diff --git a/internal/cli/admin.go b/internal/cli/admin.go
index 804d220..b0c7f0e 100644
--- a/internal/cli/admin.go
+++ b/internal/cli/admin.go
@@ -330,7 +330,19 @@ func runWhitelist(args []string, role store.Role, out, errOut io.Writer) int {
 		return 2
 	}
 	dir := store.Direction(args[0])
+	if dir != store.DirIn && dir != store.DirOut {
+		fmt.Fprintf(errOut, "whitelist direction must be \"in\" or \"out\", got %q\n", args[0])
+		fmt.Fprintln(errOut, "usage: emcli whitelist <in|out> <add|remove|list> [flags]")
+		return 2
+	}
 	sub, rest := args[1], args[2:]
+	switch sub {
+	case "add", "remove", "list": // valid
+	default:
+		fmt.Fprintf(errOut, "unknown whitelist subcommand %q (want add|remove|list)\n", sub)
+		fmt.Fprintln(errOut, "usage: emcli whitelist <in|out> <add|remove|list> [flags]")
+		return 2
+	}
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("whitelist", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(errOut)
 	account := fs.String("account", "", "account name")
@@ -371,9 +383,6 @@ func runWhitelist(args []string, role store.Role, out, errOut io.Writer) int {
 		for _, a := range addrs {
 			fmt.Fprintln(out, a)
 		}
-	default:
-		fmt.Fprintf(errOut, "unknown whitelist subcommand %q\n", sub)
-		return 2
 	}
 	return 0
 }
diff --git a/internal/cli/admin_test.go b/internal/cli/admin_test.go
index 415751e..e836c36 100644
--- a/internal/cli/admin_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/admin_test.go
@@ -110,6 +110,51 @@ func TestAccountEditPartialPreservesOtherFields(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A missing direction (e.g. `whitelist list`) must report the real problem —
+// the in|out direction — not the misleading "--account is required".
+func TestWhitelistMissingDirectionReported(t *testing.T) {
+	adminEnv(t)
+	code, _, errOut := run(t, "whitelist", "list", "--account", "bobby")
+	if code == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("missing direction must be a usage error")
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(errOut, "--account is required") {
+		t.Fatalf("misleading error; want a direction complaint, got: %q", errOut)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(errOut, "in") || !strings.Contains(errOut, "out") {
+		t.Fatalf("error should name the in|out direction, got: %q", errOut)
+	}
+}
+
+// A missing subcommand (e.g. `whitelist out --account x`) must report the real
+// problem — the add|remove|list subcommand — not "--account is required".
+func TestWhitelistMissingSubcommandReported(t *testing.T) {
+	adminEnv(t)
+	code, _, errOut := run(t, "whitelist", "out", "--account", "bobby")
+	if code == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("missing subcommand must be a usage error")
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(errOut, "--account is required") {
+		t.Fatalf("misleading error; want a subcommand complaint, got: %q", errOut)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(errOut, "add") || !strings.Contains(errOut, "list") {
+		t.Fatalf("error should name the add|remove|list subcommand, got: %q", errOut)
+	}
+}
+
+// The happy path still works after the direction/subcommand validation.
+func TestWhitelistListWorks(t *testing.T) {
+	adminEnv(t)
+	run(t, "account", "add", "--name", "bobby", "--imap-host", "h", "--username", "u@x.com")
+	if code, _, e := run(t, "whitelist", "out", "add", "--account", "bobby", "--address", "@x.com"); code != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("add failed: %s", e)
+	}
+	code, out, _ := run(t, "whitelist", "out", "list", "--account", "bobby")
+	if code != 0 || !strings.Contains(out, "@x.com") {
+		t.Fatalf("list: code=%d out=%q", code, out)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAuditListCoreRenders(t *testing.T) {
 	st, err := store.Open(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "e.db"))
 	if err != nil {