diff --git a/scripts/verify-pack b/scripts/verify-pack
index 8b63343..8a2bc49 100755
--- a/scripts/verify-pack
+++ b/scripts/verify-pack
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ Examples:
   verify-pack ./packs/ironclaw --fix
   verify-pack --all
 EOF
-  exit 0
+  # Exit code is the first argument (default 0, for --help).
+  exit "${1:-0}"
 }
 
 # ── Resolve repo root ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -399,9 +400,13 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
 done
 
 if [[ ${#TARGETS[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
-  echo "Error: No pack directory specified."
-  echo ""
-  usage
+  # No target is an error: write to stderr and exit non-zero, so that a
+  # caller with an empty pack argument does not see a pass.
+  {
+    echo "Error: No pack directory specified."
+    echo ""
+  } >&2
+  usage 1 >&2
 fi
 
 for target in "${TARGETS[@]}"; do
diff --git a/tests/test-verify-pack-args.sh b/tests/test-verify-pack-args.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e364a6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-verify-pack-args.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# tests/test-verify-pack-args.sh — Exit-code test for scripts/verify-pack
+# argument handling.
+#
+# A caller that runs 'verify-pack "$PACK"' with an empty $PACK must not see
+# a pass. This test makes sure that:
+#   - no pack argument gives a non-zero exit code and the error on stderr,
+#   - --help still gives exit code 0 and the usage text on stdout.
+#
+# No AWS required. Run standalone or via CI (discovered by pack-tests.yml).
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/.." && pwd)"
+VERIFY="$REPO_ROOT/scripts/verify-pack"
+
+if [[ ! -f "$VERIFY" ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: verify-pack not found at $VERIFY" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+RED='\033[0;31m'; GREEN='\033[0;32m'; BOLD='\033[1m'; NC='\033[0m'
+PASS=0; FAIL=0
+
+pass() { printf "${GREEN}  \xE2\x9C\x93${NC} %s\n" "$1"; PASS=$((PASS + 1)); }
+fail() { printf "${RED}  \xE2\x9C\x97${NC} %s\n" "$1"; FAIL=$((FAIL + 1)); }
+
+printf "${BOLD}scripts/verify-pack argument handling${NC}\n"
+
+OUT="$(mktemp)"; ERR="$(mktemp)"
+trap 'rm -f "$OUT" "$ERR"' EXIT
+
+# No pack argument: must fail, and the error must go to stderr.
+rc=0
+bash "$VERIFY" >"$OUT" 2>"$ERR" || rc=$?
+if [[ $rc -ne 0 ]]; then
+  pass "no pack argument gives a non-zero exit code ($rc)"
+else
+  fail "no pack argument gives exit code 0"
+fi
+if grep -q "No pack directory specified" "$ERR"; then
+  pass "no pack argument writes the error to stderr"
+else
+  fail "no pack argument does not write the error to stderr"
+fi
+
+# --help: must pass, and the usage text must go to stdout.
+rc=0
+bash "$VERIFY" --help >"$OUT" 2>"$ERR" || rc=$?
+if [[ $rc -eq 0 ]]; then
+  pass "--help gives exit code 0"
+else
+  fail "--help gives exit code $rc"
+fi
+if grep -q "^Usage: verify-pack" "$OUT"; then
+  pass "--help writes the usage text to stdout"
+else
+  fail "--help does not write the usage text to stdout"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "Passed: $PASS  Failed: $FAIL"
+[[ $FAIL -eq 0 ]]