diff --git a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/utils/auth/tokens/TokensCliUtils.java b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/utils/auth/tokens/TokensCliUtils.java
index c089fa09953d4..47364bc68bdb4 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/utils/auth/tokens/TokensCliUtils.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/utils/auth/tokens/TokensCliUtils.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import com.beust.jcommander.IUsageFormatter;
 import com.beust.jcommander.JCommander;
 import com.beust.jcommander.Parameter;
+import com.beust.jcommander.ParameterException;
 import com.beust.jcommander.Parameters;
 import com.google.common.base.Charsets;
 import io.jsonwebtoken.Claims;
@@ -155,8 +156,13 @@ public void run() throws Exception {
 
             Optional<Date> optExpiryTime = Optional.empty();
             if (expiryTime != null) {
-                long relativeTimeMillis = TimeUnit.SECONDS
-                        .toMillis(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(expiryTime));
+                long relativeTimeMillis;
+                try {
+                    relativeTimeMillis = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(
+                            RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(expiryTime));
+                } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                    throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+                }
                 optExpiryTime = Optional.of(new Date(System.currentTimeMillis() + relativeTimeMillis));
             }
 
diff --git a/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdNamespaces.java b/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdNamespaces.java
index 3d73ae9cc1792..e87e753cde48d 100644
--- a/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdNamespaces.java
+++ b/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdNamespaces.java
@@ -720,7 +720,12 @@ private class SetRetention extends CliCommand {
         void run() throws PulsarAdminException {
             String namespace = validateNamespace(params);
             long sizeLimit = validateSizeString(limitStr);
-            long retentionTimeInSec = RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(retentionTimeStr);
+            long retentionTimeInSec;
+            try {
+                retentionTimeInSec = RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(retentionTimeStr);
+            } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+            }
 
             final int retentionTimeInMin;
             if (retentionTimeInSec != -1) {
@@ -1449,7 +1454,13 @@ private class SetInactiveTopicPolicies extends CliCommand {
         @Override
         void run() throws PulsarAdminException {
             String namespace = validateNamespace(params);
-            long maxInactiveDurationInSeconds = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toSeconds(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(deleteInactiveTopicsMaxInactiveDuration));
+            long maxInactiveDurationInSeconds;
+            try {
+                maxInactiveDurationInSeconds = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toSeconds(
+                        RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(deleteInactiveTopicsMaxInactiveDuration));
+            } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+            }
 
             if (enableDeleteWhileInactive == disableDeleteWhileInactive) {
                 throw new ParameterException("Need to specify either enable-delete-while-inactive or disable-delete-while-inactive");
@@ -1482,7 +1493,13 @@ private class SetDelayedDelivery extends CliCommand {
         @Override
         void run() throws PulsarAdminException {
             String namespace = validateNamespace(params);
-            long delayedDeliveryTimeInMills = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(delayedDeliveryTimeStr));
+            long delayedDeliveryTimeInMills;
+            try {
+                delayedDeliveryTimeInMills = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(
+                        RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(delayedDeliveryTimeStr));
+            } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+            }
 
             if (enable == disable) {
                 throw new ParameterException("Need to specify either --enable or --disable");
@@ -1864,7 +1881,13 @@ private class SetOffloadDeletionLag extends CliCommand {
         @Override
         void run() throws PulsarAdminException {
             String namespace = validateNamespace(params);
-            getAdmin().namespaces().setOffloadDeleteLag(namespace, RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(lag),
+            long lagInSec;
+            try {
+                lagInSec = RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(lag);
+            } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+            }
+            getAdmin().namespaces().setOffloadDeleteLag(namespace, lagInSec,
                     TimeUnit.SECONDS);
         }
     }
@@ -2196,7 +2219,13 @@ && maxValueCheck("ReadBufferSize", readBufferSize, Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
 
