diff --git a/src/ukify/test/test_ukify.py b/src/ukify/test/test_ukify.py
index 3cc3492fe0..9a07f3397c 100755
--- a/src/ukify/test/test_ukify.py
+++ b/src/ukify/test/test_ukify.py
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ def test_apply_config(tmp_path):
     assert ns.phase_path_groups == [['enter-initrd:leave-initrd:sysinit:ready:shutdown:final']]
 
 def test_parse_args_minimal():
+    try:
+        ukify.parse_args([])
+    except ValueError as e:
+        print(f'expected failure: {e}')
+
     opts = ukify.parse_args('arg1 arg2'.split())
     assert opts.linux == pathlib.Path('arg1')
     assert opts.initrd == [pathlib.Path('arg2')]
diff --git a/src/ukify/ukify.py b/src/ukify/ukify.py
index a6a4a38040..49317fbf78 100755
--- a/src/ukify/ukify.py
+++ b/src/ukify/ukify.py
@@ -1484,7 +1484,7 @@ def finalize_options(opts):
     # Figure out which syntax is being used, one of:
     # ukify verb --arg --arg --arg
     # ukify linux initrd…
-    if opts.positional[0] == 'inspect':
+    if len(opts.positional) >= 1 and opts.positional[0] == 'inspect':
         opts.verb = opts.positional[0]
         opts.files = opts.positional[1:]
         if not opts.files: