diff --git a/src/commands/generate/metadata/field.ts b/src/commands/generate/metadata/field.ts
index e234a698..8c58febf 100644
--- a/src/commands/generate/metadata/field.ts
+++ b/src/commands/generate/metadata/field.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export default class FieldGenerate extends SfCommand<FieldGenerateResult> {
       char: 'l',
       summary: messages.getMessage('flags.label.summary'),
       required: true,
-      parse: (label) => labelValidation(label),
+      parse: async (label) => labelValidation(label),
     }),
     // this a dir and not an API name to support 1 object being in multiple package directories
     object: Flags.directory({
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ export default class FieldGenerate extends SfCommand<FieldGenerateResult> {
       exists: true,
       summary: messages.getMessage('flags.object.summary'),
       description: messages.getMessage('flags.object.description'),
-      parse: (input) => isObjectsFolder(input),
+      parse: async (input) => isObjectsFolder(input),
     }),
   };
 
diff --git a/src/commands/generate/metadata/platformevent.ts b/src/commands/generate/metadata/platformevent.ts
index 58538ad8..4f6fdf5e 100644
--- a/src/commands/generate/metadata/platformevent.ts
+++ b/src/commands/generate/metadata/platformevent.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export default class ObjectGenerate extends SfCommand<PlatformEventGenerateResul
       char: 'l',
       summary: messages.getMessage('flags.label.summary'),
       required: true,
-      parse: (label) => labelValidation(label),
+      parse: async (label) => labelValidation(label),
     }),
   };
 
diff --git a/src/commands/generate/metadata/sobject.ts b/src/commands/generate/metadata/sobject.ts
index 47ae4090..c54055e8 100644
--- a/src/commands/generate/metadata/sobject.ts
+++ b/src/commands/generate/metadata/sobject.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ export default class ObjectGenerate extends SfCommand<CustomObjectGenerateResult
       char: 'l',
       summary: messages.getMessage('flags.label.summary'),
       required: true,
-      parse: (label) => labelValidation(label),
+      parse: async (label) => labelValidation(label),
     }),
     'use-default-features': Flags.boolean({
       char: 'f',
diff --git a/src/commands/generate/metadata/tab.ts b/src/commands/generate/metadata/tab.ts
index 7addea85..959b0cc7 100644
--- a/src/commands/generate/metadata/tab.ts
+++ b/src/commands/generate/metadata/tab.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export default class GenerateTab extends SfCommand<GenerateTabResult> {
       char: 'd',
       required: true,
       exists: true,
-      parse: (input) => isTabsFolder(input),
+      parse: async (input) => isTabsFolder(input),
     }),
     icon: Flags.integer({
       char: 'i',
diff --git a/test/nuts/field.nut.ts b/test/nuts/field.nut.ts
index 575395a3..7cff451a 100644
--- a/test/nuts/field.nut.ts
+++ b/test/nuts/field.nut.ts
@@ -10,12 +10,16 @@ import { execCmd, TestSession } from '@salesforce/cli-plugins-testkit';
 import { env } from '@salesforce/kit';
 // import { expect } from 'chai';
 
-describe('generate tab NUTs', () => {
+describe('generate field NUTs', () => {
   let session: TestSession;
 
   before(async () => {
     env.setString('TESTKIT_EXECUTABLE_PATH', path.join(process.cwd(), 'bin', 'dev'));
-    session = await TestSession.create({});
+    session = await TestSession.create({
+      project: {
+        name: 'field-nut',
+      },
+    });
   });
 
   after(async () => {
@@ -26,4 +30,20 @@ describe('generate tab NUTs', () => {
     const command = 'generate metadata field --help';
     execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 0, cli: 'sf' }).shellOutput.stdout;
   });
+
+  describe('flag validation failures', () => {
+    it('short label', () => {
+      const command = 'generate metadata field --label yo';
+      execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 1, cli: 'sf' });
+    });
+    it('bad object dir', () => {
+      const command = `generate metadata field --label longEnough --object ${path.join(
+        'force-app',
+        'main',
+        'default',
+        'tabs'
+      )}`;
+      execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 1, cli: 'sf' });
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/nuts/fs.nut.ts b/test/nuts/fs.nut.ts
index 8820f622..c5acd932 100644
--- a/test/nuts/fs.nut.ts
+++ b/test/nuts/fs.nut.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
 } from '../../src/shared/fs';
 import { SaveableCustomObject } from '../../src/shared/types';
 
