diff --git a/src/processor.cpp b/src/processor.cpp
index fec2b77102f55..0b4f9b1243446 100644
--- a/src/processor.cpp
+++ b/src/processor.cpp
@@ -822,20 +822,24 @@ static inline void check_cmdline(T &&cmdline, bool imaging)
     // sysimg means. Make it an error for now.
     if (!imaging) {
         if (cmdline.size() > 1) {
-            jl_error("More than one command line CPU targets specified "
-                     "without a `--output-` flag specified");
+            jl_safe_printf("More than one command line CPU targets specified "
+                      "without a `--output-` flag specified");
+            exit(1);
         }
         if (cmdline[0].en.flags & JL_TARGET_CLONE_ALL) {
-            jl_error("\"clone_all\" feature specified "
-                     "without a `--output-` flag specified");
+            jl_safe_printf("\"clone_all\" feature specified "
+                      "without a `--output-` flag specified");
+            exit(1);
         }
         if (cmdline[0].en.flags & JL_TARGET_OPTSIZE) {
-            jl_error("\"opt_size\" feature specified "
-                     "without a `--output-` flag specified");
+            jl_safe_printf("\"opt_size\" feature specified "
+                      "without a `--output-` flag specified");
+            exit(1);
         }
         if (cmdline[0].en.flags & JL_TARGET_MINSIZE) {
-            jl_error("\"min_size\" feature specified "
-                     "without a `--output-` flag specified");
+            jl_safe_printf("\"min_size\" feature specified "
+                      "without a `--output-` flag specified");
+            exit(1);
         }
     }
 }