diff --git a/ceilometerclient/shell.py b/ceilometerclient/shell.py
index 57cb604..474c59a 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/shell.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/shell.py
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ class CeilometerShell(object):
         else:
             logging.basicConfig(format=format, level=logging.WARN)
 
-    def main(self, argv):
+    def parse_args(self, argv):
         # Parse args once to find version
         parser = self.get_base_parser()
         (options, args) = parser.parse_known_args(argv)
@@ -244,8 +244,14 @@ class CeilometerShell(object):
             self.do_help(options)
             return 0
 
-        # Parse args again and call whatever callback was selected
-        args = subcommand_parser.parse_args(argv)
+        # Return parsed args
+        return api_version, subcommand_parser.parse_args(argv)
+
+    def main(self, argv):
+        parsed = self.parse_args(argv)
+        if parsed == 0:
+            return 0
+        api_version, args = parsed
 
         # Short-circuit and deal with help command right away.
         if args.func == self.do_help:
@@ -278,6 +284,7 @@ class CeilometerShell(object):
 
         client = ceiloclient.get_client(api_version, **(args.__dict__))
 
+        # call whatever callback was selected
         try:
             args.func(client, args)
         except exc.Unauthorized:
diff --git a/ceilometerclient/tests/v2/test_shell.py b/ceilometerclient/tests/v2/test_shell.py
index 55f7270..71b26e5 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/tests/v2/test_shell.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/tests/v2/test_shell.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import sys
 
 from testtools import matchers
 
+from ceilometerclient import shell as base_shell
 from ceilometerclient.tests import utils
 from ceilometerclient.v2 import alarms
 from ceilometerclient.v2 import samples
@@ -232,6 +233,49 @@ class ShellAlarmCommandTest(utils.BaseTestCase):
         method = ceilometer_shell.do_alarm_threshold_update
         self._do_test_alarm_update_repeat_actions(method, False)
 
+    def test_alarm_threshold_create_args(self):
+        shell = base_shell.CeilometerShell()
+        argv = ['alarm-threshold-create',
+                '--name', 'cpu_high',
+                '--description', 'instance running hot',
+                '--meter-name', 'cpu_util',
+                '--threshold', '70.0',
+                '--comparison-operator', 'gt',
+                '--statistic', 'avg',
+                '--period', '600',
+                '--evaluation-periods', '3',
+                '--alarm-action', 'log://',
+                '--alarm-action', 'http://example.com/alarm/state',
+                '--query', 'resource_id=INSTANCE_ID']
+        _, args = shell.parse_args(argv)
+
+        orig = sys.stdout
+        sys.stdout = six.StringIO()
+        alarm = alarms.Alarm(mock.Mock(), self.ALARM)
+        self.cc.alarms.create.return_value = alarm
+
+        try:
+            ceilometer_shell.do_alarm_threshold_create(self.cc, args)
+            _, kwargs = self.cc.alarms.create.call_args
+            self.assertEqual('cpu_high', kwargs.get('name'))
+            self.assertEqual('instance running hot', kwargs.get('description'))
+            actions = ['log://', 'http://example.com/alarm/state']
+            self.assertEqual(actions, kwargs.get('alarm_actions'))
+            self.assertTrue('threshold_rule' in kwargs)
+            rule = kwargs['threshold_rule']
+            self.assertEqual('cpu_util', rule.get('meter_name'))
+            self.assertEqual(70.0, rule.get('threshold'))
+            self.assertEqual('gt', rule.get('comparison_operator'))
+            self.assertEqual('avg', rule.get('statistic'))
+            self.assertEqual(600, rule.get('period'))
+            self.assertEqual(3, rule.get('evaluation_periods'))
+            query = dict(field='resource_id', type='',
+                         value='INSTANCE_ID', op='eq')
+            self.assertEqual([query], rule['query'])
+        finally:
+            sys.stdout.close()
+            sys.stdout = orig
+
 
 class ShellSampleListCommandTest(utils.BaseTestCase):
 
diff --git a/ceilometerclient/v2/shell.py b/ceilometerclient/v2/shell.py
index 6d861aa..8486135 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/v2/shell.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/v2/shell.py
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ def do_alarm_create(cc, args={}):
            dest='threshold_rule/threshold',
            help='Threshold to evaluate against')
 @utils.arg('-q', '--query', metavar='<QUERY>',
+           dest='threshold_rule/query',
            help='key[op]data_type::value; list. data_type is optional, '
                 'but if supplied must be string, integer, float, or boolean')
 @utils.arg('--repeat-actions', dest='repeat_actions',