diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index dd7ad33054a..ae39951d855 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -870,9 +870,12 @@ CmdLineParser::Result CmdLineParser::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const a
 
             // --library
             else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "--library=", 10) == 0) {
-                // TODO: bail out on empty library
                 std::list<std::string> libs = splitString(argv[i] + 10, ',');
                 for (auto& l : libs) {
+                    if (l.empty()) {
+                        mLogger.printError("empty library specified.");
+                        return Result::Fail;
+                    }
                     mSettings.libraries.emplace_back(std::move(l));
                 }
             }
diff --git a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
index 48cc194750a..21700461f1e 100644
--- a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -2464,14 +2464,14 @@ class TestCmdlineParser : public TestFixture {
         REDIRECT;
         const char * const argv[] = {"cppcheck", "--library=posix,,gnu", "file.cpp"};
         ASSERT_EQUALS(false, parser->fillSettingsFromArgs(3, argv));
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: Failed to load library configuration file ''. File not found\n", logger->str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: error: empty library specified.\n", logger->str());
     }
 
     void libraryMultipleEmpty2() {
         REDIRECT;
         const char * const argv[] = {"cppcheck", "--library=posix,gnu,", "file.cpp"};
         ASSERT_EQUALS(false, parser->fillSettingsFromArgs(3, argv));
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: Failed to load library configuration file ''. File not found\n", logger->str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: error: empty library specified.\n", logger->str());
     }
 
     void suppressXml() {