diff --git a/src/command_validate.cc b/src/command_validate.cc
index dde0fa04..634b2178 100644
--- a/src/command_validate.cc
+++ b/src/command_validate.cc
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ auto intelligence::jsonschema::cli::validate(
 
   const auto schema{sourcemeta::jsontoolkit::from_file(schema_path)};
 
-  if (options.contains("m") || options.contains("metaschema")) {
+  if (options.contains("m") || options.contains("metaschema") ||
+      options.at("").size() < 2) {
     const auto metaschema_template{sourcemeta::jsontoolkit::compile(
         sourcemeta::jsontoolkit::metaschema(schema, custom_resolver),
         sourcemeta::jsontoolkit::default_schema_walker, custom_resolver,
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 9b2dd753..90bf2666 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ add_jsonschema_test_unix(validate_non_supported)
 add_jsonschema_test_unix(validate_pass_with_metaschema)
 add_jsonschema_test_unix(validate_pass_only_metaschema)
 add_jsonschema_test_unix(validate_fail_only_metaschema)
+add_jsonschema_test_unix(validate_fail_only_metaschema_without_option)
 add_jsonschema_test_unix(bundle_non_remote)
 add_jsonschema_test_unix(bundle_remote_single_schema)
 add_jsonschema_test_unix(bundle_remote_no_http)
diff --git a/test/validate_fail_only_metaschema_without_option.sh b/test/validate_fail_only_metaschema_without_option.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..279e829d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/validate_fail_only_metaschema_without_option.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o nounset
+
+TMP="$(mktemp -d)"
+clean() { rm -rf "$TMP"; }
+trap clean EXIT
+
+cat << 'EOF' > "$TMP/schema.json"
+{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",
+  "properties": {
+    "foo": {
+      "type": 1
+    }
+  }
+}
+EOF
+
+"$1" validate "$TMP/schema.json" && CODE="$?" || CODE="$?"
+
+if [ "$CODE" = "0" ]
+then
+  echo "FAIL" 1>&2
+  exit 1
+else
+  echo "PASS" 1>&2
+fi