diff --git a/cli/app/secret.go b/cli/app/secret.go
index 84fe728c7..2855befa8 100644
--- a/cli/app/secret.go
+++ b/cli/app/secret.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"strconv"
 
 	abraFormatter "coopcloud.tech/abra/cli/formatter"
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 var allSecrets bool
 var allSecretsFlag = &cli.BoolFlag{
 	Name:        "all",
+	Aliases:     []string{"A"},
 	Value:       false,
 	Destination: &allSecrets,
 	Usage:       "Generate all secrets",
@@ -33,8 +35,14 @@ var appSecretGenerateCommand = &cli.Command{
 	Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
 		app := internal.ValidateApp(c)
 
+		if c.Args().Len() == 1 && !allSecrets {
+			err := errors.New("missing arguments <secret>/<version> or '--all'")
+			internal.ShowSubcommandHelpAndError(c, err)
+		}
+
 		if c.Args().Get(1) != "" && allSecrets {
-			internal.ShowSubcommandHelpAndError(c, errors.New("cannot use '<secret> <version>' and '--all' together"))
+			err := errors.New("cannot use '<secret> <version>' and '--all' together")
+			internal.ShowSubcommandHelpAndError(c, err)
 		}
 
 		secretsToCreate := make(map[string]string)
@@ -44,12 +52,16 @@ var appSecretGenerateCommand = &cli.Command{
 		} else {
 			secretName := c.Args().Get(1)
 			secretVersion := c.Args().Get(2)
+			matches := false
 			for sec := range secretEnvVars {
 				parsed := secret.ParseSecretEnvVarName(sec)
 				if secretName == parsed {
 					secretsToCreate[sec] = secretVersion
 				}
 			}
+			if !matches {
+				logrus.Fatalf("'%s' doesn't exist in the env config?", secretName)
+			}
 		}
 
 		secretVals, err := secret.GenerateSecrets(secretsToCreate, app.StackName(), app.Server)
@@ -65,13 +77,18 @@ var appSecretGenerateCommand = &cli.Command{
 			}
 		}
 
+		if len(secretVals) == 0 {
+			logrus.Warn("no secrets generated")
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+
 		tableCol := []string{"Name", "Value"}
 		table := abraFormatter.CreateTable(tableCol)
 		for name, val := range secretVals {
 			table.Append([]string{name, val})
 		}
 		table.Render()
-		logrus.Warn("Warning, these secrets will not be shown again, please take note of them *now*")
+		logrus.Warn("these secrets are not shown again, please take note of them *now*")
 
 		return nil
 	},