diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommand.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommand.java
index 508a03d0e..0885cf461 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommand.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommand.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ public class SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommand extends MutatingCommand {
 
   @Parameter(
       names = "--transition_id",
+      required = true,
       description = "Transition id string for the schedule being updated")
   private TransitionId transitionId;
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommandTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommandTest.java
index 9e847c314..b52a465ba 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommandTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommandTest.java
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ import static google.registry.model.ofy.ObjectifyService.ofy;
 import static google.registry.persistence.transaction.TransactionManagerFactory.ofyTm;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatabaseHelper.persistResource;
 import static google.registry.util.DateTimeUtils.START_OF_TIME;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
 
+import com.beust.jcommander.ParameterException;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSortedMap;
 import com.googlecode.objectify.Key;
 import google.registry.model.common.DatabaseTransitionSchedule;
@@ -45,6 +47,15 @@ public class SetDatabaseTransitionScheduleCommandTest
     fakeClock.setTo(DateTime.parse("2020-12-01T00:00:00Z"));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void testFailure_noTransitionId() throws Exception {
+    ParameterException thrown =
+        assertThrows(
+            ParameterException.class,
+            () -> runCommandForced("--transition_schedule=2021-04-14T00:00:00.000Z=DATASTORE"));
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("--transition_id");
+  }
+
   @Test
   void testSuccess_currentScheduleIsEmpty() throws Exception {
     assertThat(ofy().load().key(key).now()).isNull();