diff --git a/bin/xpanes b/bin/xpanes
index e08ca4f..592c346 100755
--- a/bin/xpanes
+++ b/bin/xpanes
@@ -1840,44 +1840,22 @@ xpns_warning_before_extra() {
   fi
 }
 
-xpns_opt_check_num() {
+xpns_opt_checker() {
   local _option="$1"
-  shift
-  local _arg="$1"
-  if [[ -n "$_arg" ]] && [[ -z "${_arg//[0-9]/}" ]]; then
-    return 0
-  fi
-  xpns_msg_error "Invalid argument '$_arg' for $_option option"
-  exit ${XP_EINVAL}
-}
-
-xpns_opt_check_float() {
-  local _option="$1"
-  shift
-  local _arg="$1"
-  if [[ -n "$_arg" ]] && [[ -z "${_arg//[0-9.]/}" ]]; then
-    return 0
-  fi
-  xpns_msg_error "Invalid argument '$_arg' for $_option option"
-  exit ${XP_EINVAL}
-}
-
-xpns_opt_check_str() {
-  local _option="$1"
-  shift
-  local _arg="$1"
-  if [[ -n "$_arg" ]]; then
-    return 0
+  local _arg="$2"
+  local _check_value="${3:-default}"
+  # if we do not define a positional parameter in options, we expect an integer
+  local _pattern="^[0-9]+$"
+  if [[ "$_check_value" == "float" ]]; then
+    _pattern="^[0-9]*\.?[0-9]*$"
+  elif [[ "$_check_value" == "csv" ]]; then
+    _pattern="^[0-9]+(,[0-9]+)*$"
+  elif [[ "$_check_value" == "string" ]]; then
+    if [[ -n "$_arg" ]]; then
+      return 0
+    fi
   fi
-  xpns_msg_error "Invalid argument '$_arg' for $_option option"
-  exit ${XP_EINVAL}
-}
-
-xpns_opt_check_num_csv() {
-  local _option="$1"
-  shift
-  local _arg="$1"
-  if [[ "$1" =~ ^([0-9][0-9]*,?)+$ ]]; then
+  if [[ -n "$_arg" ]] && [[ "$_arg" =~ $_pattern ]]; then
     return 0
   fi
   xpns_msg_error "Invalid argument '$_arg' for $_option option"
@@ -1932,7 +1910,7 @@ xpns_parse_options() {
         XP_OPT_IS_SYNC=0
         ;;
       --log-format)
-        xpns_opt_check_str "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1" "string"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_OPT_LOG_STORE=1
         TMUX_XPANES_LOG_FORMAT="$1"
@@ -1943,7 +1921,7 @@ xpns_parse_options() {
         XP_OPT_LOG_STORE=1
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         TMUX_XPANES_LOG_DIRECTORY="${opt#--log=}"
-        xpns_opt_check_str "${opt%=}" "$TMUX_XPANES_LOG_DIRECTORY"
+        xpns_opt_checker "${opt%=}" "$TMUX_XPANES_LOG_DIRECTORY" "string"
         ;;
       --log)
         XP_OPT_LOG_STORE=1
@@ -1964,28 +1942,28 @@ xpns_parse_options() {
         XP_OPT_ATTACH=0
         ;;
       --cols)
-        xpns_opt_check_num "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_OPT_CUSTOM_SIZE_COLS="$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
         shift
         ;;
       --rows)
-        xpns_opt_check_num "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_OPT_CUSTOM_SIZE_ROWS="$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
         shift
         ;;
       --bulk-cols)
-        xpns_opt_check_num_csv "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1" "csv"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_OPT_BULK_COLS="$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
         shift
         ;;
       --interval)
-        xpns_opt_check_float "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1" "float"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_OPT_INTERVAL="$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
@@ -2055,14 +2033,14 @@ xpns_parse_options() {
       # Short options with argument
       ## ----------------
       -I)
-        xpns_opt_check_str "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1" "string"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_REPSTR="$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
         shift
         ;;
       -l)
-        xpns_opt_check_str "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1" "string"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_OPT_USE_PRESET_LAYOUT=1
         XP_LAYOUT="$(printf '%s\n' "$1" | xpns_layout_short2long)"
@@ -2072,7 +2050,6 @@ xpns_parse_options() {
         ;;
       -c)
         # -c allows empty
-        # xpns_opt_check_str "$opt" "$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_CMD_UTILITY="$1"
         XP_OPT_CMD_UTILITY=1
@@ -2080,28 +2057,28 @@ xpns_parse_options() {
         shift
         ;;
       -n)
-        xpns_opt_check_num "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_MAX_PANE_ARGS="$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
         shift
         ;;
       -S)
-        xpns_opt_check_str "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1" "string"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_SOCKET_PATH="$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
         shift
         ;;
       -C)
-        xpns_opt_check_num "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_OPT_CUSTOM_SIZE_COLS="$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
         shift
         ;;
       -R)
-        xpns_opt_check_num "$opt" "$1"
+        xpns_opt_checker "$opt" "$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_OPT_CUSTOM_SIZE_ROWS="$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
@@ -2109,7 +2086,6 @@ xpns_parse_options() {
         ;;
       -B)
         # -B allows empty
-        # xpns_opt_check_str "$opt" "$1"
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$opt")
         XP_BEGIN_ARGS+=("$1")
         XP_OPTIONS+=("$1")
diff --git a/test/unit.sh b/test/unit.sh
index f9cda1c..1b891b0 100755
--- a/test/unit.sh
+++ b/test/unit.sh
@@ -512,5 +512,28 @@ test_xpns_parse_options_interval () {
   assertEquals "4" "$?"
 }
 
+test_xpns_opt_checker () {
+  ( xpns_opt_checker --bulk-cols 1,2,3,4 csv )
+  assertEquals "0" "$?"
+  ( xpns_opt_checker -n 1 )
+  assertEquals "0" "$?"
+  ( xpns_opt_checker -S ~/dummy string )
+  assertEquals "0" "$?"
+  ( xpns_opt_checker --interval 1.1 float )
+  assertEquals "0" "$?"
+  ( xpns_opt_checker --bulk-cols "invalid" csv )
+  assertEquals "4" "$?"
+  ( xpns_opt_checker --bulk-cols "1,2,a" csv )
+  assertEquals "4" "$?"
+  ( xpns_opt_checker -n "invalid" )
+  assertEquals "4" "$?"
+  ( xpns_opt_checker -n "1.1.1.1" )
+  assertEquals "4" "$?"
+  ( xpns_opt_checker --interval "invalid" float )
+  assertEquals "4" "$?"
+  ( xpns_opt_checker --interval "1.1.1.1" float )
+  assertEquals "4" "$?"
+}
+
 # shellcheck source=/dev/null
 . "${THIS_DIR}/shunit2/shunit2"