diff --git a/checkpolicy/checkmodule.c b/checkpolicy/checkmodule.c
index cb58cf0d..41ebab50 100644
--- a/checkpolicy/checkmodule.c
+++ b/checkpolicy/checkmodule.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		{"output", required_argument, NULL, 'o'},
 		{"binary", no_argument, NULL, 'b'},
 		{"version", no_argument, NULL, 'V'},
-		{"handle-unknown", optional_argument, NULL, 'U'},
+		{"handle-unknown", required_argument, NULL, 'U'},
 		{"mls", no_argument, NULL, 'M'},
 		{NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
 	};
diff --git a/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.c b/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.c
index 544f2350..292f5689 100644
--- a/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.c
+++ b/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.c
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		{"binary", no_argument, NULL, 'b'},
 		{"debug", no_argument, NULL, 'd'},
 		{"version", no_argument, NULL, 'V'},
-		{"handle-unknown", optional_argument, NULL, 'U'},
+		{"handle-unknown", required_argument, NULL, 'U'},
 		{"mls", no_argument, NULL, 'M'},
 		{"help", no_argument, NULL, 'h'},
 		{NULL, 0, NULL, 0}