diff --git a/tools/vsh.c b/tools/vsh.c
index a4235905dc..96d6a5c238 100644
--- a/tools/vsh.c
+++ b/tools/vsh.c
@@ -244,11 +244,13 @@ static int disconnected; /* we may have been disconnected */
 static int
 vshCmddefCheckInternals(vshControl *ctl,
                         const vshCmdDef *cmd,
-                        bool missingCompleters)
+                        bool missingCompleters,
+                        int brokenPositionals)
 {
     size_t i;
     bool seenOptionalOption = false;
     g_auto(virBuffer) complbuf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
+    g_auto(virBuffer) posbuf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
 
     /* in order to perform the validation resolve the alias first */
     if (cmd->alias) {
@@ -325,6 +327,28 @@ vshCmddefCheckInternals(vshControl *ctl,
             }
         }
 
+        if (brokenPositionals >= 0) {
+            switch (opt->type) {
+            case VSH_OT_INT:
+            case VSH_OT_STRING:
+            case VSH_OT_ARGV:
+                if (brokenPositionals == 0 ||
+                    brokenPositionals == opt->type) {
+                    if (!(opt->flags & VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT) && !opt->positional)
+                        virBufferStrcat(&posbuf, opt->name, ", ", NULL);
+                }
+                break;
+
+            case VSH_OT_BOOL:
+                /* only name is completed */
+                /* no point in completing numbers */
+            case VSH_OT_ALIAS:
+                /* alias is handled in the referenced command */
+            case VSH_OT_NONE:
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
         /* require that positional non-argv options are required */
         if (opt->positional && !opt->required && opt->type != VSH_OT_ARGV) {
             vshError(ctl, "positional argument '%s' of command '%s' must be required",
@@ -427,10 +451,15 @@ vshCmddefCheckInternals(vshControl *ctl,
     }
 
     virBufferTrim(&complbuf, ", ");
+    virBufferTrim(&posbuf, ", ");
 
     if (missingCompleters && virBufferUse(&complbuf) > 0)
         vshPrintExtra(ctl, "%s: %s\n", cmd->name, virBufferCurrentContent(&complbuf));
 
+    if (virBufferUse(&posbuf)) {
+        vshPrintExtra(ctl, "%s: %s\n", cmd->name, virBufferCurrentContent(&posbuf));
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -3336,6 +3365,11 @@ const vshCmdOptDef opts_selftest[] = {
      .type = VSH_OT_BOOL,
      .help = N_("output help for each command")
     },
+    {.name = "broken-positionals",
+     .type = VSH_OT_INT,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
+     .help = N_("debug positional args")
+    },
     {.name = NULL}
 };
 const vshCmdInfo info_selftest = {
@@ -3350,6 +3384,9 @@ cmdSelfTest(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     const vshCmdDef *def;
     bool completers = vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "completers-missing");
     bool dumphelp = vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "dump-help");
+    int brokenPositionals = -1;
+
+    ignore_value(vshCommandOptInt(ctl, cmd, "broken-positionals", &brokenPositionals));
 
     for (grp = cmdGroups; grp->name; grp++) {
         for (def = grp->commands; def->name; def++) {
@@ -3357,7 +3394,7 @@ cmdSelfTest(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
             if (dumphelp && !def->alias)
                 vshCmddefHelp(def);
 
-            if (vshCmddefCheckInternals(ctl, def, completers) < 0)
+            if (vshCmddefCheckInternals(ctl, def, completers, brokenPositionals) < 0)
                 return false;
         }
     }