diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index 03841fb3814..503d3f7ff32 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -471,13 +471,21 @@ CmdLineParser::Result CmdLineParser::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const a
             else if (std::strcmp(argv[i], "--check-config") == 0)
                 mSettings.checkConfiguration = true;
 
-            // Check code exhaustively
-            else if (std::strcmp(argv[i], "--check-level=exhaustive") == 0)
-                mSettings.setCheckLevel(Settings::CheckLevel::exhaustive);
+            // Check level
+            else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "--check-level=", 14) == 0) {
+                Settings::CheckLevel level = Settings::CheckLevel::normal;
+                const std::string level_s(argv[i] + 14);
+                if (level_s == "normal")
+                    level = Settings::CheckLevel::normal;
+                else if (level_s == "exhaustive")
+                    level = Settings::CheckLevel::exhaustive;
+                else {
+                    mLogger.printError("unknown '--check-level' value '" + level_s + "'.");
+                    return Result::Fail;
+                }
 
-            // Check code with normal analysis
-            else if (std::strcmp(argv[i], "--check-level=normal") == 0)
-                mSettings.setCheckLevel(Settings::CheckLevel::normal);
+                mSettings.setCheckLevel(level);
+            }
 
             // Check library definitions
             else if (std::strcmp(argv[i], "--check-library") == 0) {
diff --git a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
index a92047363fa..1756f635f93 100644
--- a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ class TestCmdlineParser : public TestFixture {
         TEST_CASE(checkLevelDefault);
         TEST_CASE(checkLevelNormal);
         TEST_CASE(checkLevelExhaustive);
+        TEST_CASE(checkLevelUnknown);
 
         TEST_CASE(ignorepaths1);
         TEST_CASE(ignorepaths2);
@@ -2595,6 +2596,13 @@ class TestCmdlineParser : public TestFixture {
         ASSERT_EQUALS(256, settings->performanceValueFlowMaxSubFunctionArgs);
     }
 
+    void checkLevelUnknown() {
+        REDIRECT;
+        const char * const argv[] = {"cppcheck", "--check-level=default", "file.cpp"};
+        ASSERT_EQUALS_ENUM(CmdLineParser::Result::Fail, parser->parseFromArgs(3, argv));
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: error: unknown '--check-level' value 'default'.\n", logger->str());
+    }
+
     void ignorepaths1() {
         REDIRECT;
         const char * const argv[] = {"cppcheck", "-isrc", "file.cpp"};