diff --git a/src/term_image/cli.py b/src/term_image/cli.py
index cdc60355..eccc14bf 100644
--- a/src/term_image/cli.py
+++ b/src/term_image/cli.py
@@ -589,10 +589,12 @@ def check_arg(
     if force_cli_mode:
         args.cli = True
 
+    # `check_arg()` requires logging.
     init_log(
         (
             args.log_file
-            if config_options["log file"].is_valid(args.log_file)
+            # If the argument is invalid, the error will be emitted later.
+            if args.log_file and config_options["log file"].is_valid(args.log_file)
             else config_options.log_file
         ),
         getattr(_logging, args.log_level),
@@ -621,12 +623,18 @@ def check_arg(
 
     for name, option in config_options.items():
         var_name = name.replace(" ", "_")
-        value = getattr(args, var_name, None)
+        try:
+            arg_value = getattr(args, var_name)
         # Not all config options have corresponding command-line arguments
-        if value is not None and not option.is_valid(value):
+        except AttributeError:
+            continue
+
+        if arg_value is None:
+            setattr(args, var_name, option.value)
+        elif not option.is_valid(arg_value):
             arg_name = f"--{name.replace(' ', '-')}"
             notify.notify(
-                f"{arg_name}: {option.error_msg} (got: {value!r})",
+                f"{arg_name}: {option.error_msg} (got: {arg_value!r})",
                 level=notify.ERROR,
             )
             notify.notify(
diff --git a/src/term_image/parsers.py b/src/term_image/parsers.py
index 069674f9..4b6446fc 100644
--- a/src/term_image/parsers.py
+++ b/src/term_image/parsers.py
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@
     "--query-timeout",
     type=float,
     metavar="N",
-    default=config_options.query_timeout,
     help=(
         "Timeout (in seconds) for all terminal queries "
         f"(default: {config_options.query_timeout})"
@@ -108,7 +107,6 @@
     "-S",
     "--style",
     choices=("auto", "block", "iterm2", "kitty"),
-    default=config_options.style,
     help=(
         f"Image render style (default: {config_options.style}). "
         'See "Render Styles" below'
@@ -129,7 +127,6 @@
     "--font-ratio",
     type=float,
     metavar="N",
-    default=config_options.font_ratio,
     help=(
         "The width-to-height ratio of a character cell in the terminal, to "
         f"preserve image aspect ratio (default: {config_options.font_ratio or 'auto'})"
@@ -145,7 +142,6 @@
 win_size_options.add_argument(
     "--swap-win-size",
     action="store_true",
-    default=config_options.swap_win_size,
     help=(
         "A workaround for 'auto font ratio' on some terminal emulators (e.g older "
         "VTE-based ones) that wrongly report window dimensions swapped"
@@ -154,7 +150,6 @@
 win_size_options.add_argument(
     "--no-swap-win-size",
     action="store_false",
-    default=config_options.swap_win_size,
     dest="swap_win_size",
     help="Unlike '--swap-win-size', use the reported window size as-is (default)",
 )
@@ -202,7 +197,6 @@
 anim_cache_options.add_argument(
     "--anim-cache",
     type=int,
-    default=config_options.anim_cache,
     metavar="N",
     help=(
         "Maximum frame count for animation frames to be cached (Better performance "
@@ -460,7 +454,6 @@
     "--max-pixels",
     type=int,
     metavar="N",
-    default=config_options.max_pixels,
     help=(
         "Maximum amount of pixels in images to be displayed "
         f"(default: {config_options.max_pixels}) [4]"
@@ -471,7 +464,6 @@
     "--checkers",
     type=int,
     metavar="N",
-    default=config_options.checkers,
     help=(
         "Maximum number of sub-processes for checking directory sources "
         f"(default: {config_options.checkers})"
@@ -481,7 +473,6 @@
     "--getters",
     type=int,
     metavar="N",
-    default=config_options.getters,
     help=(
         "Number of threads for downloading images from URL sources "
         f"(default: {config_options.getters})"
@@ -491,7 +482,6 @@
     "--grid-renderers",
     type=int,
     metavar="N",
-    default=config_options.grid_renderers,
     help=(
         "Number of subprocesses for rendering grid cells "
         f"(default: {config_options.grid_renderers})"
@@ -502,14 +492,12 @@
 multi_options.add_argument(
     "--multi",
     action="store_false",
-    default=config_options.no_multi,
     dest="no_multi",
     help="Enable multiprocessing, if supported (default)",
 )
 multi_options.add_argument(
     "--no-multi",
     action="store_true",
-    default=config_options.no_multi,
     help="Disable multiprocessing",
 )
 
@@ -524,7 +512,6 @@
     "-l",
     "--log-file",
     metavar="FILE",
-    default=config_options.log_file,
     help=f"The file to write logs to (default: {config_options.log_file})",
 )
 log_options.add_argument(