diff --git a/src/options/dir_action.rs b/src/options/dir_action.rs
index 24387ded4c7d08d04368dc22b97a410197866c68..19a370e025c8c145001a8d1f9a1bb4bd802b6433 100644
--- a/src/options/dir_action.rs
+++ b/src/options/dir_action.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ impl DirAction {
         let list    = matches.has(&flags::LIST_DIRS);
         let tree    = matches.has(&flags::TREE);
 
+        // Early check for --level when it wouldn’t do anything
+        if !recurse && !tree && matches.get(&flags::LEVEL).is_some() {
+            return Err(Misfire::Useless2(&flags::LEVEL, &flags::RECURSE, &flags::TREE));
+        }
+
         match (recurse, list, tree) {
 
             // You can't --list-dirs along with --recurse or --tree because
@@ -45,3 +50,56 @@ impl RecurseOptions {
         Ok(RecurseOptions { tree, max_depth })
     }
 }
+
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::ffi::OsString;
+    use options::flags;
+
+    pub fn os(input: &'static str) -> OsString {
+        let mut os = OsString::new();
+        os.push(input);
+        os
+    }
+
+    macro_rules! test {
+        ($name:ident: $type:ident <- $inputs:expr => $result:expr) => {
+            #[test]
+            fn $name() {
+                use options::parser::{parse, Args, Arg};
+                use std::ffi::OsString;
+
+                static TEST_ARGS: &[&Arg] = &[ &flags::RECURSE, &flags::LIST_DIRS, &flags::TREE, &flags::LEVEL ];
+
+                let bits = $inputs.as_ref().into_iter().map(|&o| os(o)).collect::<Vec<OsString>>();
+                let results = parse(&Args(TEST_ARGS), bits.iter());
+                assert_eq!($type::deduce(results.as_ref().unwrap()), $result);
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
+
+    // Default behaviour
+    test!(empty:           DirAction <- []               => Ok(DirAction::List));
+
+    // Listing files as directories
+    test!(dirs_short:      DirAction <- ["-d"]           => Ok(DirAction::AsFile));
+    test!(dirs_long:       DirAction <- ["--list-dirs"]  => Ok(DirAction::AsFile));
+
+    // Recursing
+    test!(rec_short:       DirAction <- ["-R"]                           => Ok(DirAction::Recurse(RecurseOptions { tree: false, max_depth: None })));
+    test!(rec_long:        DirAction <- ["--recurse"]                    => Ok(DirAction::Recurse(RecurseOptions { tree: false, max_depth: None })));
+    test!(rec_lim_short:   DirAction <- ["-RL4"]                         => Ok(DirAction::Recurse(RecurseOptions { tree: false, max_depth: Some(4) })));
+    test!(rec_lim_short_2: DirAction <- ["-RL=5"]                        => Ok(DirAction::Recurse(RecurseOptions { tree: false, max_depth: Some(5) })));
+    test!(rec_lim_long:    DirAction <- ["--recurse", "--level", "666"]  => Ok(DirAction::Recurse(RecurseOptions { tree: false, max_depth: Some(666) })));
+    test!(rec_lim_long_2:  DirAction <- ["--recurse", "--level=0118"]    => Ok(DirAction::Recurse(RecurseOptions { tree: false, max_depth: Some(118) })));
+    test!(rec_tree:        DirAction <- ["--recurse", "--tree"]          => Ok(DirAction::Recurse(RecurseOptions { tree: true,  max_depth: None })));
+    test!(rec_short_tree:  DirAction <- ["--tree", "--recurse"]          => Ok(DirAction::Recurse(RecurseOptions { tree: true,  max_depth: None })));
+
+    // Errors
+    test!(error:           DirAction <- ["--list-dirs", "--recurse"]  => Err(Misfire::Conflict(&flags::RECURSE, &flags::LIST_DIRS)));
+    test!(error_2:         DirAction <- ["--list-dirs", "--tree"]     => Err(Misfire::Conflict(&flags::TREE,    &flags::LIST_DIRS)));
+    test!(underwaterlevel: DirAction <- ["--level=4"]                 => Err(Misfire::Useless2(&flags::LEVEL, &flags::RECURSE, &flags::TREE)));
+}
diff --git a/src/options/flags.rs b/src/options/flags.rs
index 6e4790f6952e297c2fa0f8c182c5074375e54e85..8f24dab79403a096813508b697c22800ab2b3684 100644
--- a/src/options/flags.rs
+++ b/src/options/flags.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ pub static COLOUR_SCALE: Arg = Arg { short: None, long: "colour-scale", takes_va
 // filtering and sorting options
 pub static ALL:         Arg = Arg { short: Some(b'a'), long: "all",         takes_value: TakesValue::Forbidden };
 pub static LIST_DIRS:   Arg = Arg { short: Some(b'd'), long: "list-dirs",   takes_value: TakesValue::Forbidden };
-pub static LEVEL:       Arg = Arg { short: Some(b'L'), long: "level",       takes_value: TakesValue::Forbidden };
+pub static LEVEL:       Arg = Arg { short: Some(b'L'), long: "level",       takes_value: TakesValue::Necessary };
 pub static REVERSE:     Arg = Arg { short: Some(b'r'), long: "reverse",     takes_value: TakesValue::Forbidden };
 pub static SORT:        Arg = Arg { short: Some(b's'), long: "sort",        takes_value: TakesValue::Necessary };
 pub static IGNORE_GLOB: Arg = Arg { short: Some(b'I'), long: "ignore-glob", takes_value: TakesValue::Necessary };
diff --git a/src/options/mod.rs b/src/options/mod.rs
index 1e4d2fb347b35f32071cc47e66b2d2ad5a447544..6e831b0852027262ab1bedb2f75236108db13f46 100644
--- a/src/options/mod.rs
+++ b/src/options/mod.rs
@@ -325,11 +325,4 @@ mod test {
             assert_eq!(opts.unwrap_err(), Misfire::Useless(&flags::EXTENDED, false, &flags::LONG))
         }
     }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn level_without_recurse_or_tree() {
-        let args = [ os("--level"), os("69105") ];
-        let opts = Options::getopts(&args);
-        assert_eq!(opts.unwrap_err(), Misfire::Useless2(&flags::LEVEL, &flags::RECURSE, &flags::TREE))
-    }
 }