diff --git a/spring-data-geode/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilder.java b/spring-data-geode/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilder.java
index ce056f6a..301aa736 100644
--- a/spring-data-geode/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-data-geode/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilder.java
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.Reader;
 import java.util.Properties;
+import java.util.function.Function;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.FactoryBean;
 import org.springframework.lang.NonNull;
+import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
@@ -38,6 +40,11 @@ import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 @SuppressWarnings("unused")
 public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 
+	private static final Function<Object, String> TO_STRING_FUNCTION = target ->
+		target instanceof Class ? ((Class<?>) target).getName()
+		: target != null ? target.toString()
+		: String.valueOf(target);
+
 	/**
 	 * Factory method used to create a default {@link PropertiesBuilder} instance.
 	 *
@@ -162,25 +169,16 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 		this(builder.build());
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @inheritDoc
-	 */
 	@Override
-	public Properties getObject() throws Exception {
+	public @NonNull Properties getObject() throws Exception {
 		return build();
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @inheritDoc
-	 */
 	@Override
-	public Class<?> getObjectType() {
+	public @NonNull Class<?> getObjectType() {
 		return this.properties != null ? this.properties.getClass() : Properties.class;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @inheritDoc
-	 */
 	@Override
 	public boolean isSingleton() {
 		return true;
@@ -194,7 +192,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 	 * @return a reference to this {@link PropertiesBuilder}.
 	 * @see java.util.Properties
 	 */
-	public PropertiesBuilder add(Properties properties) {
+	public @NonNull PropertiesBuilder add(@Nullable Properties properties) {
 
 		if (!CollectionUtils.isEmpty(properties)) {
 			this.properties.putAll(properties);
@@ -211,7 +209,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 	 * @return a reference to this {@link PropertiesBuilder}.
 	 * @see org.springframework.data.gemfire.util.PropertiesBuilder
 	 */
-	public PropertiesBuilder add(PropertiesBuilder builder) {
+	public @NonNull PropertiesBuilder add(@Nullable PropertiesBuilder builder) {
 		return builder != null ? add(builder.build()) : this;
 	}
 
@@ -223,8 +221,8 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 	 * @return a reference to this {@link PropertiesBuilder}.
 	 * @see #setProperty(String, String)
 	 */
-	public PropertiesBuilder setProperty(String name, Object value) {
-		return value != null ? setProperty(name, value.toString()) : this;
+	public @NonNull PropertiesBuilder setProperty(@NonNull String name, @NonNull Object value) {
+		return value != null ? setProperty(name, TO_STRING_FUNCTION.apply(value)) : this;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -237,7 +235,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 	 * @see org.springframework.util.StringUtils#arrayToCommaDelimitedString(Object[])
 	 * @see #setProperty(String, String)
 	 */
-	public PropertiesBuilder setProperty(String name, Object[] values) {
+	public @NonNull PropertiesBuilder setProperty(@NonNull String name, @Nullable Object[] values) {
 		return !ObjectUtils.isEmpty(values) ? setProperty(name, StringUtils.arrayToCommaDelimitedString(values)) : this;
 	}
 
@@ -252,7 +250,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the property name is not specified.
 	 * @see java.util.Properties#setProperty(String, String)
 	 */
-	public PropertiesBuilder setProperty(String name, String value) {
+	public @NonNull PropertiesBuilder setProperty(@NonNull String name, @NonNull String value) {
 
 		Assert.hasText(name, String.format("Name [%s] must be specified", name));
 
@@ -275,7 +273,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 	 * @return a reference to this {@link PropertiesBuilder}.
 	 * @see #setProperty(String, Object)
 	 */
-	public <T> PropertiesBuilder setPropertyIfNotDefault(String name, Object value, T defaultValue) {
+	public @NonNull <T> PropertiesBuilder setPropertyIfNotDefault(@NonNull String name, Object value, T defaultValue) {
 		return defaultValue == null || !defaultValue.equals(value) ? setProperty(name, value) : this;
 	}
 
@@ -286,7 +284,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 	 * @return a reference to this {@link PropertiesBuilder}.
 	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the property name is not specified.
 	 */
-	public PropertiesBuilder unsetProperty(String name) {
+	public @NonNull PropertiesBuilder unsetProperty(@NonNull String name) {
 
 		Assert.hasText(name, String.format("Name [%s] mut be specified", name));
 
@@ -303,7 +301,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 	 * @param value {@link String} value for the property being set.
 	 * @return a boolean value indicating whether the given {@link String} value is a valid {@link Properties} value.
 	 */
-	protected boolean isValuable(String value) {
+	protected boolean isValuable(@Nullable String value) {
 		return StringUtils.hasText(value) && !"null".equalsIgnoreCase(value.trim());
 	}
 
