diff --git a/command/plugin_status.go b/command/plugin_status.go
index 6f3a1980c654..a60430539dea 100644
--- a/command/plugin_status.go
+++ b/command/plugin_status.go
@@ -110,8 +110,6 @@ func (c *PluginStatusCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	typeArg = strings.ToLower(typeArg)
-
 	// Check that we either got no arguments or exactly one.
 	args = flags.Args()
 	if len(args) > 1 {
@@ -120,6 +118,17 @@ func (c *PluginStatusCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
+	typeArg = strings.ToLower(typeArg)
+
+	// Check that the plugin type flag is supported. Empty implies we are
+	// querying all plugins, otherwise we currently only support "csi".
+	switch typeArg {
+	case "", "csi":
+	default:
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Unsupported plugin type: %s", typeArg))
+		return 1
+	}
+
 	// Truncate the id unless full length is requested
 	c.length = shortId
 	if c.verbose {
diff --git a/command/plugin_status_test.go b/command/plugin_status_test.go
index e0cb4920d5f6..15f037c24223 100644
--- a/command/plugin_status_test.go
+++ b/command/plugin_status_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@ func TestPluginStatusCommand_Fails(t *testing.T) {
 	out := ui.ErrorWriter.String()
 	require.Contains(t, out, commandErrorText(cmd))
 	ui.ErrorWriter.Reset()
+
+	// Test an unsupported plugin type.
+	code = cmd.Run([]string{"-type=not-a-plugin"})
+	require.Equal(t, 1, code)
+
+	out = ui.ErrorWriter.String()
+	require.Contains(t, out, "Unsupported plugin type: not-a-plugin")
+	ui.ErrorWriter.Reset()
 }
 
 func TestPluginStatusCommand_AutocompleteArgs(t *testing.T) {