diff --git a/cake/console/console_option_parser.php b/cake/console/console_option_parser.php
index 25d011b4439..ef8cafdfac7 100644
--- a/cake/console/console_option_parser.php
+++ b/cake/console/console_option_parser.php
@@ -420,6 +420,9 @@ protected function _parseShortOption($option, $params) {
  * @return array Params with $option added in.
  */
 	protected function _parseOptionName($name, $params) {
+		if (!isset($this->_options[$name])) {
+			throw new InvalidArgumentException(sprintf(__('Unknown option `%s`'), $name));
+		}
 		$definition = $this->_options[$name];
 		$nextValue = $this->_nextToken();
 		if (!$definition['boolean'] && !empty($nextValue) && $nextValue{0} != '-') {
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/console/console_option_parser.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/console/console_option_parser.test.php
index 2dcfd0af0d8..4f1271a151d 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/console/console_option_parser.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/console/console_option_parser.test.php
@@ -159,11 +159,22 @@ function testOptionWithBooleanParam() {
 		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser();
 		$parser->addOption('no-commit', array('boolean' => true))
 			->addOption('table', array('short' => 't'));
-		
+
 		$result = $parser->parse(array('--table', 'posts', '--no-commit', 'arg1', 'arg2'));
 		$expected = array(array('table' => 'posts', 'no-commit' => true), array('arg1', 'arg2'));
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Boolean option did not parse correctly.');
-		
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test parsing options that do not exist.
+ *
+ * @expectedException InvalidArgumentException
+ */
+	function testOptionThatDoesNotExist() {
+		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser();
+		$parser->addOption('no-commit', array('boolean' => true));
+
+		$result = $parser->parse(array('--fail', 'other'));
 	}
 
 /**