diff --git a/smocore/include/opts.h b/smocore/include/opts.h
index 9bec880..b1988a8 100644
--- a/smocore/include/opts.h
+++ b/smocore/include/opts.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <string>
 #include <getopt.h>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <exception>
 
 // Define a class to hold the options and parse arguments
 class OptionParser
@@ -23,6 +25,14 @@ public:
     }
 
 public:
+    class Exception : public std::exception
+    {
+    public:
+        Exception() = default;
+        ~Exception() override = default;
+        const char* what() const noexcept override = 0;
+    };
+
     std::string argv0;
     std::vector<std::string> senseApiLibPath;
     std::vector<std::string> senseApiLibs;
@@ -33,4 +43,25 @@ public:
     static struct option longOptions[];
 };
 
+class OptionsParserError
+: public std::invalid_argument, public OptionParser::Exception
+{
+public:
+    OptionsParserError(
+        const std::string& errorMessage, const OptionParser& parser);
+
+    const char* what() const noexcept override;
+};
+
+class JustPrintUsageNoError
+: public OptionParser::Exception
+{
+public:
+    explicit JustPrintUsageNoError(const OptionParser& parser);
+    const char* what() const noexcept override;
+
+private:
+    std::string message;
+};
+
 #endif // OPTS_H
diff --git a/smocore/marionette/marionette.cpp b/smocore/marionette/marionette.cpp
index c924f62..277e6ca 100644
--- a/smocore/marionette/marionette.cpp
+++ b/smocore/marionette/marionette.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <marionette/marionette.h>
 #include <salmanoff.h>
 #include <boost/asio/signal_set.hpp>
+#include <typeinfo>
 
 namespace smo {
 
@@ -55,34 +56,15 @@ void ComponentThread::marionetteMain(ComponentThread& self)
 		std::cout << __func__ << ": " << PACKAGE_NAME << " " << PACKAGE_VERSION
 			<< std::endl;
 
-		try {
-			options.parseArguments(
-                crtCommandLineArgs.argc, crtCommandLineArgs.argv,
-                crtCommandLineArgs.envp);
+		options.parseArguments(
+			crtCommandLineArgs.argc, crtCommandLineArgs.argv,
+			crtCommandLineArgs.envp);
 
-            std::cout << __func__ << ": " << options.stringifyOptions()
-				<< std::endl;
-		}
-		catch (const std::invalid_argument& e)
-		{
-			std::cerr << __func__ << ": Exception occurred: " << e.what()
-				<< '\n';
+		std::cout << __func__ << ": " << options.stringifyOptions()
+			<< std::endl;
 
-			options.printUsage = true;
-			mrntt::exitCode = EXIT_FAILURE;
-		}
-
-		if (options.printUsage)
-		{
-			/* We could make RAII guard classes to always shutdown the mind
-			 * threads properly in these pre-event loop situations.
-			 */
-			mind.finalizeReq([]{
-				mrntt::mrntt->getIoService().stop();
-			});
-			self.getIoService().reset();
-			self.getIoService().run();
-			return;
+		if (options.printUsage) {
+			throw JustPrintUsageNoError(options);
 		}
 
 		self.getIoService().post([]()
@@ -130,6 +112,25 @@ void ComponentThread::marionetteMain(ComponentThread& self)
         std::cout << __func__ << ": Exited event loop" << "\n";
 		shutdownSalmanoff();
 	}
+	catch (const OptionParser::Exception& e)
+	{
+		std::ostream &out = std::cout;
+		std::string outUsageMsg;
+
+		if (typeid(e) == typeid(OptionsParserError))
+		{
+			mrntt::exitCode = EXIT_FAILURE;
+			outUsageMsg = std::string(__func__) + ": ";
+		}
+
+		out << outUsageMsg << e.what() << std::endl;
+		mind.finalizeReq([]{
+			mrntt::mrntt->getIoService().stop();
+		});
+		self.getIoService().reset();
+		self.getIoService().run();
+		return;
+	}
 	catch (const std::exception& e)
 	{
 		std::cerr << __func__ << ": Exception occurred: " << e.what()
diff --git a/smocore/opts.cpp b/smocore/opts.cpp
index d849804..eefd500 100644
--- a/smocore/opts.cpp
+++ b/smocore/opts.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <opts.h>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <stdexcept>
+#include <exception>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
@@ -8,6 +9,28 @@
 #include <sstream>
 
 
+OptionsParserError::OptionsParserError(
+    const std::string& errorMessage, const OptionParser& parser
+)
+: std::invalid_argument(errorMessage + "\n" + parser.getUsage())
+{
+}
+
+const char* OptionsParserError::what() const noexcept
+{
+    return std::invalid_argument::what();
+}
+
+JustPrintUsageNoError::JustPrintUsageNoError(const OptionParser& parser)
+: message(parser.getUsage())
+{
+}
+
+const char* JustPrintUsageNoError::what() const noexcept
+{
+    return message.c_str();
+}
+
 struct option OptionParser::longOptions[] = {
     {"devicespec", required_argument, 0, 's'},
     {"spec", required_argument, 0, 's'},
@@ -59,9 +82,9 @@ void OptionParser::parseArguments(int argc, char *argv[], char **envp)
 
             if (stat(optarg, &info) != 0 || !(info.st_mode & S_IFDIR))
             {
-                throw std::invalid_argument(
+                throw OptionsParserError(
                     std::string(__func__) + " - The specified path is not a "
-                    "directory: " + optarg);
+                    "directory: " + optarg, *this);
             }
 
             senseApiLibPath.push_back(optarg);
@@ -71,12 +94,11 @@ void OptionParser::parseArguments(int argc, char *argv[], char **envp)
             verbose = true;
             break;
         case 'h':
-            printUsage = true;
-            return;
+            throw JustPrintUsageNoError(*this);
         case '?':
-            throw std::invalid_argument(
+            throw OptionsParserError(
                 std::string(__func__) + " - Invalid argument encountered: "
-                + std::string(argv[optind - 1]));
+                + std::string(argv[optind - 1]), *this);
         }
     }
 }