diff --git a/src/librustc_driver/lib.rs b/src/librustc_driver/lib.rs
index 716b1116a20..4ff3c1f0075 100644
--- a/src/librustc_driver/lib.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_driver/lib.rs
@@ -686,39 +686,57 @@ pub fn handle_options(mut args: Vec<String>) -> Option<getopts::Matches> {
         return None;
     }
 
-    let matches =
-        match getopts::getopts(&args[..], &config::optgroups()) {
-            Ok(m) => m,
-            Err(f_stable_attempt) => {
-                // redo option parsing, including unstable options this time,
-                // in anticipation that the mishandled option was one of the
-                // unstable ones.
-                let all_groups : Vec<getopts::OptGroup>
-                    = config::rustc_optgroups().into_iter().map(|x|x.opt_group).collect();
-                match getopts::getopts(&args, &all_groups) {
-                    Ok(m_unstable) => {
-                        let r = m_unstable.opt_strs("Z");
-                        let include_unstable_options = r.iter().any(|x| *x == "unstable-options");
-                        if include_unstable_options {
-                            m_unstable
+    fn allows_unstable_options(matches: &getopts::Matches) -> bool {
+        let r = matches.opt_strs("Z");
+        r.iter().any(|x| *x == "unstable-options")
+    }
+
+    fn parse_all_options(args: &Vec<String>) -> getopts::Matches {
+        let all_groups : Vec<getopts::OptGroup>
+            = config::rustc_optgroups().into_iter().map(|x|x.opt_group).collect();
+        match getopts::getopts(&args[..], &all_groups) {
+            Ok(m) => {
+                if !allows_unstable_options(&m) {
+                    // If -Z unstable-options was not specified, verify that
+                    // no unstable options were present.
+                    for opt in config::rustc_optgroups().into_iter().filter(|x| !x.is_stable()) {
+                        let opt_name = if !opt.opt_group.long_name.is_empty() {
+                            &opt.opt_group.long_name
                         } else {
-                            early_error(&f_stable_attempt.to_string());
+                            &opt.opt_group.short_name
+                        };
+                        if m.opt_present(opt_name) {
+                            early_error(&format!("use of unstable option '{}' requires \
+                                                  -Z unstable-options", opt_name));
                         }
                     }
-                    Err(_) => {
-                        // ignore the error from the unstable attempt; just
-                        // pass the error we got from the first try.
-                        early_error(&f_stable_attempt.to_string());
-                    }
                 }
+                m
             }
-        };
+            Err(f) => early_error(&f.to_string())
+        }
+    }
 
-    let r = matches.opt_strs("Z");
-    let include_unstable_options = r.iter().any(|x| *x == "unstable-options");
+    // As a speed optimization, first try to parse the command-line using just
+    // the stable options.
+    let matches = match getopts::getopts(&args[..], &config::optgroups()) {
+        Ok(ref m) if allows_unstable_options(m) => {
+            // If -Z unstable-options was specified, redo parsing with the
+            // unstable options to ensure that unstable options are defined
+            // in the returned getopts::Matches.
+            parse_all_options(&args)
+        }
+        Ok(m) => m,
+        Err(_) => {
+            // redo option parsing, including unstable options this time,
+            // in anticipation that the mishandled option was one of the
+            // unstable ones.
+            parse_all_options(&args)
+        }
+    };
 
     if matches.opt_present("h") || matches.opt_present("help") {
-        usage(matches.opt_present("verbose"), include_unstable_options);
+        usage(matches.opt_present("verbose"), allows_unstable_options(&matches));
         return None;
     }