diff --git a/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/jvm/K2JVMCompiler.kt b/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/jvm/K2JVMCompiler.kt
index 714ad14133f..7ec20ed2304 100644
--- a/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/jvm/K2JVMCompiler.kt
+++ b/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/jvm/K2JVMCompiler.kt
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.javac.JavacWrapper
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.JvmAbi
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.kotlin.incremental.components.IncrementalCompilationComponents
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.script.KotlinScriptDefinitionFromAnnotatedTemplate
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.script.KotlinScriptDefinitionProvider
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.script.StandardScriptDefinition
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.util.PerformanceCounter
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.utils.KotlinPaths
@@ -88,14 +89,7 @@ class K2JVMCompiler : CLICompiler<K2JVMCompilerArguments>() {
             return INTERNAL_ERROR
         }
 
-        if (arguments.script) {
-            if (arguments.freeArgs.isEmpty()) {
-                messageCollector.report(ERROR, "Specify script source path to evaluate")
-                return COMPILATION_ERROR
-            }
-            configuration.addKotlinSourceRoot(arguments.freeArgs[0])
-        }
-        else if (arguments.module == null) {
+        if (!arguments.script && arguments.module == null) {
             for (arg in arguments.freeArgs) {
                 val file = File(arg)
                 if (file.extension == JavaFileType.DEFAULT_EXTENSION) {
@@ -116,6 +110,10 @@ class K2JVMCompiler : CLICompiler<K2JVMCompilerArguments>() {
         configuration.put(CommonConfigurationKeys.MODULE_NAME, arguments.moduleName ?: JvmAbi.DEFAULT_MODULE_NAME)
 
         if (arguments.module == null && arguments.freeArgs.isEmpty() && !arguments.version) {
+            if (arguments.script) {
+                messageCollector.report(ERROR, "Specify script source path to evaluate")
+                return COMPILATION_ERROR
+            }
             ReplFromTerminal.run(rootDisposable, configuration)
             return ExitCode.OK
         }
@@ -174,13 +172,26 @@ class K2JVMCompiler : CLICompiler<K2JVMCompilerArguments>() {
                 KotlinToJVMBytecodeCompiler.compileModules(environment, directory)
             }
             else if (arguments.script) {
-                val scriptArgs = arguments.freeArgs.subList(1, arguments.freeArgs.size)
+                val sourcePath = arguments.freeArgs.first()
+                configuration.addKotlinSourceRoot(sourcePath)
 
                 configuration.put(JVMConfigurationKeys.RETAIN_OUTPUT_IN_MEMORY, true)
 
                 val environment = createEnvironmentWithScriptingSupport(rootDisposable, configuration, arguments, messageCollector)
                                   ?: return COMPILATION_ERROR
 
+                val scriptDefinitionProvider = KotlinScriptDefinitionProvider.getInstance(environment.project)!!
+                val scriptFile = File(sourcePath)
+                if (scriptFile.isDirectory || !scriptDefinitionProvider.isScript(scriptFile)) {
+                    val extensionHint =
+                            if (configuration.get(JVMConfigurationKeys.SCRIPT_DEFINITIONS) == listOf(StandardScriptDefinition)) " (.kts)"
+                            else ""
+                    messageCollector.report(ERROR, "Specify path to the script file$extensionHint as the first argument")
+                    return COMPILATION_ERROR
+                }
+
+                val scriptArgs = arguments.freeArgs.subList(1, arguments.freeArgs.size)
+
                 return KotlinToJVMBytecodeCompiler.compileAndExecuteScript(environment, paths, scriptArgs)
             }
             else {
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithDirectory.args b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithDirectory.args
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c9258d4d60a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithDirectory.args
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+-script
+$TESTDATA_DIR$/wrongAbiVersionLib
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithDirectory.out b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithDirectory.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..820f313eee6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithDirectory.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+error: specify path to the script file (.kts) as the first argument
+COMPILATION_ERROR
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithKtSource.args b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithKtSource.args
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..03f5356817c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithKtSource.args
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+-script
+$TESTDATA_DIR$/simple.kt
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithKtSource.out b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithKtSource.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..820f313eee6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithKtSource.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+error: specify path to the script file (.kts) as the first argument
+COMPILATION_ERROR
diff --git a/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/CliTestGenerated.java b/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/CliTestGenerated.java
index 46de7c0904f..9988fb6f2d3 100644
--- a/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/CliTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/CliTestGenerated.java
@@ -416,6 +416,18 @@ public class CliTestGenerated extends AbstractCliTest {
             doJvmTest(fileName);
         }
 
+        @TestMetadata("wrongScriptWithDirectory.args")
+        public void testWrongScriptWithDirectory() throws Exception {
+            String fileName = KotlinTestUtils.navigationMetadata("compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithDirectory.args");
+            doJvmTest(fileName);
+        }
+
+        @TestMetadata("wrongScriptWithKtSource.args")
+        public void testWrongScriptWithKtSource() throws Exception {
+            String fileName = KotlinTestUtils.navigationMetadata("compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithKtSource.args");
+            doJvmTest(fileName);
+        }
+
         @TestMetadata("wrongScriptWithNoSource.args")
         public void testWrongScriptWithNoSource() throws Exception {
             String fileName = KotlinTestUtils.navigationMetadata("compiler/testData/cli/jvm/wrongScriptWithNoSource.args");