diff --git a/kittens/ssh/main.py b/kittens/ssh/main.py
index 00fd05a1e..af0ed5852 100644
--- a/kittens/ssh/main.py
+++ b/kittens/ssh/main.py
@@ -175,6 +175,18 @@ def get_connection_data(args: List[str]) -> Optional[SSHConnectionData]:
         return SSHConnectionData(found_ssh, arg, port)
 
 
+class InvalidSSHArgs(ValueError):
+
+    def __init__(self, msg: str = ''):
+        super().__init__(msg)
+        self.err_msg = msg
+
+    def system_exit(self) -> None:
+        if self.err_msg:
+            print(self.err_msg, file=sys.stderr)
+        os.execlp('ssh', 'ssh')
+
+
 def parse_ssh_args(args: List[str]) -> Tuple[List[str], List[str], bool]:
     boolean_ssh_args, other_ssh_args = get_ssh_cli()
     passthrough_args = {'-' + x for x in 'Nnf'}
@@ -191,6 +203,7 @@ def parse_ssh_args(args: List[str]) -> Tuple[List[str], List[str], bool]:
             if arg == '--':
                 stop_option_processing = True
                 continue
+            # could be a multi-character option
             all_args = arg[1:]
             for i, arg in enumerate(all_args):
                 arg = '-' + arg
@@ -207,9 +220,7 @@ def parse_ssh_args(args: List[str]) -> Tuple[List[str], List[str], bool]:
                     else:
                         expecting_option_val = True
                     break
-                print('unknown option -- {}'.format(arg[1:]), file=sys.stderr)
-                subprocess.Popen(['ssh']).wait()
-                raise SystemExit(255)
+                raise InvalidSSHArgs('unknown option -- {}'.format(arg[1:]))
             continue
         if expecting_option_val:
             ssh_args.append(arg)
@@ -217,7 +228,7 @@ def parse_ssh_args(args: List[str]) -> Tuple[List[str], List[str], bool]:
             continue
         server_args.append(arg)
     if not server_args:
-        raise SystemExit('Must specify server to connect to')
+        raise InvalidSSHArgs()
     return ssh_args, server_args, passthrough
 
 
@@ -261,7 +272,10 @@ def main(args: List[str]) -> NoReturn:
     if args and args[0] == 'use-python':
         args = args[1:]
         use_posix = False
-    ssh_args, server_args, passthrough = parse_ssh_args(args)
+    try:
+        ssh_args, server_args, passthrough = parse_ssh_args(args)
+    except InvalidSSHArgs as e:
+        e.system_exit()
     cmd = ['ssh'] + ssh_args
     if passthrough:
         cmd += server_args