diff --git a/tools/virsh-domain.c b/tools/virsh-domain.c
index 4d798902b53da407ae4dc078fffb7f04232a0378..b7e7606013ec16c8affe65663196e59cf30af24e 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-domain.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-domain.c
@@ -7116,10 +7116,8 @@ cmdIOThreadPin(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     if (vshCommandOptUInt(ctl, cmd, "iothread", &iothread_id) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (vshCommandOptString(ctl, cmd, "cpulist", &cpulist) < 0) {
-        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("iothreadpin: invalid cpulist."));
+    if (vshCommandOptStringReq(ctl, cmd, "cpulist", &cpulist) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
-    }
 
     if ((maxcpu = virshNodeGetCPUCount(priv->conn)) < 0)
         goto cleanup;