diff --git a/src/cli/cli.ts b/src/cli/cli.ts
index 85e61179ae..fe2795499c 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/cli.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export const GLOBAL_OPTIONS = {
   }),
   env: new EnvironmentOption(),
   loglevel: new ChoicesParameter({
-    alias: "log",
+    alias: "l",
     choices: enumToArray(LogLevel),
     help: "Set logger level.",
     defaultValue: LogLevel[LogLevel.info],
@@ -300,6 +300,11 @@ export class GardenCli {
 }
 
 export async function run(): Promise<void> {
-  const cli = new GardenCli()
-  return cli.parse().then(result => shutdown(result.code))
+  try {
+    const cli = new GardenCli()
+    return cli.parse().then(result => shutdown(result.code))
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.log(err)
+    shutdown(1)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/cli/helpers.ts b/src/cli/helpers.ts
index 8743a1edcd..bcff60e7c6 100644
--- a/src/cli/helpers.ts
+++ b/src/cli/helpers.ts
@@ -88,8 +88,14 @@ export function falsifyConflictingParams(argv, params: ParameterValues<any>): Fa
 }
 
 // Sywac specific transformers and helpers
-export function getOptionSynopsis(key: string, param: Parameter<any>): string {
-  return param.alias ? `-${param.alias}, --${key}` : `--${key}`
+export function getOptionSynopsis(key: string, { alias }: Parameter<any>): string {
+  if (alias && alias.length > 1) {
+    throw new InternalError("Option aliases can only be a single character", {
+      optionName: key,
+      alias,
+    })
+  }
+  return alias ? `-${alias}, --${key}` : `--${key}`
 }
 
 export function getArgSynopsis(key: string, param: Parameter<any>) {