diff --git a/src/bindings/python/test/event.py b/src/bindings/python/test/event.py
index 10221f750b2c..7f682098d169 100755
--- a/src/bindings/python/test/event.py
+++ b/src/bindings/python/test/event.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ def test_t1_0_sub(self):
 
     def test_t1_1_unsub(self):
         """Unsubscribe from an event"""
+        self.assertGreaterEqual(self.f.event_subscribe("testevent.1"), 0)
         self.assertGreaterEqual(self.f.event_unsubscribe("testevent.1"), 0)
 
     def test_full_event(self):
diff --git a/src/cmd/flux-event.c b/src/cmd/flux-event.c
index 1bb55e8653b5..4a831f202352 100644
--- a/src/cmd/flux-event.c
+++ b/src/cmd/flux-event.c
@@ -209,8 +209,9 @@ static int event_sub (optparse_t *p, int argc, char **argv)
     }
     /* FIXME: add SIGINT handler to exit above loop and clean up.
      */
-    if (argc > 1)
-        unsubscribe_all (h, argc - 1, argv + 1);
+    n = optparse_option_index (p);
+    if (n < argc)
+        unsubscribe_all (h, argc - n, argv + n);
     else if (flux_event_unsubscribe (h, "") < 0)
         log_err_exit ("flux_event_subscribe");
     return (0);
diff --git a/src/connectors/local/local.c b/src/connectors/local/local.c
index 7b41a1480175..0b6783213e42 100644
--- a/src/connectors/local/local.c
+++ b/src/connectors/local/local.c
@@ -124,13 +124,15 @@ static flux_msg_t *op_recv (void *impl, int flags)
 static int op_event (void *impl, const char *topic, const char *msg_topic)
 {
     local_ctx_t *c = impl;
+    flux_rpc_t *rpc;
+    int rc = -1;
+
     assert (c->magic == CTX_MAGIC);
-    flux_rpc_t *rpc = NULL;
-    int rc = 0;
 
     if (!(rpc = flux_rpcf (c->h, msg_topic, FLUX_NODEID_ANY, 0,
-                           "{s:s}", "topic", topic))
-                || flux_rpc_get (rpc, NULL) < 0)
+                           "{s:s}", "topic", topic)))
+        goto done;
+    if (flux_rpc_get (rpc, NULL) < 0)
         goto done;
     rc = 0;
 done:
diff --git a/src/modules/connector-local/local.c b/src/modules/connector-local/local.c
index 8622bfa45513..a5e4361536d0 100644
--- a/src/modules/connector-local/local.c
+++ b/src/modules/connector-local/local.c
@@ -318,8 +318,10 @@ static int client_unsubscribe (client_t *c, const char *topic)
     subscription_t *sub;
     int rc = -1;
 
-    if (!(sub = zhash_lookup (c->subscriptions, topic)))
+    if (!(sub = zhash_lookup (c->subscriptions, topic))) {
+        errno = ENOENT;
         goto done;
+    }
     if (--sub->usecount == 0) {
         zhash_delete (c->subscriptions, topic);
         //flux_log (c->ctx->h, LOG_DEBUG, "%s: %s", __FUNCTION__, topic);
diff --git a/t/lua/t0003-events.t b/t/lua/t0003-events.t
index 4837ccd5b069..7147d88b72c5 100755
--- a/t/lua/t0003-events.t
+++ b/t/lua/t0003-events.t
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env lua
 --
---  Basic flux reactor testing using ping interface to kvs
+--  Basic flux event testing
 --
 local test = require 'fluxometer'.init (...)
 test:start_session {}
 
 local fmt = string.format
 
-plan (20)
+plan (22)
 
 local flux = require_ok ('flux')
 local f, err = flux.new()
@@ -15,11 +15,16 @@ type_ok (f, 'userdata', "create new flux handle")
 is (err, nil, "error is nil")
 
 local rc, err = f:subscribe ("testevent.")
-isnt (rc, -1, "subscribe: return code >= 0")
+isnt (rc, nil, "subscribe: return code != nil")
 is (err, nil, "subscribe: error is nil")
 
+local rc, err = f:unsubscribe ("notmytopic")
+is (rc, nil, "unsubscribe: return code == nil")
+is (err, "No such file or directory",
+    "unsubscribe: error is No such file or directory")
+
 local rc, err = f:sendevent ({ test = "xxx" }, "testevent.1")
-isnt (rc, -1, "sendevent: return code >= 0")
+isnt (rc, nil, "sendevent: return code != nil")
 is (err, nil, "sendevent: error is nil")
 
 local msg, tag = f:recv_event ()
@@ -30,7 +35,7 @@ is (msg.test, "xxx", "recv_event: got payload intact")
 
 -- sendevent takes string.format args...
 local rc, err = f:sendevent ({ test = "yyy"}, "testevent.%d", 2)
-isnt (rc, -1, "sendevent: return code >= 0")
+isnt (rc, nil, "sendevent: return code != nil")
 is (err, nil, "sendevent: error is nil")
 
 local msg, tag = f:recv_event ()
@@ -41,7 +46,7 @@ is (msg.test, "yyy", "recv_event: got payload intact")
 
 -- sendevent with empty payload...
 local rc, err = f:sendevent ("testevent.%d", 2)
-isnt (rc, -1, "sendevent: return code >= 0")
+isnt (rc, nil, "sendevent: return code != nil")
 is (err, nil, "sendevent: error is nil")
 
 local msg, tag = f:recv_event ()