diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index 7c0976444..de9750ddc 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ Options:
   -h, --help             display help for command
 
 $ extra --drink huge
-error: option '-d, --drink <size>' argument of 'huge' not in allowed choices: small, medium, large
+error: option '-d, --drink <size>' argument 'huge' is invalid. Allowed choices are small, medium, large.
 ```
 
 ### Custom option processing
@@ -319,8 +319,12 @@ Example file: [options-custom-processing.js](./examples/options-custom-processin
 
 ```js
 function myParseInt(value, dummyPrevious) {
-  // parseInt takes a string and an optional radix
-  return parseInt(value);
+  // parseInt takes a string and a radix
+  const parsedValue = parseInt(value, 10);
+  if (isNaN(parsedValue)) {
+    throw new commander.InvalidOptionArgumentError('Not a number.');
+  }
+  return parsedValue;
 }
 
 function increaseVerbosity(dummyValue, previous) {
diff --git a/examples/options-custom-processing.js b/examples/options-custom-processing.js
index e9d44fa28..5a44ba1b8 100755
--- a/examples/options-custom-processing.js
+++ b/examples/options-custom-processing.js
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 // [ 'a', 'b', 'c' ]
 // $ custom --list x,y,z
 // [ 'x', 'y', 'z' ]
+// $ custom --integer oops
+// error: option '-i, --integer <number>' argument 'oops' is invalid. Not a number.
 
 // const commander = require('commander'); // (normal include)
 const commander = require('../'); // include commander in git clone of commander repo
@@ -23,7 +25,11 @@ const program = new commander.Command();
 
 function myParseInt(value, dummyPrevious) {
   // parseInt takes a string and a radix
-  return parseInt(value, 10);
+  const parsedValue = parseInt(value, 10);
+  if (isNaN(parsedValue)) {
+    throw new commander.InvalidOptionArgumentError('Not a number.');
+  }
+  return parsedValue;
 }
 
 function increaseVerbosity(dummyValue, previous) {
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 5817acaac..47a1c0a9b 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -422,16 +422,6 @@ class Option {
     return this;
   };
 
-  /**
-   * Validation of option argument failed.
-   * Intended for use from custom argument processing functions.
-   *
-   * @param {string} message
-   */
-  argumentRejected(message) {
-    throw new CommanderError(1, 'commander.optionArgumentRejected', message);
-  }
-
   /**
    * Only allow option value to be one of choices.
    *
@@ -443,7 +433,7 @@ class Option {
     this.argChoices = values;
     this.parseArg = (arg) => {
       if (!values.includes(arg)) {
-        this.argumentRejected(`error: option '${this.flags}' argument of '${arg}' not in allowed choices: ${values.join(', ')}`);
+        throw new InvalidOptionArgumentError(`Allowed choices are ${values.join(', ')}.`);
       }
       return arg;
     };
@@ -511,6 +501,24 @@ class CommanderError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * InvalidOptionArgumentError class
+ * @class
+ */
+class InvalidOptionArgumentError extends CommanderError {
+  /**
+   * Constructs the InvalidOptionArgumentError class
+   * @param {string} [message] explanation of why argument is invalid
+   * @constructor
+   */
+  constructor(message) {
+    super(1, 'commander.invalidOptionArgument', message);
+    // properly capture stack trace in Node.js
+    Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor);
+    this.name = this.constructor.name;
+  }
+}
+
 class Command extends EventEmitter {
   /**
    * Initialize a new `Command`.
@@ -1002,8 +1010,9 @@ Read more on https://git.io/JJc0W`);
         try {
           val = option.parseArg(val, oldValue === undefined ? defaultValue : oldValue);
         } catch (err) {
-          if (err.code === 'commander.optionArgumentRejected') {
-            this._displayError(err.exitCode, err.code, err.message);
+          if (err.code === 'commander.invalidOptionArgument') {
+            const message = `error: option '${option.flags}' argument '${val}' is invalid. ${err.message}`;
+            this._displayError(err.exitCode, err.code, message);
           }
           throw err;
         }
@@ -2040,6 +2049,7 @@ exports.program = exports; // More explicit access to global command.
 exports.Command = Command;
 exports.Option = Option;
 exports.CommanderError = CommanderError;
+exports.InvalidOptionArgumentError = InvalidOptionArgumentError;
 exports.Help = Help;
 
 /**
diff --git a/tests/command.exitOverride.test.js b/tests/command.exitOverride.test.js
index f542a5d81..40ab1783f 100644
--- a/tests/command.exitOverride.test.js
+++ b/tests/command.exitOverride.test.js
@@ -218,6 +218,26 @@ describe('.exitOverride and error details', () => {
       caughtErr = err;
     }
 
-    expectCommanderError(caughtErr, 1, 'commander.optionArgumentRejected', `error: option '${optionFlags}' argument of 'green' not in allowed choices: red, blue`);
+    expectCommanderError(caughtErr, 1, 'commander.invalidOptionArgument', "error: option '--colour <shade>' argument 'green' is invalid. Allowed choices are red, blue.");
+  });
+
+  test('when custom processing throws InvalidOptionArgumentError then throw CommanderError', () => {
+    function justSayNo(value) {
+      throw new commander.InvalidOptionArgumentError('NO');
+    }
+    const optionFlags = '--colour <shade>';
+    const program = new commander.Command();
+    program
+      .exitOverride()
+      .option(optionFlags, 'specify shade', justSayNo);
+
+    let caughtErr;
+    try {
+      program.parse(['--colour', 'green'], { from: 'user' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      caughtErr = err;
+    }
+
+    expectCommanderError(caughtErr, 1, 'commander.invalidOptionArgument', "error: option '--colour <shade>' argument 'green' is invalid. NO");
   });
 });
diff --git a/typings/commander-tests.ts b/typings/commander-tests.ts
index d90474179..b9a967163 100644
--- a/typings/commander-tests.ts
+++ b/typings/commander-tests.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ const commandInstance1 = new commander.Command();
 const commandInstance2 = new commander.Command('name');
 const optionsInstance = new commander.Option('-f');
 const errorInstance = new commander.CommanderError(1, 'code', 'message');
+const invalidOptionErrorInstance = new commander.InvalidOptionArgumentError('message');
 
 // Command properties
 console.log(programWithOptions.someOption);
diff --git a/typings/index.d.ts b/typings/index.d.ts
index e921ffbb1..0eb6300af 100644
--- a/typings/index.d.ts
+++ b/typings/index.d.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ declare namespace commander {
   }
   type CommanderErrorConstructor = new (exitCode: number, code: string, message: string) => CommanderError;
 
+  interface InvalidOptionArgumentError extends CommanderError {
+  }
+  type InvalidOptionArgumentErrorConstructor = new (message: string) => InvalidOptionArgumentError;
+
   interface Option {
     flags: string;
     description: string;
@@ -578,6 +582,7 @@ declare namespace commander {
     Command: CommandConstructor;
     Option: OptionConstructor;
     CommanderError: CommanderErrorConstructor;
+    InvalidOptionArgumentError: InvalidOptionArgumentErrorConstructor;
     Help: HelpConstructor;
   }