diff --git a/src/ImageSharp/Common/Helpers/Guard.cs b/src/ImageSharp/Common/Helpers/Guard.cs
index 9f0a46f80..603cf566f 100644
--- a/src/ImageSharp/Common/Helpers/Guard.cs
+++ b/src/ImageSharp/Common/Helpers/Guard.cs
@@ -15,16 +15,15 @@ namespace SixLabors.ImageSharp
     internal static class Guard
     {
         /// <summary>
-        /// Verifies, that the method parameter with specified object value is not null
-        /// and throws an exception if it is found to be so.
+        /// Ensures that the value is not null.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="target">The target object, which cannot be null.</param>
+        /// <param name="value">The target object, which cannot be null.</param>
         /// <param name="parameterName">The name of the parameter that is to be checked.</param>
         /// <param name="message">The error message, if any to add to the exception.</param>
-        /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="target"/> is null</exception>
-        public static void NotNull(object target, string parameterName, string message = "")
+        /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="value"/> is null</exception>
+        public static void NotNull(object value, string parameterName, string message = "")
         {
-            if (target == null)
+            if (value == null)
             {
                 if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(message))
                 {
@@ -36,57 +35,49 @@ namespace SixLabors.ImageSharp
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Verifies, that the string method parameter with specified object value and message
-        /// is not null, not empty and does not contain only blanks and throws an exception
-        /// if the object is null.
+        /// Ensures that the target value is not null, empty, or whitespace.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="target">The target string, which should be checked against being null or empty.</param>
+        /// <param name="value">The target string, which should be checked against being null or empty.</param>
         /// <param name="parameterName">Name of the parameter.</param>
-        /// <param name="message">The error message, if any to add to the exception.</param>
-        /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="target"/> is null.</exception>
-        /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"><paramref name="target"/> is empty or contains only blanks.</exception>
-        public static void NotNullOrEmpty(string target, string parameterName, string message = "")
+        /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="value"/> is null.</exception>
+        /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"><paramref name="value"/> is empty or contains only blanks.</exception>
+        public static void NotNullOrWhiteSpace(string value, string parameterName)
         {
-            NotNull(target, parameterName, message);
-
-            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(target))
+            if (value == null)
             {
-                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(message))
-                {
-                    throw new ArgumentException(message, parameterName);
-                }
+                throw new ArgumentNullException(parameterName);
+            }
 
-                throw new ArgumentException("Value cannot be null or empty and cannot contain only blanks.", parameterName);
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(value))
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentException("Must not be empty or whitespace.", parameterName);
             }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Verifies, that the enumeration is not null and not empty.
+        /// Ensures that the enumeration is not null or empty.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <typeparam name="T">The type of objects in the <paramref name="target"/></typeparam>
-        /// <param name="target">The target enumeration, which should be checked against being null or empty.</param>
+        /// <typeparam name="T">The type of objects in the <paramref name="value"/></typeparam>
+        /// <param name="value">The target enumeration, which should be checked against being null or empty.</param>
         /// <param name="parameterName">Name of the parameter.</param>
         /// <param name="message">The error message, if any to add to the exception.</param>
-        /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="target"/> is null.</exception>
-        /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"><paramref name="target"/> is empty.</exception>
-        public static void NotNullOrEmpty<T>(IEnumerable<T> target, string parameterName, string message = "")
+        /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="value"/> is null.</exception>
+        /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"><paramref name="value"/> is empty.</exception>
+        public static void NotNullOrEmpty<T>(IEnumerable<T> value, string parameterName)
         {
-            NotNull(target, parameterName, message);
-
-            if (!target.Any())
+            if (value == null)
             {
-                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(message))
-                {
-                    throw new ArgumentException(message, parameterName);
-                }
+                throw new ArgumentNullException(parameterName);
+            }
 
-                throw new ArgumentException("Value cannot be empty.", parameterName);
+            if (!value.Any())
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentException("Must not be empty.", parameterName);
             }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Verifies that the specified value is less than a maximum value
-        /// and throws an exception if it is not.
+        /// Ensures that the specified value is less than a maximum value.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="value">The target value, which should be validated.</param>
         /// <param name="max">The maximum value.</param>
diff --git a/src/ImageSharp/MetaData/ImageProperty.cs b/src/ImageSharp/MetaData/ImageProperty.cs
index c67c1f3cf..3e0cccd42 100644
--- a/src/ImageSharp/MetaData/ImageProperty.cs
+++ b/src/ImageSharp/MetaData/ImageProperty.cs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ namespace SixLabors.ImageSharp.MetaData
         /// <param name="value">The value of the property.</param>
         public ImageProperty(string name, string value)
         {
-            Guard.NotNullOrEmpty(name, nameof(name));
+            Guard.NotNullOrWhiteSpace(name, nameof(name));
 
             this.Name = name;
             this.Value = value;
diff --git a/src/ImageSharp/PixelFormats/ColorBuilder{TPixel}.cs b/src/ImageSharp/PixelFormats/ColorBuilder{TPixel}.cs
index f5ebdb3fd..1e7645aeb 100644
--- a/src/ImageSharp/PixelFormats/ColorBuilder{TPixel}.cs
+++ b/src/ImageSharp/PixelFormats/ColorBuilder{TPixel}.cs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ namespace SixLabors.ImageSharp.PixelFormats
         /// <returns>Returns a <typeparamref name="TPixel"/> that represents the color defined by the provided RGBA heax string.</returns>
         public static TPixel FromHex(string hex)
         {
-            Guard.NotNullOrEmpty(hex, nameof(hex));
+            Guard.NotNullOrWhiteSpace(hex, nameof(hex));
 
             hex = ToRgbaHex(hex);
             uint packedValue;