diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 25016941c..49b44fbe7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 ## v19.01: (Upcoming Release)
 
+### event framework
+
+For `spdk_app_parse_args`, add return value to the callback which parses application
+specific command line parameters to protect SPDK applications from crashing by invalid
+values from user input.
+
 ### environment
 
 A new public header file env_dpdk.h has been introduced, and function spdk_env_dpdk_post_init
diff --git a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
index 9f23437ef..b81e91895 100644
--- a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
+++ b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ spdk_startup(void *arg1, void *arg2)
 	}
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 iscsi_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
 	switch (ch) {
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ iscsi_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 		assert(false);
 		break;
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
index cc057f9cc..62b6df2d9 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
@@ -41,9 +41,10 @@ nvmf_usage(void)
 {
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 nvmf_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/app/spdk_tgt/spdk_tgt.c b/app/spdk_tgt/spdk_tgt.c
index 1c93f58a8..515c7f8cf 100644
--- a/app/spdk_tgt/spdk_tgt.c
+++ b/app/spdk_tgt/spdk_tgt.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ spdk_tgt_save_pid(const char *pid_path)
 }
 
 
-static void
+static int
 spdk_tgt_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
 	switch (ch) {
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ spdk_tgt_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 		break;
 #endif
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/app/vhost/vhost.c b/app/vhost/vhost.c
index 838211b08..1271e5682 100644
--- a/app/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/app/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ save_pid(const char *pid_path)
 	fclose(pid_file);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 vhost_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
 	switch (ch) {
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ vhost_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 		spdk_vhost_set_socket_path(arg);
 		break;
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/examples/bdev/hello_world/hello_bdev.c b/examples/bdev/hello_world/hello_bdev.c
index cc65b0514..7278226d4 100644
--- a/examples/bdev/hello_world/hello_bdev.c
+++ b/examples/bdev/hello_world/hello_bdev.c
@@ -67,13 +67,14 @@ hello_bdev_usage(void)
 /*
  * This function is called to parse the parameters that are specific to this application
  */
-static void hello_bdev_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
+static int hello_bdev_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
 	switch (ch) {
 	case 'b':
 		g_bdev_name = arg;
 		break;
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/examples/sock/hello_world/hello_sock.c b/examples/sock/hello_world/hello_sock.c
index f2e6ec6aa..246cb7e96 100644
--- a/examples/sock/hello_world/hello_sock.c
+++ b/examples/sock/hello_world/hello_sock.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ hello_sock_usage(void)
 /*
  * This function is called to parse the parameters that are specific to this application
  */
-static void hello_sock_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
+static int hello_sock_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
 	switch (ch) {
 	case 'H':
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ static void hello_sock_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 	case 'V':
 		g_verbose = true;
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/include/spdk/event.h b/include/spdk/event.h
index e65f4485c..88caefc30 100644
--- a/include/spdk/event.h
+++ b/include/spdk/event.h
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ typedef enum spdk_app_parse_args_rvals spdk_app_parse_args_rvals_t;
  */
 spdk_app_parse_args_rvals_t spdk_app_parse_args(int argc, char **argv,
 		struct spdk_app_opts *opts, const char *getopt_str,
-		struct option *app_long_opts, void (*parse)(int ch, char *arg),
+		struct option *app_long_opts, int (*parse)(int ch, char *arg),
 		void (*usage)(void));
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/event/app.c b/lib/event/app.c
index 9817eb7b8..e68cb6389 100644
--- a/lib/event/app.c
+++ b/lib/event/app.c
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ usage(void (*app_usage)(void))
 spdk_app_parse_args_rvals_t
 spdk_app_parse_args(int argc, char **argv, struct spdk_app_opts *opts,
 		    const char *app_getopt_str, struct option *app_long_opts,
-		    void (*app_parse)(int ch, char *arg),
+		    int (*app_parse)(int ch, char *arg),
 		    void (*app_usage)(void))
 {
 	int ch, rc, opt_idx, global_long_opts_len, app_long_opts_len;
@@ -992,7 +992,11 @@ spdk_app_parse_args(int argc, char **argv, struct spdk_app_opts *opts,
 			usage(app_usage);
 			goto out;
 		default:
-			app_parse(ch, optarg);
+			rc = app_parse(ch, optarg);
+			if (rc) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "Parsing application specific arguments failed: %d\n", rc);
+				goto out;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/app/bdev_svc/bdev_svc.c b/test/app/bdev_svc/bdev_svc.c
index 2db96d6b3..8844f03f8 100644
--- a/test/app/bdev_svc/bdev_svc.c
+++ b/test/app/bdev_svc/bdev_svc.c
@@ -44,9 +44,10 @@ bdev_svc_usage(void)
 {
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 bdev_svc_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio.c b/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio.c
index c139b6f29..8cb959a2f 100644
--- a/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio.c
+++ b/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio.c
@@ -944,9 +944,10 @@ bdevio_usage(void)
 {
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 bdevio_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c b/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c
index f6523afa4..3c31eac9c 100644
--- a/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c
+++ b/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ spdk_bdevperf_shutdown_cb(void)
 	}
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 bdevperf_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
 	switch (ch) {
@@ -853,6 +853,7 @@ bdevperf_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 						    g_show_performance_period_in_usec);
 		break;
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/test/blobfs/mkfs/mkfs.c b/test/blobfs/mkfs/mkfs.c
index e618ef0d3..7d65ad393 100644
--- a/test/blobfs/mkfs/mkfs.c
+++ b/test/blobfs/mkfs/mkfs.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ mkfs_usage(void)
 	printf(" -C <size>                 cluster size\n");
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 mkfs_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 {
 	bool has_prefix;
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ mkfs_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 	default:
 		break;
 	}
-
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/event/app.c/app_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/event/app.c/app_ut.c
index c745c2e26..5b420aedd 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/event/app.c/app_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/event/app.c/app_ut.c
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ unittest_usage(void)
 {
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 unittest_parse_args(int ch, char *arg)
 {
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void