             Long offloadAfterElapsedInMillis = OffloadPoliciesImpl.DEFAULT_OFFLOAD_DELETION_LAG_IN_MILLIS;
             if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(offloadAfterElapsedStr)) {
-                Long offloadAfterElapsed = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(offloadAfterElapsedStr));
+                Long offloadAfterElapsed;
+                try {
+                    offloadAfterElapsed = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(
+                            RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(offloadAfterElapsedStr));
+                } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                    throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+                }
                 if (positiveCheck("OffloadAfterElapsed", offloadAfterElapsed)
                         && maxValueCheck("OffloadAfterElapsed", offloadAfterElapsed, Long.MAX_VALUE)) {
                     offloadAfterElapsedInMillis = offloadAfterElapsed;
diff --git a/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdPersistentTopics.java b/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdPersistentTopics.java
index 42e9e4a3664ea..28f78f5b567c2 100644
--- a/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdPersistentTopics.java
+++ b/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdPersistentTopics.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.isNotBlank;
 import com.beust.jcommander.Parameter;
+import com.beust.jcommander.ParameterException;
 import com.beust.jcommander.Parameters;
 import com.google.gson.Gson;
 import com.google.gson.GsonBuilder;
@@ -527,8 +528,13 @@ void run() throws PulsarAdminException {
                 MessageId messageId = validateMessageIdString(resetMessageIdStr);
                 getPersistentTopics().resetCursor(persistentTopic, subName, messageId);
             } else if (isNotBlank(resetTimeStr)) {
-                long resetTimeInMillis = TimeUnit.SECONDS
-                        .toMillis(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(resetTimeStr));
+                long resetTimeInMillis;
+                try {
+                    resetTimeInMillis = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(
+                            RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(resetTimeStr));
+                } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                    throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+                }
                 // now - go back time
                 long timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis() - resetTimeInMillis;
                 getPersistentTopics().resetCursor(persistentTopic, subName, timestamp);
diff --git a/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdTopics.java b/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdTopics.java
index ece4d3ea256f5..9ecda2da023b3 100644
--- a/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdTopics.java
+++ b/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdTopics.java
@@ -804,8 +804,13 @@ void run() throws PulsarAdminException {
                     getTopics().resetCursor(persistentTopic, subName, messageId);
                 }
             } else if (isNotBlank(resetTimeStr)) {
-                long resetTimeInMillis = TimeUnit.SECONDS
-                        .toMillis(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(resetTimeStr));
+                long resetTimeInMillis;
+                try {
+                    resetTimeInMillis = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(
+                            RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(resetTimeStr));
+                } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                    throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+                }
                 // now - go back time
                 long timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis() - resetTimeInMillis;
                 getTopics().resetCursor(persistentTopic, subName, timestamp);
@@ -1336,7 +1341,13 @@ private class SetDelayedDelivery extends CliCommand {
         @Override
         void run() throws PulsarAdminException {
             String topicName = validateTopicName(params);
-            long delayedDeliveryTimeInMills = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(delayedDeliveryTimeStr));
+            long delayedDeliveryTimeInMills;
+            try {
+                delayedDeliveryTimeInMills = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(
+                        RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(delayedDeliveryTimeStr));
+            } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+            }
 
             if (enable == disable) {
                 throw new ParameterException("Need to specify either --enable or --disable");
@@ -1486,7 +1497,12 @@ private class SetRetention extends CliCommand {
         void run() throws PulsarAdminException {
             String persistentTopic = validatePersistentTopic(params);
             long sizeLimit = validateSizeString(limitStr);
-            long retentionTimeInSec = RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(retentionTimeStr);
+            long retentionTimeInSec;
+            try {
+                retentionTimeInSec = RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(retentionTimeStr);
+            } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+            }
 
             final int retentionTimeInMin;
             if (retentionTimeInSec != -1) {
@@ -2352,7 +2368,13 @@ private class SetInactiveTopicPolicies extends CliCommand {
         @Override
         void run() throws PulsarAdminException {
             String persistentTopic = validatePersistentTopic(params);
-            long maxInactiveDurationInSeconds = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toSeconds(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(deleteInactiveTopicsMaxInactiveDuration));
+            long maxInactiveDurationInSeconds;
+            try {
+                maxInactiveDurationInSeconds = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toSeconds(
+                        RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(deleteInactiveTopicsMaxInactiveDuration));
+            } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+            }
 
             if (enableDeleteWhileInactive == disableDeleteWhileInactive) {
                 throw new ParameterException("Need to specify either enable-delete-while-inactive or disable-delete-while-inactive");
diff --git a/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdTransactions.java b/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdTransactions.java
index 7faf006066ca6..e6953817b0d26 100644
--- a/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdTransactions.java
+++ b/pulsar-client-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/admin/cli/CmdTransactions.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 package org.apache.pulsar.admin.cli;
 
 import com.beust.jcommander.Parameter;
+import com.beust.jcommander.ParameterException;
 import com.beust.jcommander.Parameters;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
@@ -133,8 +134,12 @@ private class GetSlowTransactions extends CliCommand {
 
         @Override
         void run() throws Exception {
-            long timeout =
-                    TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(timeoutStr));
+            long timeout;
+            try {
+                timeout = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(RelativeTimeUtil.parseRelativeTimeInSeconds(timeoutStr));
+            } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
+                throw new ParameterException(exception.getMessage());
+            }
             if (coordinatorId != null) {
                 print(getAdmin().transactions().getSlowTransactionsByCoordinatorId(coordinatorId,
                         timeout, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS));