diff --git a/internal/pkg/cli/verb_utils.go b/internal/pkg/cli/verb_utils.go
index 87dbf319e..9dda91ebd 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/cli/verb_utils.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/cli/verb_utils.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 // For flags with values, e.g. ["-n" "10"], while we're looking at the "-n" this let us see if the "10" slot exists.
 // The verb is nominally something from a ways earlier in args[]; the opt is nominally what's at args[argi-1].
 // So this function should be called with args[argi] pointing to the "10" slot.
-func verbCheckArgCount(verb string, opt string, args []string, argi int, argc int, n int) {
+func VerbCheckArgCount(verb string, opt string, args []string, argi int, argc int, n int) {
 	if (argc - argi) < n {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s %s: option \"%s\" missing argument(s).\n",
 			"mlr", verb, opt,
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func verbCheckArgCount(verb string, opt string, args []string, argi int, argc in
 
 // E.g. with ["-f", "a,b,c"], makes sure there is something in the "a,b,c" position, and returns it.
 func VerbGetStringArgOrDie(verb string, opt string, args []string, pargi *int, argc int) string {
-	verbCheckArgCount(verb, opt, args, *pargi, argc, 1)
+	VerbCheckArgCount(verb, opt, args, *pargi, argc, 1)
 	retval := args[*pargi]
 	*pargi += 1
 	return retval
diff --git a/internal/pkg/transformers/sort.go b/internal/pkg/transformers/sort.go
index 9015e486e..dbb76e460 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/transformers/sort.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/transformers/sort.go
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ func transformerSortParseCLI(
 			// See comments over "-n" -- similar hack.
 			if args[argi] == "-r" {
 				// Treat like "-cr"
+				cli.VerbCheckArgCount(verb, args[argi], args, argi, argc, 1)
 				argi++
 				subList := cli.VerbGetStringArrayArgOrDie(verb, "-nr", args, &argi, argc)
 				for _, item := range subList {
@@ -155,8 +156,10 @@ func transformerSortParseCLI(
 
 		} else if opt == "-t" {
 			// See comments over "-n" -- similar hack.
+			cli.VerbCheckArgCount(verb, opt, args, argi, argc, 1)
 			if args[argi] == "-r" {
 				// Treat like "-tr"
+				cli.VerbCheckArgCount(verb, args[argi], args, argi, argc, 1)
 				argi++
 				subList := cli.VerbGetStringArrayArgOrDie(verb, "-tr", args, &argi, argc)
 				for _, item := range subList {
@@ -202,6 +205,7 @@ func transformerSortParseCLI(
 			// So here we special-case this: if "-n" is followed immediately by
 			// "-f", we treat it the same as "-nf". Likewise, "-n" followed by
 			// "-r" is treated like "-nr".
+			cli.VerbCheckArgCount(verb, opt, args, argi, argc, 1)
 
 			if args[argi] == "-f" {
 				// Treat like "-nf"