diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/package.json b/packages/babel-cli/package.json
index 0328b7596c27..c5b1e90485d6 100644
--- a/packages/babel-cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/package.json
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     "compiler"
   ],
   "dependencies": {
-    "commander": "^2.8.1",
+    "commander": "^4.0.1",
     "convert-source-map": "^1.1.0",
     "fs-readdir-recursive": "^1.1.0",
     "glob": "^7.0.0",
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/options.js b/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/options.js
index 169c61ffa51a..1543d02f4bb4 100644
--- a/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/options.js
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/options.js
@@ -163,6 +163,10 @@ commander.option(
 
 commander.version(pkg.version + " (@babel/core " + version + ")");
 commander.usage("[options] <files ...>");
+// register an empty action handler so that commander.js can throw on
+// unknown options _after_ args
+// see https://github.com/tj/commander.js/issues/561#issuecomment-522209408
+commander.action(() => {});
 
 export type CmdOptions = {
   babelOptions: Object,
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options after args/in-files/script.js b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options after args/in-files/script.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4bc9539528d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options after args/in-files/script.js	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+arr.map(x => x * MULTIPLIER);
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options after args/options.json b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options after args/options.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..dde64755da06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options after args/options.json	
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "args": ["script.js", "--spruce-maps"],
+  "stderrContains": true
+}
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options after args/stderr.txt b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options after args/stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..294d5ccaeaed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options after args/stderr.txt	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+error: unknown option '--spruce-maps'
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options before args/in-files/script.js b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options before args/in-files/script.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4bc9539528d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options before args/in-files/script.js	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+arr.map(x => x * MULTIPLIER);
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options before args/options.json b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options before args/options.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0d7953971726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options before args/options.json	
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "args": ["--spruce-maps", "script.js"],
+  "stderrContains": true
+}
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options before args/stderr.txt b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options before args/stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..294d5ccaeaed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/error incorrect options before args/stderr.txt	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+error: unknown option '--spruce-maps'