diff --git a/arguments.c b/arguments.c
index ad3d699d..4b08de2c 100644
--- a/arguments.c
+++ b/arguments.c
@@ -153,6 +153,10 @@ args_parse(const struct args_parse *parse, struct args_value *values,
 			flag = *string++;
 			if (flag == '\0')
 				break;
+			if (flag == '?') {
+				args_free(args);
+				return (NULL);
+			}
 			if (!isalnum(flag)) {
 				xasprintf(cause, "invalid flag -%c", flag);
 				args_free(args);
diff --git a/cmd.c b/cmd.c
index 44952d11..f8027dfe 100644
--- a/cmd.c
+++ b/cmd.c
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ cmd_parse(struct args_value *values, u_int count, const char *file, u_int line,
 	const struct cmd_entry	*entry;
 	struct cmd		*cmd;
 	struct args		*args;
-	char			*error;
+	char			*error = NULL;
 
 	if (count == 0 || values[0].type != ARGS_STRING) {
 		xasprintf(cause, "no command");