diff --git a/builtin/notes.c b/builtin/notes.c
index 42cbae4659..be51f69225 100644
--- a/builtin/notes.c
+++ b/builtin/notes.c
@@ -995,7 +995,7 @@ static int get_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 int cmd_notes(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	const char *override_notes_ref = NULL;
-	parse_opt_subcommand_fn *fn = list;
+	parse_opt_subcommand_fn *fn = NULL;
 	struct option options[] = {
 		OPT_STRING(0, "ref", &override_notes_ref, N_("notes-ref"),
 			   N_("use notes from <notes-ref>")),
@@ -1015,9 +1015,12 @@ int cmd_notes(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, options, git_notes_usage,
 			     PARSE_OPT_SUBCOMMAND_OPTIONAL);
-	if (fn == list && argc && strcmp(argv[0], "list")) {
-		error(_("unknown subcommand: %s"), argv[0]);
-		usage_with_options(git_notes_usage, options);
+	if (!fn) {
+		if (argc) {
+			error(_("unknown subcommand: `%s'"), argv[0]);
+			usage_with_options(git_notes_usage, options);
+		}
+		fn = list;
 	}
 
 	if (override_notes_ref) {
diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index 272c7b8d9e..07117e4c9a 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -1768,7 +1768,7 @@ int cmd_remote(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		return !!fn(argc, argv, prefix);
 	} else {
 		if (argc) {
-			error(_("unknown subcommand: %s"), argv[0]);
+			error(_("unknown subcommand: `%s'"), argv[0]);
 			usage_with_options(builtin_remote_usage, options);
 		}
 		return !!show_all();
diff --git a/t/helper/test-parse-options.c b/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
index aa0ad45851..506835521a 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
@@ -195,7 +195,8 @@ int cmd__parse_options(int argc, const char **argv)
 
 static void print_args(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
-	for (int i = 0; i < argc; i++)
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < argc; i++)
 		printf("arg %02d: %s\n", i, argv[i]);
 }
 
@@ -254,7 +255,7 @@ int cmd__parse_options_flags(int argc, const char **argv)
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, NULL, test_flag_options, usage,
 			     PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION);
 
-	if (argc == 0 || strcmp(argv[0], "cmd")) {
+	if (!argc || strcmp(argv[0], "cmd")) {
 		error("'cmd' is mandatory");
 		usage_with_options(usage, test_flag_options);
 	}
@@ -312,7 +313,7 @@ int cmd__parse_subcommand(int argc, const char **argv)
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, NULL, test_flag_options, usage,
 			     PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION);
 
-	if (argc == 0 || strcmp(argv[0], "cmd")) {
+	if (!argc || strcmp(argv[0], "cmd")) {
 		error("'cmd' is mandatory");
 		usage_with_options(usage, test_flag_options);
 	}
diff --git a/t/t0040-parse-options.sh b/t/t0040-parse-options.sh
index b19b8d3486..5cc62306e3 100755
--- a/t/t0040-parse-options.sh
+++ b/t/t0040-parse-options.sh
@@ -500,7 +500,6 @@ test_expect_success 'KEEP_UNKNOWN_OPT works' '
 
 test_expect_success 'NO_INTERNAL_HELP works for -h' '
 	test_expect_code 129 test-tool parse-options-flags --no-internal-help cmd -h 2>err &&
-	cat err &&
 	grep "^error: unknown switch \`h$SQ" err &&
 	grep "^usage: " err
 '
@@ -509,7 +508,6 @@ for help_opt in help help-all
 do
 	test_expect_success "NO_INTERNAL_HELP works for --$help_opt" "
 		test_expect_code 129 test-tool parse-options-flags --no-internal-help cmd --$help_opt 2>err &&
-		cat err &&
 		grep '^error: unknown option \`'$help_opt\' err &&
 		grep '^usage: ' err
 	"