diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/activation/switch-to-configuration.pl b/nixos/modules/system/activation/switch-to-configuration.pl
index 8bd450d7343..95308d5da94 100755
--- a/nixos/modules/system/activation/switch-to-configuration.pl
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/activation/switch-to-configuration.pl
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ if ("@localeArchive@" ne "") {
 
 if (!defined($action) || ($action ne "switch" && $action ne "boot" && $action ne "test" && $action ne "dry-activate")) {
     print STDERR <<"EOF";
-Usage: $0 [switch|boot|test]
+Usage: $0 [switch|boot|test|dry-activate]
 
 switch:       make the configuration the boot default and activate now
 boot:         make the configuration the boot default
diff --git a/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix b/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix
index 529a2086420..7be0b4c7d3c 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix
@@ -643,6 +643,11 @@ in {
 
         # test and dry-activate actions are tested further down below
 
+        # invalid action fails the script
+        switch_to_specialisation("${machine}", "", action="broken-action", fail=True)
+        # no action fails the script
+        "Usage:" in machine.fail("${machine}/bin/switch-to-configuration")
+
     with subtest("services"):
         switch_to_specialisation("${machine}", "")
         # Nothing happens when nothing is changed