diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index b9ed0374e30..910f4c912bf 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -1243,6 +1243,7 @@ static int parse_and_validate_options(int argc, const char *argv[],
 				      struct wt_status *s)
 {
 	int f = 0;
+	char * f_options[4];
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, options, usage, 0);
 	finalize_deferred_config(s);
@@ -1251,7 +1252,7 @@ static int parse_and_validate_options(int argc, const char *argv[],
 		force_author = find_author_by_nickname(force_author);
 
 	if (force_author && renew_authorship)
-		die(_("Using both --reset-author and --author does not make sense"));
+		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--reset-author", "--author");
 
 	if (logfile || have_option_m || use_message)
 		use_editor = 0;
@@ -1268,19 +1269,19 @@ static int parse_and_validate_options(int argc, const char *argv[],
 			die(_("You are in the middle of a rebase -- cannot amend."));
 	}
 	if (fixup_message && squash_message)
-		die(_("Options --squash and --fixup cannot be used together"));
-	if (use_message)
-		f++;
-	if (edit_message)
-		f++;
-	if (fixup_message)
-		f++;
-	if (logfile)
-		f++;
+		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--squash", "--fixup");
+	f_options[f] = "-C";
+	f+=	!!use_message;
+	f_options[f] = "-c";
+	f+=!!edit_message;
+	f_options[f] = "-F";
+	f+=!!logfile;
+	f_options[f] = "--fixup";
+	f+=!!fixup_message;
 	if (f > 1)
-		die(_("Only one of -c/-C/-F/--fixup can be used."));
+		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), f_options[0], f_options[1]);
 	if (have_option_m && (edit_message || use_message || logfile))
-		die((_("Option -m cannot be combined with -c/-C/-F.")));
+		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), "-m", f_options[0]);
 	if (f || have_option_m)
 		template_file = NULL;
 	if (edit_message)
@@ -1305,9 +1306,17 @@ static int parse_and_validate_options(int argc, const char *argv[],
 
 	if (patch_interactive)
 		interactive = 1;
-
-	if (also + only + all + interactive > 1)
-		die(_("Only one of --include/--only/--all/--interactive/--patch can be used."));
+	f = 0;
+	f_options[f] = "-i/--include";
+	f += also;
+	f_options[f] = "-o/--only";
+	f += only;
+	f_options[f] = "-a/--all";
+	f += all;
+	f_options[f] = "--interactive/-p/--patch";
+	f += interactive;
+	if (f > 1)
+		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), f_options[0], f_options[1]);
 
 	if (fixup_message) {
 		/*
diff --git a/builtin/difftool.c b/builtin/difftool.c
index c79fbbf67e5..92854bc7737 100644
--- a/builtin/difftool.c
+++ b/builtin/difftool.c
@@ -685,6 +685,8 @@ int cmd_difftool(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	int use_gui_tool = 0, dir_diff = 0, prompt = -1, symlinks = 0,
 	    tool_help = 0, no_index = 0;
 	static char *difftool_cmd = NULL, *extcmd = NULL;
+	int f = 0;
+	char *f_options[3];
 	struct option builtin_difftool_options[] = {
 		OPT_BOOL('g', "gui", &use_gui_tool,
 			 N_("use `diff.guitool` instead of `diff.tool`")),
@@ -732,8 +734,20 @@ int cmd_difftool(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	} else if (dir_diff)
 		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--dir-diff", "--no-index");
 
-	if (use_gui_tool + !!difftool_cmd + !!extcmd > 1)
-		die(_("options '%s', '%s', and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--gui", "--tool", "--extcmd");
+	if (use_gui_tool) {
+		f_options[f] = "--gui";
+		f++;
+	}
+	if (difftool_cmd) {
+		f_options[f] = "--tool";
+		f++;
+	}
+	if (extcmd) {
+		f_options[f] = "--extcmd";
+		f++;
+	}
+	if (f > 1)
+		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), f_options[0], f_options[1]);
 
 	if (use_gui_tool)
 		setenv("GIT_MERGETOOL_GUI", "true", 1);
diff --git a/builtin/grep.c b/builtin/grep.c
index 9e34a820ad4..b199781cb27 100644
--- a/builtin/grep.c
+++ b/builtin/grep.c
@@ -1168,10 +1168,10 @@ int cmd_grep(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		setup_pager();
 
 	if (!use_index && (untracked || cached))
-		die(_("--cached or --untracked cannot be used with --no-index"));
+		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),"--cached/--untracked", "--no-index");
 
 	if (untracked && cached)
-		die(_("--untracked cannot be used with --cached"));
+		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--untracked", "--cached");
 
 	if (!use_index || untracked) {
 		int use_exclude = (opt_exclude < 0) ? use_index : !!opt_exclude;
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 4b493408cc5..59b4a2fd380 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -1759,6 +1759,9 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct strbuf rdiff_title = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int creation_factor = -1;
 
+	int f = 0;
+	char * f_options[4];
+
 	const struct option builtin_format_patch_options[] = {
 		OPT_CALLBACK_F('n', "numbered", &numbered, NULL,
 			    N_("use [PATCH n/m] even with a single patch"),
@@ -1978,8 +1981,21 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (rev.show_notes)
 		load_display_notes(&rev.notes_opt);
 
-	if (use_stdout + rev.diffopt.close_file + !!output_directory > 1)
-		die(_("options '%s', '%s', and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--stdout", "--output", "--output-directory");
+	if (use_stdout) {
+		f_options[f] = "--stdout";
+		f++;
+	}
+	if (rev.diffopt.close_file) {
+		f_options[f] = "--output";
+		f++;
+	}
+	if (output_directory) {
+		f_options[f] = "--output-directory";
+		f++;
+	}
+
+	if (f > 1)
+		die(_("options '%s'and '%s' cannot be used together"), f_options[0], f_options[1]);
 
 	if (use_stdout) {
 		setup_pager();
diff --git a/builtin/merge-base.c b/builtin/merge-base.c
index 6719ac198dc..1447f1c493a 100644
--- a/builtin/merge-base.c
+++ b/builtin/merge-base.c
@@ -159,12 +159,12 @@ int cmd_merge_base(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		if (argc < 2)
 			usage_with_options(merge_base_usage, options);
 		if (show_all)
-			die("--is-ancestor cannot be used with --all");
+			die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),"--is-ancestor", "--all");
 		return handle_is_ancestor(argc, argv);
 	}
 
 	if (cmdmode == 'r' && show_all)
-		die("--independent cannot be used with --all");
+		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),"--independent", "--all");
 
 	if (cmdmode == 'o')
 		return handle_octopus(argc, argv, show_all);
diff --git a/t/t7500-commit-template-squash-signoff.sh b/t/t7500-commit-template-squash-signoff.sh
index 91964653a0b..5fcaa0b4f2a 100755
--- a/t/t7500-commit-template-squash-signoff.sh
+++ b/t/t7500-commit-template-squash-signoff.sh
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ test_expect_success '--fixup=reword: give error with pathsec' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success '--fixup=reword: -F give error message' '
-	echo "fatal: Only one of -c/-C/-F/--fixup can be used." >expect &&
+	echo "fatal: options '\''-F'\'' and '\''--fixup'\'' cannot be used together" >expect &&
 	test_must_fail git commit --fixup=reword:HEAD~ -F msg  2>actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
