diff --git a/scripts/check-release-metadata-only.mjs b/scripts/check-release-metadata-only.mjs
index 57e6ac3e7f7a..a068d8b10d93 100644
--- a/scripts/check-release-metadata-only.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check-release-metadata-only.mjs
@@ -29,23 +29,28 @@ function readRefOptionValue(argv, index, optionName) {
 }
 
 export function parseArgs(argv) {
+  const separatorIndex = argv.indexOf("--");
+  const flagArgv = separatorIndex === -1 ? argv : argv.slice(0, separatorIndex);
+  const explicitPaths =
+    separatorIndex === -1 ? [] : argv.slice(separatorIndex + 1).map(normalizePath);
   const args = { staged: false, base: "origin/main", head: "HEAD", paths: [] };
-  for (let index = 0; index < argv.length; index += 1) {
-    const arg = argv[index];
-    if (arg === "--") {
-      continue;
-    } else if (arg === "--staged") {
+  for (let index = 0; index < flagArgv.length; index += 1) {
+    const arg = flagArgv[index];
+    if (arg === "--staged") {
       args.staged = true;
     } else if (arg === "--base") {
-      args.base = readRefOptionValue(argv, index, arg);
+      args.base = readRefOptionValue(flagArgv, index, arg);
       index += 1;
     } else if (arg === "--head") {
-      args.head = readRefOptionValue(argv, index, arg);
+      args.head = readRefOptionValue(flagArgv, index, arg);
       index += 1;
+    } else if (arg.startsWith("-")) {
+      throw new Error(`Unknown option: ${arg}`);
     } else {
       args.paths.push(normalizePath(arg));
     }
   }
+  args.paths.push(...explicitPaths);
   return args;
 }
 
@@ -164,5 +169,10 @@ export function main(argv = process.argv.slice(2)) {
 }
 
 if (process.argv[1] && path.resolve(process.argv[1]) === path.resolve(import.meta.filename)) {
-  main();
+  try {
+    main();
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error));
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/scripts/check-release-metadata-only.test.ts b/test/scripts/check-release-metadata-only.test.ts
index 021ed12d1b0e..cc6daa50f562 100644
--- a/test/scripts/check-release-metadata-only.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/check-release-metadata-only.test.ts
@@ -25,4 +25,17 @@ describe("check-release-metadata-only", () => {
     expect(() => parseArgs(["--head"])).toThrow("Expected --head <ref>.");
     expect(() => parseArgs(["--base", ""])).toThrow("Expected --base <ref>.");
   });
+
+  it("rejects unknown options before treating args as paths", () => {
+    expect(() => parseArgs(["--stgaed"])).toThrow("Unknown option: --stgaed");
+  });
+
+  it("preserves option-shaped paths after the separator", () => {
+    expect(parseArgs(["--staged", "--", "--head"])).toEqual({
+      staged: true,
+      base: "origin/main",
+      head: "HEAD",
+      paths: ["--head"],
+    });
+  });
 });