diff --git a/src/client/main.c b/src/client/main.c
index 06d60cd8..0a55067f 100644
--- a/src/client/main.c
+++ b/src/client/main.c
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 	uname = pwd->pw_name;
     }
+    if (*ap) {
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s: extra operand %s\n", argv[0], *ap);
+	fprintf(stderr, "Try -h for help.\n");
+	exit(1);
+    }
 
     getsose();
     if (auxfname && (auxfp = fopen(auxfname, "a")) == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/util/empsched.c b/src/util/empsched.c
index 6fd252db..18595968 100644
--- a/src/util/empsched.c
+++ b/src/util/empsched.c
@@ -92,6 +92,12 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
     }
 
+    if (argc - optind > 1) {
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s: extra operand %s\n", argv[0], argv[optind+1]);
+	fprintf(stderr, "Try -h for help.\n");
+	exit(1);
+    }
+
     if (emp_config(config_file) < 0)
 	exit(1);
 
diff --git a/src/util/files.c b/src/util/files.c
index 03ad037f..71233c68 100644
--- a/src/util/files.c
+++ b/src/util/files.c
@@ -105,6 +105,12 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
     }
 
+    if (argv[optind]) {
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s: does not take operands\n", argv[0]);
+	fprintf(stderr, "Try -h for help.\n");
+	exit(1);
+    }
+
     empfile_init();
     if (emp_config(config_file) < 0)
 	exit(1);