diff --git a/cmd/felis/migrate.go b/cmd/felis/migrate.go
index 4bf752d..17b21a8 100644
--- a/cmd/felis/migrate.go
+++ b/cmd/felis/migrate.go
@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@ func cmdMigrate(args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) int {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("migrate", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(stderr)
 	cfgPath := fs.String("config", "/etc/felis/felis.toml", "path to felis.toml")
-	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+	// The "up" verb precedes any flags (felis migrate up -config path). Go's
+	// flag.Parse stops at the first non-flag token and would never see a flag
+	// placed after "up", silently falling back to the default -config. Pull the
+	// verb off the front, then parse the remaining flags.
+	if len(args) == 0 || args[0] != "up" {
+		fmt.Fprintln(stderr, "usage: felis migrate up [-config path]")
 		return 2
 	}
-	if fs.Arg(0) != "up" {
-		fmt.Fprintln(stderr, "usage: felis migrate up [-config path]")
+	if err := fs.Parse(args[1:]); err != nil {
 		return 2
 	}