diff --git a/builtin/bundle.c b/builtin/bundle.c
index c12c09f8549..acceef62001 100644
--- a/builtin/bundle.c
+++ b/builtin/bundle.c
@@ -55,13 +55,12 @@ static int parse_options_cmd_bundle(int argc,
 		const char * const usagestr[],
 		const struct option options[],
 		char **bundle_file) {
-	int newargc;
-	newargc = parse_options(argc, argv, NULL, options, usagestr,
+	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, NULL, options, usagestr,
 			     PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION);
-	if (argc < 1)
-		usage_with_options(usagestr, options);
+	if (!argc)
+		usage_msg_opt(_("need a <file> argument"), usagestr, options);
 	*bundle_file = prefix_filename(prefix, argv[0]);
-	return newargc;
+	return argc;
 }
 
 static int cmd_bundle_create(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix) {
diff --git a/t/t6020-bundle-misc.sh b/t/t6020-bundle-misc.sh
index 833205125ab..3a1cf30b1d7 100755
--- a/t/t6020-bundle-misc.sh
+++ b/t/t6020-bundle-misc.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 . ./test-lib.sh
 . "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/lib-bundle.sh
 
+for cmd in create verify list-heads unbundle
+do
+	test_expect_success "usage: git bundle $cmd needs an argument" '
+		test_expect_code 129 git bundle $cmd
+	'
+done
+
 # Create a commit or tag and set the variable with the object ID.
 test_commit_setvar () {
 	notick=