end
+
+      def expected_actual_types
+        {
+          expected: pretty_type(@options[:type], @options[:member_type]),
+          actual: pretty_type(
+            pretty_attribute(attribute),
+            @options[:member_type] && pretty_attribute(attribute.member_type)
+          )
+        }
+      end
+
+      def attribute_type
+        attribute.primitive
+      end
+
+      def pretty_type(type, member_type = nil)
+        return type.to_s unless member_type
+        "#{type}[#{member_type}]"
+      end
+
+      def pretty_attribute(attribute)
+        return attribute.class if attribute.primitive == BasicObject
+        attribute.primitive
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/acceptance/rspec-virtus_spec.rb b/spec/acceptance/rspec-virtus_spec.rb
index 711c194..3b4e39c 100644
--- a/spec/acceptance/rspec-virtus_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/acceptance/rspec-virtus_spec.rb
@@ -12,5 +12,6 @@ class DummyPost
 describe DummyPost do
   it { expect(described_class).to have_attribute(:title) }
   it { expect(described_class).to have_attribute(:body).of_type(String) }
+  it { expect(described_class).to have_attribute(:body).of_type(Axiom::Types::String) }
   it { expect(described_class).to have_attribute(:comments).of_type(Array, member_type: String) }
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/rspec-virtus/matcher_spec.rb b/spec/lib/rspec-virtus/matcher_spec.rb
index 16098c7..3d83157 100644
--- a/spec/lib/rspec-virtus/matcher_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/rspec-virtus/matcher_spec.rb
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@
   let(:instance) { described_class.new(attribute_name) }
   let(:attribute_name) { :the_attribute }
 
+  class DummyAttribute < Virtus::Attribute; end
   class DummyVirtus
     include Virtus.model
 
     attribute :the_attribute, String
     attribute :the_array_attribute, Array[String]
+    attribute :custom_attribute, DummyAttribute
   end
 
   describe '#matches?' do
@@ -20,19 +22,40 @@ class DummyVirtus
       it { is_expected.to eql(true) }
     end
 
-    context 'successful match on attribute name and type' do
+    context 'successful match on attribute name and primitive type' do
+      before { instance.of_type(String) }
+
+      it { is_expected.to eql(true) }
+    end
+
+    context 'successful match on attribute name and attribute type' do
+      before { instance.of_type(Axiom::Types::String) }
+
+      it { is_expected.to eql(true) }
+    end
+
+    context 'successful match on attribute name and custom type' do
+      let(:attribute_name) { :custom_attribute }
+      before { instance.of_type(DummyAttribute) }
+
+      it { is_expected.to eql(true) }
+    end
+
+    context 'successful match on attribute name, type and primitive member_type' do
+      let(:attribute_name) { :the_array_attribute }
+
       before do
-        instance.of_type(String)
+        instance.of_type(Array, member_type: String)
       end
 
       it { is_expected.to eql(true) }
     end
 
-    context 'successful match on attribute name, type and member_type' do
+    context 'successful match on attribute name, type and attribute member_type' do
       let(:attribute_name) { :the_array_attribute }
 
       before do
-        instance.of_type(Array, member_type: String)
+        instance.of_type(Array, member_type: Axiom::Types::String)
       end
 
       it { is_expected.to eql(true) }
@@ -103,18 +126,50 @@ class DummyVirtus
   end
 
   describe '#failure_message' do
-    subject { instance.failure_message }
+    subject { instance.tap { |i| i.matches?(DummyVirtus) }.failure_message }
 
-    it 'tells you which attribute failed' do
-      expect(subject).to include(attribute_name.to_s)
+    context 'on absent attribute' do
+      let(:attribute_name) { :something_else }
+
+      it 'returns absence message' do
+        message = 'expected :something_else to be defined in DummyVirtus'
+        expect(subject).to eq message
+      end
     end
-  end
 
-  describe '#failure_message_when_negated' do
-    subject { instance.failure_message_when_negated }
+    context 'on incorrect type' do
+      before { instance.of_type(Integer) }
+
+      describe 'attribute type' do
+        context 'with primitive type' do
+          it 'returns type primitive' do
+            message = 'expected :the_attribute to be Integer, got String'
+            expect(subject).to eq message
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'with attribute' do
+          let(:attribute_name) { :custom_attribute }
+
+          it 'returns type class' do
+            message = 'expected :custom_attribute to be Integer, got DummyAttribute'
+            expect(subject).to eq message
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
 
-    it 'tells you which attribute failed' do
-      expect(subject).to include(attribute_name.to_s)
+    context 'on incorrect member_type' do
+      let(:attribute_name) { :the_array_attribute }
+
+      before do
+        instance.of_type(Array, member_type: Integer)
+      end
+
+      it 'returns wrong type message' do
+        message = 'expected :the_array_attribute to be Array[Integer], got Array[String]'
+        expect(subject).to eq message
+      end
     end
   end
 end