diff --git a/src/journal/journalctl.c b/src/journal/journalctl.c
index 6c31a89540..931cf0c751 100644
--- a/src/journal/journalctl.c
+++ b/src/journal/journalctl.c
@@ -843,7 +843,7 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 #else
                 case 'g':
                 case ARG_CASE_SENSITIVE:
-                        return log_error("Compiled without pattern matching support");
+                        return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EOPNOTSUPP), "Compiled without pattern matching support");
 #endif
 
                 case 'S':