diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java
index 3b85870a7018..0bab4fdf4900 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ public boolean consume(ArgumentQueue args) {
                     nativeImage.addPlainImageBuilderArg(nativeImage.oHClass + mainClassModuleArgParts[1]);
                 }
                 nativeImage.addPlainImageBuilderArg(nativeImage.oHModule + mainClassModuleArgParts[0]);
+                nativeImage.setModuleOptionMode(true);
                 return true;
             case "--configurations-path":
                 args.poll();
diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java
index 7ae4dc4c6bc0..4ca83a4705b4 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ private static <T> String oR(OptionKey<T> option) {
     private boolean diagnostics = false;
     String diagnosticsDir;
     private boolean jarOptionMode = false;
+    private boolean moduleOptionMode = false;
     private boolean dryRun = false;
     private String printFlagsOptionQuery = null;
     private String printFlagsWithExtraHelpOptionQuery = null;
@@ -1177,7 +1178,7 @@ private int completeImageBuild() {
                         String moduleMsg = USE_NI_JPMS ? " (or <module>/<mainclass>)" : "";
                         showError("Please specify class" + moduleMsg + " containing the main entry point method. (see --help)");
                     }
-                } else {
+                } else if (!moduleOptionMode) {
                     /* extraImageArgs main-class overrules previous main-class specification */
                     explicitMainClass = true;
                     mainClass = extraImageArgs.remove(0);
@@ -1783,6 +1784,10 @@ void setJarOptionMode(boolean val) {
         jarOptionMode = val;
     }
 
+    void setModuleOptionMode(boolean val) {
+        moduleOptionMode = val;
+    }
+
     boolean isVerbose() {
         return verbose;
     }
diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.hosted/src/com/oracle/svm/hosted/NativeImageGeneratorRunner.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.hosted/src/com/oracle/svm/hosted/NativeImageGeneratorRunner.java
index 781251aae9ae..585d1f138bc0 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.hosted/src/com/oracle/svm/hosted/NativeImageGeneratorRunner.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.hosted/src/com/oracle/svm/hosted/NativeImageGeneratorRunner.java
@@ -338,6 +338,9 @@ private int buildImage(String[] arguments, ImageClassLoader classLoader) {
                                         .orElseThrow(() -> UserError.abort("module %s does not have a ModuleMainClass attribute, use -m <module>/<main-class>", moduleName));
                     }
                     mainClass = classLoader.forName(className, mainModule);
+                    if (mainClass == null) {
+                        throw UserError.abort("Main entry point class '%s' not found.", className);
+                    }
                 } catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
                     throw UserError.abort("Main entry point class '%s' not found.", className);
                 }