diff --git a/client/main.c b/client/main.c
index 8e94093..a3135e3 100644
--- a/client/main.c
+++ b/client/main.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		args.mode = MODE_VSOCK;
 
 	if (args.flags & F_ERR) {
-        if (args.op != FENCE_VALIDATEALL)
+		if (args.op != FENCE_VALIDATEALL)
 			args_usage(argv[0], my_options, (argc == 1));
 		exit(1);
 	}
diff --git a/client/options.c b/client/options.c
index a3f321b..4b5ed56 100644
--- a/client/options.c
+++ b/client/options.c
@@ -904,6 +904,7 @@ args_get_stdin(const char *optstr, fence_virt_args_t *args)
 				"parse warning: "
 				"illegal variable '%s' on line %d\n", name,
 				line);
+			args->flags |= F_ERR;
 			continue;
 		}