diff --git a/src/journal-remote/journal-upload.c b/src/journal-remote/journal-upload.c
index decb6df5da..c6123146a5 100644
--- a/src/journal-remote/journal-upload.c
+++ b/src/journal-remote/journal-upload.c
@@ -776,8 +776,6 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         assert(argc >= 0);
         assert(argv);
 
-        opterr = 0;
-
         while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hu:mM:D:", options, NULL)) >= 0)
                 switch (c) {
                 case 'h':
@@ -882,14 +880,7 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                         break;
 
                 case '?':
-                        return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
-                                               "Unknown option %s.",
-                                               argv[optind - 1]);
-
-                case ':':
-                        return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
-                                               "Missing argument to %s.",
-                                               argv[optind - 1]);
+                        return -EINVAL;
 
                 default:
                         assert_not_reached();