diff --git a/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/launcher.py b/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/launcher.py
index 9024b15adfd..339a11963de 100644
--- a/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/launcher.py
+++ b/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/launcher.py
@@ -399,6 +399,10 @@ def _try_parse_extra_args(cmdline: Iterable[str]) -> Dict[str, TunableValue]:
             # Handles missing trailing elem from last --key arg.
             raise ValueError("Command line argument has no value: " + key)
 
+        # Convert "max-suggestions" to "max_suggestions" for compatibility with
+        # other CLI options to use as common python/json variable replacements.
+        config = {k.replace("-", "_"): v for k, v in config.items()}
+
         _LOG.debug("Parsed config: %s", config)
         return config
 
diff --git a/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/tests/launcher_in_process_test.py b/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/tests/launcher_in_process_test.py
index 6fe340c9eb5..eb20b1ababd 100644
--- a/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/tests/launcher_in_process_test.py
+++ b/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/tests/launcher_in_process_test.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
                 "mlos_bench/mlos_bench/tests/config/cli/mock-opt.jsonc",
                 "--trial_config_repeat_count",
                 "3",
-                "--max_suggestions",
+                "--max-suggestions",
                 "3",
                 "--mock_env_seed",
                 "42",  # Noisy Mock Environment.
diff --git a/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/tests/launcher_parse_args_test.py b/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/tests/launcher_parse_args_test.py
index ce56ae17a27..118fa13ba97 100644
--- a/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/tests/launcher_parse_args_test.py
+++ b/mlos_bench/mlos_bench/tests/launcher_parse_args_test.py
@@ -260,9 +260,12 @@ def test_launcher_args_parse_3(config_paths: List[str]) -> None:
         " ".join([f"--config-path {config_path}" for config_path in config_paths])
         + f" --config {config_file}"
         + f" --globals {globals_file}"
+        + " --max-suggestions 10"  # check for - to _ conversion too
     )
     launcher = _get_launcher(__name__, cli_args)
 
+    assert launcher.optimizer.max_suggestions == 10  # from CLI args
+
     # Check that CLI file parameter overrides JSON config:
     assert isinstance(launcher.scheduler, SyncScheduler)
     # from test-cli-config.jsonc (should override scheduler config file)