diff --git a/internal/cli/config/init.go b/internal/cli/config/init.go
index cbec792..7ab3076 100644
--- a/internal/cli/config/init.go
+++ b/internal/cli/config/init.go
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ func commandInit() *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			// Flags and arguments are valid from here on, so errors are runtime
+			// failures: report them without cobra's usage text.
+			cmd.SilenceUsage = true
+
 			cfgFile, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("config")
 			if cfgFile != "" {
 				// Use config file from the flag.
diff --git a/internal/cli/options.go b/internal/cli/options.go
index bed4813..1242d5b 100644
--- a/internal/cli/options.go
+++ b/internal/cli/options.go
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ func (o *Options) Bind(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 func (o *Options) RunSetup(
 	cmd *cobra.Command, loadConfig bool, terminalLog bool,
 ) (*config.JobSearchConfig, error) {
+	// Flags and arguments are valid from here on, so errors are runtime
+	// failures: report them without cobra's usage text.
+	cmd.SilenceUsage = true
+
 	// Check for debug level or quiet supression via args
 	conf := &config.JobSearchConfig{
 		Logging: config.JobSearchConfigLogging{},
diff --git a/internal/cli/version/command.go b/internal/cli/version/command.go
index 1f5e45f..9fc743c 100644
--- a/internal/cli/version/command.go
+++ b/internal/cli/version/command.go
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ import (
 
 func NewCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "version",
-		Short: "Print version information",
+		Use:          "version",
+		Short:        "Print version information",
+		SilenceUsage: true,
 		PersistentPreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			slog.Debug("version.PersistentPreRun")
 		},