@@ -313,7 +311,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilder implements FactoryBean<Properties> {
 	 * @return the {@link Properties} object built by this builder.
 	 * @see java.util.Properties
 	 */
-	public Properties build() {
+	public @NonNull Properties build() {
 		return this.properties;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-geode/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilderTests.java b/spring-data-geode/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilderUnitTests.java
similarity index 92%
rename from spring-data-geode/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilderTests.java
rename to spring-data-geode/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilderUnitTests.java
index 300a979f..c2365ce4 100644
--- a/spring-data-geode/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilderTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-geode/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/util/PropertiesBuilderUnitTests.java
@@ -23,19 +23,21 @@ import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.StringReader;
 import java.io.StringWriter;
+import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 /**
- * Test suite of test cases testing the contract and functionality of the {@link PropertiesBuilder} class.
+ * Unit Tests for {@link PropertiesBuilder}
  *
  * @author John Blum
  * @see java.util.Properties
+ * @see org.junit.Test
  * @see org.springframework.data.gemfire.util.PropertiesBuilder
  * @since 1.9.0
  */
-public class PropertiesBuilderTests {
+public class PropertiesBuilderUnitTests {
 
 	private Properties singletonProperties(String name, String value) {
 		Properties properties = new Properties();
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilderTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void constructDefaultPropertiesBuilder() throws Exception {
+	public void constructPropertiesBuilder() throws Exception {
 
 		PropertiesBuilder builder = new PropertiesBuilder();
 
@@ -208,7 +210,7 @@ public class PropertiesBuilderTests {
 			.build();
 
 		assertThat(properties).isNotNull();
-		assertThat(properties.size()).isEqualTo(5);
+		assertThat(properties).hasSize(5);
 		assertThat(properties.getProperty("boolean")).isEqualTo(Boolean.TRUE.toString());
 		assertThat(properties.getProperty("character")).isEqualTo("A");
 		assertThat(properties.getProperty("integer")).isEqualTo("1");
@@ -224,11 +226,40 @@ public class PropertiesBuilderTests {
 			.build();
 
 		assertThat(properties).isNotNull();
-		assertThat(properties.size()).isEqualTo(1);
+		assertThat(properties).hasSize(1);
 		assertThat(properties.containsKey("numbers")).isTrue();
 		assertThat(properties.getProperty("numbers")).isEqualTo("one,two,three");
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void setClassPropertyValueIsClassName() {
+
+		Properties properties = PropertiesBuilder.create()
+			.setProperty("type", BigDecimal.class)
+			.build();
+
+		assertThat(properties).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(properties).hasSize(1);
+		assertThat(properties).containsKey("type");
+		assertThat(properties.get("type")).isEqualTo(BigDecimal.class.getName());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void setStringPropertyValuesIsSuccessful() {
+
+		Properties properties = PropertiesBuilder.create()
+			.setProperty("one", "1")
+			.setProperty("two", "2")
+			.build();
+
+		assertThat(properties).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(properties).hasSize(2);
+		assertThat(properties.containsKey("one")).isTrue();
+		assertThat(properties.containsKey("two")).isTrue();
+		assertThat(properties.getProperty("one")).isEqualTo("1");
+		assertThat(properties.getProperty("two")).isEqualTo("2");
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void setPropertyIgnoresNullObjectValue() {
 
@@ -270,22 +301,6 @@ public class PropertiesBuilderTests {
 		assertThat(properties.isEmpty()).isTrue();
 	}
 
-	@Test
-	public void setStringPropertyValuesIsSuccessful() {
-
-		Properties properties = PropertiesBuilder.create()
-			.setProperty("one", "1")
-			.setProperty("two", "2")
-			.build();
-
-		assertThat(properties).isNotNull();
-		assertThat(properties.size()).isEqualTo(2);
-		assertThat(properties.containsKey("one")).isTrue();
-		assertThat(properties.containsKey("two")).isTrue();
-		assertThat(properties.getProperty("one")).isEqualTo("1");
-		assertThat(properties.getProperty("two")).isEqualTo("2");
-	}
-
 	@Test
 	public void unsetPropertyIsSuccessful() {
 
@@ -299,7 +314,9 @@ public class PropertiesBuilderTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void stringLiteralIsValuable() {
+
 		assertThat(PropertiesBuilder.create().isValuable("test")).isTrue();
+		assertThat(PropertiesBuilder.create().isValuable("mock")).isTrue();
 	}
 
 	@Test