-describe('generate tab NUTs', () => {
+describe('local fs NUTs', () => {
   let session: TestSession;
   let pkgDirs: string[];
 
diff --git a/test/nuts/platformevent.nut.ts b/test/nuts/platformevent.nut.ts
index 51d93390..c004a265 100644
--- a/test/nuts/platformevent.nut.ts
+++ b/test/nuts/platformevent.nut.ts
@@ -10,12 +10,16 @@ import { execCmd, TestSession } from '@salesforce/cli-plugins-testkit';
 import { env } from '@salesforce/kit';
 // import { expect } from 'chai';
 
-describe('generate tab NUTs', () => {
+describe('generate platformevent NUTs', () => {
   let session: TestSession;
 
   before(async () => {
     env.setString('TESTKIT_EXECUTABLE_PATH', path.join(process.cwd(), 'bin', 'dev'));
-    session = await TestSession.create({});
+    session = await TestSession.create({
+      project: {
+        name: 'platformevent-nut',
+      },
+    });
   });
 
   after(async () => {
@@ -24,6 +28,13 @@ describe('generate tab NUTs', () => {
 
   it('help should not throw', () => {
     const command = 'generate metadata platformevent --help';
-    execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 0, cli: 'sf' }).shellOutput.stdout;
+    execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 0, cli: 'sf' });
+  });
+
+  describe('flag validation failures', () => {
+    it('short label', () => {
+      const command = 'generate metadata platformevent --label yo';
+      execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 1, cli: 'sf' });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/test/nuts/sobject.nut.ts b/test/nuts/sobject.nut.ts
index 7a30faab..ec6306e5 100644
--- a/test/nuts/sobject.nut.ts
+++ b/test/nuts/sobject.nut.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { execCmd, TestSession } from '@salesforce/cli-plugins-testkit';
 import { env } from '@salesforce/kit';
 // import { expect } from 'chai';
 
-describe('generate tab NUTs', () => {
+describe('generate sobject NUTs', () => {
   let session: TestSession;
 
   before(async () => {
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ describe('generate tab NUTs', () => {
 
   it('help should not throw', () => {
     const command = 'generate metadata sobject --help';
-    execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 0, cli: 'sf' }).shellOutput.stdout;
+    execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 0, cli: 'sf' });
+  });
+
+  describe('flag validation failures', () => {
+    it('short label', () => {
+      const command = 'generate metadata sobject --label yo';
+      execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 1, cli: 'sf' });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/test/nuts/tab.nut.ts b/test/nuts/tab.nut.ts
index c3b57daa..4f5ca44f 100644
--- a/test/nuts/tab.nut.ts
+++ b/test/nuts/tab.nut.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ describe('generate tab NUTs', () => {
 
   before(async () => {
     env.setString('TESTKIT_EXECUTABLE_PATH', path.join(process.cwd(), 'bin', 'dev'));
-    session = await TestSession.create({});
+    session = await TestSession.create({
+      project: {
+        name: 'tab-nut',
+      },
+    });
   });
 
   after(async () => {
@@ -24,6 +28,17 @@ describe('generate tab NUTs', () => {
 
   it('help should not throw', () => {
     const command = 'generate metadata tab --help';
-    execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 0, cli: 'sf' }).shellOutput.stdout;
+    execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 0, cli: 'sf' });
+  });
+  describe('flag validation failures', () => {
+    it('invalid folder', () => {
+      const command = `generate metadata tab --object foo --icon 1 --directory ${path.join(
+        'force-app',
+        'main',
+        'default',
+        'objects'
+      )}`;
+      execCmd(command, { ensureExitCode: 1, cli: 'sf' });
+    });
   });
 });