diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 75086ca3..1fb45a7a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ DIALECT_NEUTRAL_TESTS = tests/case-00-hello.bash \
 	tests/case-20-exit-status.bash \
 	tests/case-20-fd-only-inclusion.bash \
 	tests/case-20-handle-missing-files.bash \
+	tests/case-20-soft-errors.bash \
 	tests/case-20-offset-field.bash \
 	tests/case-20-repeat-count.bash \
 	tests/case-21-exit-Q-status.bash \
diff --git a/lib/common.h b/lib/common.h
index 9db3c54f..1be025ab 100644
--- a/lib/common.h
+++ b/lib/common.h
@@ -590,6 +590,13 @@ enum ExitStatus {
 #    define LSOF_SEARCH_FAILURE                                                \
         (FsearchErr ? LSOF_EXIT_ERROR : LSOF_EXIT_SUCCESS)
 
+/*
+ * Argument helper results: 0 = success, 1 = hard error,
+ * SOFT_ERR = warning-level failure.  Hard errors take precedence
+ * when combining results.
+ */
+enum { SOFT_ERR = 2 };
+
 /*
  * Structure definitions
  */
diff --git a/src/arg.c b/src/arg.c
index 9bb09b9f..e47977b2 100644
--- a/src/arg.c
+++ b/src/arg.c
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ int enter_efsys(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
             (void)fprintf(stderr,
                           "%s: -e not followed by a file system path: \"%s\"\n",
                           Pn, e);
-        return (1);
+        return (SOFT_ERR);
     }
     if (!(ec = mkstrcpy(e, (MALLOC_S *)NULL))) {
         (void)fprintf(stderr, "%s: no space for -e string: ", Pn);
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ int enter_efsys(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
     else {
         if (!(path = Readlink(ctx, ec))) {
             (void)free((FREE_P *)ec);
-            return (1);
+            return (SOFT_ERR);
         }
         if (Readlink_op == ec)
             Readlink_op = (char *)NULL;
@@ -653,6 +653,7 @@ int enter_fd(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
 {
     char c, *cp1, *cp2, *dash;
     int err, excl, hi, lo;
+    int result, soft_err = 0;
     char *fc;
     /*
      *  Check for non-empty list and make a copy.
@@ -693,11 +694,17 @@ int enter_fd(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
                 if (ckfd_range(ctx, cp1, dash, cp2, &lo, &hi))
                     err = 1;
                 else {
-                    if (enter_fd_lst(ctx, (char *)NULL, lo, hi, excl))
+                    result = enter_fd_lst(ctx, (char *)NULL, lo, hi, excl);
+                    if (result == SOFT_ERR)
+                        soft_err = 1;
+                    else if (result)
                         err = 1;
                 }
             } else {
-                if (enter_fd_lst(ctx, cp1, 0, 0, excl))
+                result = enter_fd_lst(ctx, cp1, 0, 0, excl);
+                if (result == SOFT_ERR)
+                    soft_err = 1;
+                else if (result)
                     err = 1;
             }
         }
@@ -706,7 +713,7 @@ int enter_fd(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
         cp1 = cp2 + 1;
     }
     (void)free((FREE_P *)fc);
-    return (err);
+    return (err ? 1 : (soft_err ? SOFT_ERR : 0));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -749,7 +756,7 @@ static int enter_fd_lst(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
                               excl ? "exclude" : "include",
                               FdlTy ? "exclude" : "include", buf);
             }
-            return (1);
+            return (SOFT_ERR);
         }
     }
     /*
@@ -884,10 +891,10 @@ int enter_dir(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
         if (!Fwarn)
             (void)fprintf(stderr, "%s: +d not followed by a directory path\n",
                           Pn);
-        return (1);
+        return (SOFT_ERR);
     }
     if (!(dn = Readlink(ctx, d)))
-        return (1);
+        return (SOFT_ERR);
     if (statsafely(ctx, dn, &sb)) {
         if (!Fwarn) {
             en = errno;
@@ -899,7 +906,7 @@ int enter_dir(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
             (void)free((FREE_P *)dn);
             dn = (char *)NULL;
         }
-        return (1);
+        return (SOFT_ERR);
     }
     if ((sb.st_mode & S_IFMT) != S_IFDIR) {
         if (!Fwarn) {
@@ -910,7 +917,7 @@ int enter_dir(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
             (void)free((FREE_P *)dn);
             dn = (char *)NULL;
         }
-        return (1);
+        return (SOFT_ERR);
     }
 
