diff --git a/builtin/replace.c b/builtin/replace.c
index 28db96fcce..29cf699659 100644
--- a/builtin/replace.c
+++ b/builtin/replace.c
@@ -168,11 +168,17 @@ static int replace_object(const char *object_ref, const char *replace_ref,
 
 int cmd_replace(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	int list = 0, delete = 0, force = 0;
+	int force = 0;
 	const char *format = NULL;
+	enum {
+		MODE_UNSPECIFIED = 0,
+		MODE_LIST,
+		MODE_DELETE,
+		MODE_REPLACE
+	} cmdmode = MODE_UNSPECIFIED;
 	struct option options[] = {
-		OPT_BOOL('l', "list", &list, N_("list replace refs")),
-		OPT_BOOL('d', "delete", &delete, N_("delete replace refs")),
+		OPT_CMDMODE('l', "list", &cmdmode, N_("list replace refs"), MODE_LIST),
+		OPT_CMDMODE('d', "delete", &cmdmode, N_("delete replace refs"), MODE_DELETE),
 		OPT_BOOL('f', "force", &force, N_("replace the ref if it exists")),
 		OPT_STRING(0, "format", &format, N_("format"), N_("use this format")),
 		OPT_END()
@@ -182,42 +188,37 @@ int cmd_replace(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, options, git_replace_usage, 0);
 
-	if (!list && !delete)
-		if (!argc)
-			list = 1;
+	if (!cmdmode)
+		cmdmode = argc ? MODE_REPLACE : MODE_LIST;
 
-	if (list && delete)
-		usage_msg_opt("-l and -d cannot be used together",
-			      git_replace_usage, options);
-
-	if (format && !list)
+	if (format && cmdmode != MODE_LIST)
 		usage_msg_opt("--format cannot be used when not listing",
 			      git_replace_usage, options);
 
-	if (force && (list || delete))
-		usage_msg_opt("-f cannot be used with -d or -l",
+	if (force && cmdmode != MODE_REPLACE)
+		usage_msg_opt("-f only makes sense when writing a replacement",
 			      git_replace_usage, options);
 
-	/* Delete refs */
-	if (delete) {
+	switch (cmdmode) {
+	case MODE_DELETE:
 		if (argc < 1)
 			usage_msg_opt("-d needs at least one argument",
 				      git_replace_usage, options);
 		return for_each_replace_name(argv, delete_replace_ref);
-	}
 
-	/* Replace object */
-	if (!list && argc) {
+	case MODE_REPLACE:
 		if (argc != 2)
 			usage_msg_opt("bad number of arguments",
 				      git_replace_usage, options);
 		return replace_object(argv[0], argv[1], force);
+
+	case MODE_LIST:
+		if (argc > 1)
+			usage_msg_opt("only one pattern can be given with -l",
+				      git_replace_usage, options);
+		return list_replace_refs(argv[0], format);
+
+	default:
+		die("BUG: invalid cmdmode %d", (int)cmdmode);
 	}
-
-	/* List refs, even if "list" is not set */
-	if (argc > 1)
-		usage_msg_opt("only one pattern can be given with -l",
-			      git_replace_usage, options);
-
-	return list_replace_refs(argv[0], format);
 }