diff --git a/src/client.c b/src/client.c
index 66c3ef2..f33a8e9 100644
--- a/src/client.c
+++ b/src/client.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ client_set_password(const char *cp)
 	password = cp;
 }
 
-void
+int
 client_set_qtype(char *qtype)
 {
 	if (!strcasecmp(qtype, "NULL"))
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ client_set_qtype(char *qtype)
 		do_qtype = T_SRV;
 	else if (!strcasecmp(qtype, "TXT"))
 		do_qtype = T_TXT;
+	return (do_qtype == T_UNSET);
 }
 
 char *
diff --git a/src/client.h b/src/client.h
index 69687d1..983b830 100644
--- a/src/client.h
+++ b/src/client.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const char *client_get_raw_addr();
 void client_set_nameserver(struct sockaddr_storage *, int);
 void client_set_topdomain(const char *cp);
 void client_set_password(const char *cp);
-void client_set_qtype(char *qtype);
+int client_set_qtype(char *qtype);
 char *client_get_qtype();
 void client_set_downenc(char *encoding);
 void client_set_selecttimeout(int select_timeout);
diff --git a/src/iodine.c b/src/iodine.c
index 2f24889..6cf7cc3 100644
--- a/src/iodine.c
+++ b/src/iodine.c
@@ -249,7 +249,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			pidfile = optarg;
 			break;
 		case 'T':
-			client_set_qtype(optarg);
+			if (client_set_qtype(optarg))
+				errx(5, "Invalid query type '%s'", optarg);
 			break;
 		case 'O':       /* not -D, is Debug in server */
 			client_set_downenc(optarg);