diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 71efa8edd4..84876431bc 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -3142,18 +3142,18 @@ int diff_opt_parse(struct diff_options *options, const char **av, int ac)
 	/* renames options */
 	else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "-B")) {
 		if ((options->break_opt = diff_scoreopt_parse(arg)) == -1)
-			return -1;
+			return error("invalid argument to -B: %s", arg+2);
 	}
 	else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "-M")) {
 		if ((options->rename_score = diff_scoreopt_parse(arg)) == -1)
-			return -1;
+			return error("invalid argument to -M: %s", arg+2);
 		options->detect_rename = DIFF_DETECT_RENAME;
 	}
 	else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "-C")) {
 		if (options->detect_rename == DIFF_DETECT_COPY)
 			DIFF_OPT_SET(options, FIND_COPIES_HARDER);
 		if ((options->rename_score = diff_scoreopt_parse(arg)) == -1)
-			return -1;
+			return error("invalid argument to -C: %s", arg+2);
 		options->detect_rename = DIFF_DETECT_COPY;
 	}
 	else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-renames"))