diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/bisq/cli/CliMain.java b/cli/src/main/java/bisq/cli/CliMain.java
index 342423948b..2554ac4a31 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/java/bisq/cli/CliMain.java
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/bisq/cli/CliMain.java
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ public class CliMain {
                 .defaultsTo(9998);
 
         var passwordOpt = parser.accepts("password", "rpc server password")
-                .withRequiredArg();
+                .withRequiredArg()
+                .required();
 
         OptionSet options = null;
         try {
@@ -110,10 +111,8 @@ public class CliMain {
         var host = options.valueOf(hostOpt);
         var port = options.valueOf(portOpt);
         var password = options.valueOf(passwordOpt);
-        if (password == null) {
-            err.println("Error: rpc server password not specified");
-            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-        }
+
+        var credentials = new PasswordCallCredentials(password);
 
         var channel = ManagedChannelBuilder.forAddress(host, port).usePlaintext().build();
         Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new Thread(() -> {
@@ -126,8 +125,6 @@ public class CliMain {
         }));
 
         try {
-            var credentials = new PasswordCallCredentials(password);
-
             switch (method) {
                 case getversion: {
                     var stub = GetVersionGrpc.newBlockingStub(channel).withCallCredentials(credentials);
diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/bisq/cli/PasswordCallCredentials.java b/cli/src/main/java/bisq/cli/PasswordCallCredentials.java
index 3a03a8a068..14b451d28f 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/java/bisq/cli/PasswordCallCredentials.java
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/bisq/cli/PasswordCallCredentials.java
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class PasswordCallCredentials extends CallCredentials {
 
     public PasswordCallCredentials(String passwordValue) {
         if (passwordValue == null)
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(format("'%s' header value must not be null", PASSWORD_KEY));
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(format("'%s' value must not be null", PASSWORD_KEY));
         this.passwordValue = passwordValue;
     }
 
diff --git a/cli/test.sh b/cli/test.sh
index d1bac098fa..33d0439d89 100755
--- a/cli/test.sh
+++ b/cli/test.sh
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ echo "========================================================================"
 
 OUTPUT=$(expect -c '
     # exp_internal 1
-    puts "TEST getversion (no pwd error)"
-    set expected "Error: rpc server password not specified"
-    spawn ./bisq-cli getversion
+    puts "TEST missing required password option error"
+    set expected "Error: Missing required option(s) \\\[password\\\]"
+    spawn ./bisq-cli anymethod
     expect {
         $expected { puts "PASS" }
         default {
@@ -118,23 +118,6 @@ OUTPUT=$(expect -c '
 echo "$OUTPUT"
 echo "========================================================================"
 
-OUTPUT=$(expect -c '
-    puts "TEST getbalance (no pwd error)"
-    # exp_internal 1
-    set expected "Error: rpc server password not specified"
-    spawn  ./bisq-cli getbalance
-    expect {
-        $expected { puts "PASS" }
-        default {
-            set results $expect_out(buffer)
-            puts "FAIL expected = $expected"
-            puts "       actual = $results"
-        }
-    }
-')
-echo "$OUTPUT"
-echo "========================================================================"
-
 OUTPUT=$(expect -c '
     puts "TEST getbalance"
     # exp_internal 1