diff --git a/src/main/java/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/features/argumentHandler/ArgumentHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/features/argumentHandler/ArgumentHandler.java
index e8526378..ac29525c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/features/argumentHandler/ArgumentHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/features/argumentHandler/ArgumentHandler.java
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public void loadArgProgramPaths(){
         String applicationSourceDirectory = Config.getApplicationSourceDirectoryPathString();
         if(options.isEmpty()){
             // return error when no program is passed
-            throw new PossibleInternalLogicErrorException(Messages.get("ERR005"));
+            throw new CommandLineArgumentException(Messages.get("ERR030"));
         }
         for (OptionKey optionKey : options.keySet()) {
             if (optionKey.shortKey.equals(Constants.PROGRAMS_OPTION) || optionKey.longKey.equals(Constants.PROGRAMS_OPTION)) {
diff --git a/src/main/resources/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/messages/messages.properties b/src/main/resources/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/messages/messages.properties
index c5c2046c..a3597639 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/messages/messages.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/messages/messages.properties
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ ERR027 = ERR027: NumericFields.dataTypeOf() was called with empty fieldName.
 ERR028 = ERR028: NumericFields.setDataTypeOf() was called with empty fieldName.
 ERR029 = ERR029: NumericFields.setDataTypeOf() was called with null dataType.
 
+ERR030 = ERR030: Command line missing program argument.
+
+
 WRN001 = WRN001: No test suite directory for program %1$s was found under directory %2$s.
 WRN002 = WRN002: No test suite files were found under directory %1$s.
 WRN003 = WRN003: DirectoryNameMatcher caught IOException on file %1$s.
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/ArgumentHandlerTest.java b/src/test/java/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/ArgumentHandlerTest.java
index 75f2ef5b..354bcf97 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/ArgumentHandlerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/openmainframeproject/cobolcheck/ArgumentHandlerTest.java
@@ -133,4 +133,15 @@ public void it_throws_when_no_value_is_passed_for_the_last_argument_and_it_requi
         });
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void it_throws_when_program_argument_is_not_present() {
+        Throwable ex = assertThrows(CommandLineArgumentException.class, () -> {
+            ArgumentHandler argumentHandler = new ArgumentHandler(new String[] { },
+                    optionSpec);
+            argumentHandler.loadArgProgramPaths();
+        });
+        assertEquals("ERR030: Command line missing program argument.",
+        ex.getMessage());
+    }
+
 }