diff --git a/craft_cli/dispatcher.py b/craft_cli/dispatcher.py
index ea40669..2d272bf 100644
--- a/craft_cli/dispatcher.py
+++ b/craft_cli/dispatcher.py
@@ -245,10 +245,13 @@ def load_command(self, app_config: Any) -> BaseCommand:
         emit.trace(f"Command parsed sysargs: {self._parsed_command_args}")
         return self._loaded_command
 
-    @property
     def parsed_args(self) -> argparse.Namespace:
-        """The map of parsed command-line arguments."""
-        return self._parsed_command_args or argparse.Namespace()
+        """Get the parsed command-line arguments."""
+        if self._parsed_command_args is None:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "Need to load the command (call 'load_command') before retrieving the parsed arguments."
+            )
+        return self._parsed_command_args
 
     def _get_global_options(self) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
         """Return the global flags ready to present in the help messages as options."""
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_dispatcher.py b/tests/unit/test_dispatcher.py
index 02b2959..983fe9c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_dispatcher.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_dispatcher.py
@@ -77,16 +77,14 @@ def fill_parser(self, parser):
     dispatcher = Dispatcher("appname", groups)
     dispatcher.pre_parse_args(["somecommand", "--option1", "1", "--option2", "--option3"])
 
-    # Before loading the command: parsed_args is empty.
-    parsed_before = dispatcher.parsed_args
-    assert not hasattr(parsed_before, "option1")
-    assert not hasattr(parsed_before, "option2")
-    assert not hasattr(parsed_before, "option3")
+    # Before loading the command: error
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="Need to load the command"):
+        _ = dispatcher.parsed_args()
 
     dispatcher.load_command("test-config")
 
     # After loading the command: parsed_args is filled.
-    parsed_after = dispatcher.parsed_args
+    parsed_after = dispatcher.parsed_args()
     assert parsed_after.option1 == "1"
     assert parsed_after.option2
     assert not parsed_after.option3