 #if defined(HASSPECDEVD)
@@ -1135,7 +1142,7 @@ int enter_dir(struct lsof_context *ctx, /* context */
                           "%s: WARNING: no files found in directory: ", Pn);
             safestrprt(d, stderr, 1);
         }
-        return (1);
+        return (SOFT_ERR);
     }
     return (0);
 }
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 4946bc89..a7a9dcb9 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -107,8 +107,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     enum ExitStatus rv;
     int gopt_rv;
     int ad, c, i, n, se1, se2, ss;
+    int arg_result;
     char *cp;
     int err = 0;
+    int soft_err = 0;
     enum ExitStatus ev = LSOF_EXIT_SUCCESS;
     int fh = 0;
     char *fmtr = (char *)NULL;
@@ -355,20 +357,29 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 #endif /* defined(HASNCACHE) */
         case 'd':
             if (GOp == '+') {
-                if (enter_dir(ctx, GOv, 0))
+                arg_result = enter_dir(ctx, GOv, 0);
+                if (arg_result == SOFT_ERR)
+                    soft_err = 1;
+                else if (arg_result)
                     err = 1;
                 else {
                     Selflags |= SELNM;
                     xover = 1;
                 }
             } else {
-                if (enter_fd(ctx, GOv))
+                arg_result = enter_fd(ctx, GOv);
+                if (arg_result == SOFT_ERR)
+                    soft_err = 1;
+                else if (arg_result)
                     err = 1;
             }
             break;
         case 'D':
             if (GOp == '+') {
-                if (enter_dir(ctx, GOv, 1))
+                arg_result = enter_dir(ctx, GOv, 1);
+                if (arg_result == SOFT_ERR)
+                    soft_err = 1;
+                else if (arg_result)
                     err = 1;
                 else {
                     Selflags |= SELNM;
@@ -388,7 +399,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
 #if defined(HASEOPT)
         case 'e':
-            if (enter_efsys(ctx, GOv, ((GOp == '+') ? 1 : 0)))
+            arg_result = enter_efsys(ctx, GOv, ((GOp == '+') ? 1 : 0));
+            if (arg_result == SOFT_ERR)
+                soft_err = 1;
+            else if (arg_result)
                 err = 1;
             break;
 #endif /* defined(HASEOPT) */
@@ -1181,8 +1195,19 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
             select_default_fields();
     }
 
+    /*
+     * Preserve usage output for unsuppressed soft failures.
+     * Hard errors and explicit help requests always reach usage().
+     */
+    if (soft_err && !Fwarn)
+        err = 1;
     if (DChelp || err || Fhelp || fh || version)
         usage(ctx, err ? 1 : 0, fh, version);
+    /*
+     * Suppressing warnings does not make the failed argument valid.
+     */
+    if (soft_err)
+        Error(ctx);
     /*
      * Reduce the size of Suid[], if necessary.
      */
diff --git a/tests/case-20-soft-errors.bash b/tests/case-20-soft-errors.bash
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..0fd6ea25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/case-20-soft-errors.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Warning-level argument failures must not hide unrelated usage errors.
+source tests/common.bash
+
+work=$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/lsof-soft-errors.XXXXXX") || exit 1
+trap 'rm -rf "$work"' EXIT
+touch "$work/file" || exit 1
+missing=$work/missing
+
+check_output() {
+    local expected=$1
+    shift
+    local output status expected_status=1
+    [[ $expected == help ]] && expected_status=0
+    output=$("$lsof" "$@" 2>&1)
+    status=$?
+    if [[ $status -ne $expected_status ]]; then
+        echo "unexpected exit status $status: $*"
+        return 1
+    fi
+    case $expected in
+        quiet)
+            [[ -z $output ]] && return 0
+            ;;
+        warning)
+            [[ $output == *WARNING:* && $output == *usage:* ]] && return 0
+            ;;
+        diagnostic)
+            [[ $output == *WARNING:* && $output != *usage:* ]] && return 0
+            ;;
+        usage|help)
+            [[ $output == *usage:* ]] && return 0
+            ;;
+    esac
+    echo "expected $expected output: $*"
+    echo "$output"
+    return 1
+}
+
+{
+    for option in +d +D; do
+        for path in "$missing" "$work/file"; do
+            check_output warning "$option" "$path" || exit 1
+            for flag in -w -t; do
+                check_output quiet "$flag" "$option" "$path" || exit 1
+                # A later flag suppresses usage, not an already printed warning.
+                check_output diagnostic "$option" "$path" "$flag" || exit 1
+                # Illegal FD ranges are portable hard argument errors.
+                check_output usage "$flag" -d 3-1 "$option" "$path" || exit 1
+                check_output usage "$flag" "$option" "$path" -d 3-1 || exit 1
+                check_output help "$flag" "$option" "$path" -h || exit 1
+            done
+        done
+    done
+    check_output quiet -w +d "$missing" +D "$missing" || exit 1
+    check_output usage -w +D "$missing" +w || exit 1
+    # Preserve soft results through enter_fd(), including range entries.
+    for list in '0,^1' '0,^1-2'; do
+        check_output quiet -w -d "$list" || exit 1
+        check_output usage -d "$list" || exit 1
+    done
+    # Hard errors must win in either order within one FD list.
+    check_output usage -w -d '0,^1,3-1' || exit 1
+    check_output usage -w -d '0,3-1,^1' || exit 1
+    echo "soft-error argument tests passed"
+} > "$report" 2>&1