diff --git a/src/cli.js b/src/cli.js
index 4926ecb..d0f26d8 100644
--- a/src/cli.js
+++ b/src/cli.js
@@ -54,22 +54,24 @@ function parseArgs(argv) {
   };
   for (let i = 0; i < argv.length; i++) {
     const a = argv[i];
-    if (a === '--scene') {
-      const value = argv[++i];
+    if (a === '--scene' || a.startsWith('--scene=')) {
+      const inline = a.startsWith('--scene=');
+      const value = inline ? a.slice('--scene='.length) : argv[++i];
       if (!value || value.startsWith('-')) {
         opts.errors.push('--scene requires a scene name');
-        if (value && value.startsWith('-')) i--;
+        if (!inline && value && value.startsWith('-')) i--;
       } else {
         const scenes = value.split(',').filter(Boolean);
         if (scenes.length) opts.scenes.push(...scenes);
         else opts.errors.push('--scene requires a scene name');
       }
     }
-    else if (a === '--config') {
-      const value = argv[++i];
+    else if (a === '--config' || a.startsWith('--config=')) {
+      const inline = a.startsWith('--config=');
+      const value = inline ? a.slice('--config='.length) : argv[++i];
       if (!value || value.startsWith('-')) {
         opts.errors.push('--config requires a config path');
-        if (value && value.startsWith('-')) i--;
+        if (!inline && value && value.startsWith('-')) i--;
       } else {
         opts.config = value;
       }
diff --git a/test/cli.test.js b/test/cli.test.js
index 856e520..a7795d8 100644
--- a/test/cli.test.js
+++ b/test/cli.test.js
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 const fs = require('fs');
 const os = require('os');
 const path = require('path');
+const { spawnSync } = require('child_process');
 const { parseArgs, resolveConfigPath, USAGE } = require('../src/cli');
 
+const BIN = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', 'bin', 'shotkit.js');
+
 describe('parseArgs', () => {
   test('defaults', () => {
     expect(parseArgs([])).toMatchObject({ scenes: [], errors: [], json: false, noVideo: false, help: false, path: null });
@@ -17,11 +20,14 @@ describe('parseArgs', () => {
 
   test('--scene accepts comma lists and repeats', () => {
     expect(parseArgs(['--scene', 'a,b', '--scene', 'c']).scenes).toEqual(['a', 'b', 'c']);
+    expect(parseArgs(['--scene=a,b']).scenes).toEqual(['a', 'b']);
   });
 
   test('usage errors are explicit for missing values and unknown options', () => {
     expect(parseArgs(['--scene']).errors).toEqual(['--scene requires a scene name']);
+    expect(parseArgs(['--scene=']).errors).toEqual(['--scene requires a scene name']);
     expect(parseArgs(['--config', '--json']).errors).toEqual(['--config requires a config path']);
+    expect(parseArgs(['--config=']).errors).toEqual(['--config requires a config path']);
     expect(parseArgs(['--wat']).errors).toEqual(['unknown option: --wat']);
   });
 
@@ -29,6 +35,10 @@ describe('parseArgs', () => {
     const o = parseArgs(['--config', 'x.js', 'repo']);
     expect(o.config).toBe('x.js');
     expect(o.path).toBe('repo');
+
+    const inline = parseArgs(['--config=x.js', 'repo']);
+    expect(inline.config).toBe('x.js');
+    expect(inline.path).toBe('repo');
   });
 
   test('only one positional path is accepted', () => {
@@ -43,6 +53,45 @@ describe('parseArgs', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('shotkit CLI usage errors', () => {
+  function run(args) {
+    return spawnSync(process.execPath, [BIN, ...args], {
+      cwd: os.tmpdir(),
+      encoding: 'utf8',
+    });
+  }
+
+  test('unknown flags and flag typos fail before config resolution', () => {
+    const res = run(['--no-buid']);
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(2);
+    expect(res.stdout).toBe('');
+    expect(res.stderr).toContain('unknown option: --no-buid');
+    expect(res.stderr).toContain('Usage: shotkit');
+  });
+
+  test('missing option values fail with usage code 2', () => {
+    const res = run(['--scene']);
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(2);
+    expect(res.stdout).toBe('');
+    expect(res.stderr).toContain('--scene requires a scene name');
+    expect(res.stderr).toContain('Usage: shotkit');
+  });
+
+  test('--json usage errors keep stdout empty and write JSON to stderr', () => {
+    const res = run(['--config', '--json']);
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(2);
+    expect(res.stdout).toBe('');
+    expect(JSON.parse(res.stderr)).toEqual({
+      ok: false,
+      error: '--config requires a config path',
+      code: 2,
+    });
+  });
+});
+
 describe('resolveConfigPath', () => {
   test('prefers shotkit.config.js, falls back to store.config.js, else null', () => {
     const dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'sk-cli-'));