diff --git a/client/cliparser/argtable3.c b/client/cliparser/argtable3.c
index 3acbce48e..b8644dd86 100644
--- a/client/cliparser/argtable3.c
+++ b/client/cliparser/argtable3.c
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ const char *optarg;     /* argument associated with option */
 #define BADARG          ((*options == ':') ? (int)':' : (int)'?')
 #define INORDER         (int)1
 
-#define EMSG            ""
+#define EMSG            " "
 
 static int getopt_internal(int, char *const *, const char *,
                            const struct option *, int *, int);