@@ -683,11 +683,11 @@
   (if (and *configdat* 
 	   (or (args:get-arg "-run")
 	       (args:get-arg "-runtests")
 	       (args:get-arg "-execute")))
       (let* ((linktree (get-environment-variable "MT_LINKTREE"))
-	     (target   (common:args-get-target))
+	     (target   (common:args-get-target exit-if-bad: #t))
 	     (runname  (or (args:get-arg "-runname")
 			   (args:get-arg ":runname")
 			   (getenv "MT_RUNNAME")))
 	     (fulldir  (conc linktree "/"
 			     target "/"
@@ -740,11 +740,11 @@
 	res)))
 
 (define (launch:setup-body #!key (force #f) (areapath #f))
   (let* ((toppath  (or *toppath* areapath (getenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))) ;; preserve toppath
 	 (runname  (common:args-get-runname))
-	 (target   (common:args-get-target))
+	 (target   (common:args-get-target exit-if-bad: #t))
 	 (linktree (common:get-linktree))
 	 (contour  (args:get-arg "-contour"))
 	 (sections (if target (list "default" target) #f)) ;; for runconfigs
 	 (mtconfig (or (args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config")) ;; allow overriding megatest.config 
 	 (rundir   (if (and runname target linktree)(conc linktree (if contour (conc "/" contour) "") "/" target "/" runname) #f))