diff --git a/src/specify_cli/integrations/_helpers.py b/src/specify_cli/integrations/_helpers.py
index d1bf051f77..60d718a104 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/integrations/_helpers.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/integrations/_helpers.py
@@ -190,7 +190,18 @@ def _parse_integration_options(integration: Any, raw_options: str) -> dict[str,
     """
     import shlex
     parsed: dict[str, Any] = {}
-    tokens = shlex.split(raw_options)
+    try:
+        tokens = shlex.split(raw_options)
+    except ValueError as error:
+        # shlex raises on malformed input (e.g. an unbalanced quote in
+        # --integration-options='--commands-dir "foo'). Surface the clean CLI
+        # error every other bad-input path here produces instead of leaking a
+        # raw ValueError traceback.
+        console.print(
+            f"[red]Error:[/red] Could not parse integration options "
+            f"'{raw_options}': {error}."
+        )
+        raise typer.Exit(1) from error
     declared_options = list(integration.options())
     declared = {opt.name.lstrip("-"): opt for opt in declared_options}
     allowed = ", ".join(sorted(opt.name for opt in declared_options))
diff --git a/tests/integrations/test_integration_subcommand.py b/tests/integrations/test_integration_subcommand.py
index 56f338cc82..a3bd75c31c 100644
--- a/tests/integrations/test_integration_subcommand.py
+++ b/tests/integrations/test_integration_subcommand.py
@@ -2675,6 +2675,24 @@ def test_equals_form_parsed(self):
         assert result_space["commands_dir"] == "./mydir"
         assert result_equals["commands_dir"] == "./mydir"
 
+    def test_malformed_quoting_exits_cleanly(self):
+        """An unbalanced quote must raise a clean typer.Exit, not a ValueError.
+
+        shlex.split raises ValueError('No closing quotation') on malformed
+        input. Every other bad-input path in this function exits via
+        typer.Exit(1); a raw ValueError traceback would be inconsistent and
+        user-hostile for a plain CLI-flag typo."""
+        import typer
+
+        from specify_cli.integrations._commands import _parse_integration_options
+        from specify_cli.integrations import get_integration
+
+        integration = get_integration("generic")
+        assert integration is not None
+
+        with pytest.raises(typer.Exit):
+            _parse_integration_options(integration, '--commands-dir "foo')
+
 
 class TestUninstallNoManifestClearsInitOptions:
     def test_init_options_cleared_on_no_manifest_uninstall(self, tmp_path):