diff --git a/cmd/devp2p/discv4cmd.go b/cmd/devp2p/discv4cmd.go
index 892a02b6591e2..9d35880b128b7 100644
--- a/cmd/devp2p/discv4cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/devp2p/discv4cmd.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/devp2p/internal/v4test"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/internal/flags"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/discover"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/enode"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/params"
@@ -49,32 +50,34 @@ var (
 		Usage:     "Sends ping to a node",
 		Action:    discv4Ping,
 		ArgsUsage: "<node>",
+		Flags:     v4NodeFlags,
 	}
 	discv4RequestRecordCommand = &cli.Command{
 		Name:      "requestenr",
 		Usage:     "Requests a node record using EIP-868 enrRequest",
 		Action:    discv4RequestRecord,
 		ArgsUsage: "<node>",
+		Flags:     v4NodeFlags,
 	}
 	discv4ResolveCommand = &cli.Command{
 		Name:      "resolve",
 		Usage:     "Finds a node in the DHT",
 		Action:    discv4Resolve,
 		ArgsUsage: "<node>",
-		Flags:     []cli.Flag{bootnodesFlag},
+		Flags:     v4NodeFlags,
 	}
 	discv4ResolveJSONCommand = &cli.Command{
 		Name:      "resolve-json",
 		Usage:     "Re-resolves nodes in a nodes.json file",
 		Action:    discv4ResolveJSON,
-		Flags:     []cli.Flag{bootnodesFlag},
+		Flags:     v4NodeFlags,
 		ArgsUsage: "<nodes.json file>",
 	}
 	discv4CrawlCommand = &cli.Command{
 		Name:   "crawl",
 		Usage:  "Updates a nodes.json file with random nodes found in the DHT",
 		Action: discv4Crawl,
-		Flags:  []cli.Flag{bootnodesFlag, crawlTimeoutFlag},
+		Flags:  flags.Merge(v4NodeFlags, []cli.Flag{crawlTimeoutFlag}),
 	}
 	discv4TestCommand = &cli.Command{
 		Name:   "test",
@@ -119,6 +122,13 @@ var (
 	}
 )
 
+var v4NodeFlags = []cli.Flag{
+	bootnodesFlag,
+	nodekeyFlag,
+	nodedbFlag,
+	listenAddrFlag,
+}
+
 func discv4Ping(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	n := getNodeArg(ctx)
 	disc := startV4(ctx)
diff --git a/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go b/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go
index 6914e1aa2da90..13ecde5bd6650 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go
@@ -166,10 +166,12 @@ This command dumps out the state for a given block (or latest, if none provided)
 // initGenesis will initialise the given JSON format genesis file and writes it as
 // the zero'd block (i.e. genesis) or will fail hard if it can't succeed.
 func initGenesis(ctx *cli.Context) error {
-	// Make sure we have a valid genesis JSON
+	if ctx.Args().Len() != 1 {
+		utils.Fatalf("need genesis.json file as the only argument")
+	}
 	genesisPath := ctx.Args().First()
 	if len(genesisPath) == 0 {
-		utils.Fatalf("Must supply path to genesis JSON file")
+		utils.Fatalf("invalid path to genesis file")
 	}
 	file, err := os.Open(genesisPath)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go b/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go
index a62b6a6ad5928..6f31e5f2898e9 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ func localConsole(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 // remoteConsole will connect to a remote geth instance, attaching a JavaScript
 // console to it.
 func remoteConsole(ctx *cli.Context) error {
+	if ctx.Args().Len() > 1 {
+		utils.Fatalf("invalid command-line: too many arguments")
+	}
+
 	endpoint := ctx.Args().First()
 	if endpoint == "" {
 		cfg := defaultNodeConfig()
diff --git a/internal/flags/helpers.go b/internal/flags/helpers.go
index d0ad9c4cef4af..4bcdc816fe463 100644
--- a/internal/flags/helpers.go
+++ b/internal/flags/helpers.go
@@ -38,6 +38,15 @@ func NewApp(gitCommit, gitDate, usage string) *cli.App {
 	return app
 }
 
+// Merge merges the given flag slices.
+func Merge(groups ...[]cli.Flag) []cli.Flag {
+	var ret []cli.Flag
+	for _, group := range groups {
+		ret = append(ret, group...)
+	}
+	return ret
+}
+
 var migrationApplied = map[*cli.Command]struct{}{}
 
 // MigrateGlobalFlags makes all global flag values available in the
@@ -70,6 +79,10 @@ func MigrateGlobalFlags(ctx *cli.Context) {
 
 	// This iterates over all commands and wraps their action function.
 	iterate(ctx.App.Commands, func(cmd *cli.Command) {
+		if cmd.Action == nil {
+			return
+		}
+
 		action := cmd.Action
 		cmd.Action = func(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 			doMigrateFlags(ctx)