diff --git a/tools/virsh-backup.c b/tools/virsh-backup.c
index db122abc09..1bb2c63113 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-backup.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-backup.c
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_backup_dumpxml[] = {
     VIRSH_COMMON_OPT_DOMAIN_FULL(VIR_CONNECT_LIST_DOMAINS_ACTIVE),
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-checkpoint.c b/tools/virsh-checkpoint.c
index a7ef39849d..9605c893af 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-checkpoint.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-checkpoint.c
@@ -854,6 +854,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_checkpoint_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-domain.c b/tools/virsh-domain.c
index da63cc95ff..76d12d2b70 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-domain.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-domain.c
@@ -4529,6 +4529,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_save_image_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
@@ -4961,6 +4962,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_managed_save_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
@@ -10469,6 +10471,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-interface.c b/tools/virsh-interface.c
index b29ffc9bef..39ea53ec9d 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-interface.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-interface.c
@@ -472,6 +472,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_interface_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-network.c b/tools/virsh-network.c
index 99ced6ccc6..004719dad6 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-network.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-network.c
@@ -351,6 +351,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_network_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
@@ -1556,6 +1557,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_network_port_dumpxml[] = {
     VIRSH_COMMON_OPT_NETWORK_PORT(0),
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-nodedev.c b/tools/virsh-nodedev.c
index 37e361c701..2adcad9c10 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-nodedev.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-nodedev.c
@@ -567,6 +567,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_node_device_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-nwfilter.c b/tools/virsh-nwfilter.c
index ff7f6f4026..d4112c8620 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-nwfilter.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-nwfilter.c
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_nwfilter_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
@@ -610,6 +611,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_nwfilter_binding_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-pool.c b/tools/virsh-pool.c
index 820a61f889..8a98c6ae40 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-pool.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-pool.c
@@ -777,6 +777,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_pool_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-secret.c b/tools/virsh-secret.c
index 79fa3faf5a..17d2bbd88d 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-secret.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-secret.c
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_secret_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-snapshot.c b/tools/virsh-snapshot.c
index 83fdfb9616..8fa64ba903 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-snapshot.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-snapshot.c
@@ -1609,6 +1609,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_snapshot_dumpxml[] = {
     },
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-volume.c b/tools/virsh-volume.c
index bf72d8135f..300a0aa8e5 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-volume.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-volume.c
@@ -1161,6 +1161,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_vol_dumpxml[] = {
     VIRSH_COMMON_OPT_POOL_OPTIONAL,
     {.name = "xpath",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .flags = VSH_OFLAG_REQ_OPT,
      .completer = virshCompleteEmpty,
      .help = N_("xpath expression to filter the XML document")
     },