diff --git a/openstackclient/compute/v2/server.py b/openstackclient/compute/v2/server.py
index a991ed4531..ce4191c1cd 100644
--- a/openstackclient/compute/v2/server.py
+++ b/openstackclient/compute/v2/server.py
@@ -651,12 +651,16 @@ class CreateServer(command.ShowOne):
             else:
                 nic_info = {"net-id": "", "v4-fixed-ip": "",
                             "v6-fixed-ip": "", "port-id": ""}
-                try:
-                    nic_info.update(dict(kv_str.split("=", 1)
-                                    for kv_str in nic_str.split(",")))
-                except ValueError:
-                    msg = _('Invalid --nic argument %s.') % nic_str
-                    raise exceptions.CommandError(msg)
+                for kv_str in nic_str.split(","):
+                    k, sep, v = kv_str.partition("=")
+                    if k in nic_info and v:
+                        nic_info[k] = v
+                    else:
+                        msg = (_("Invalid nic argument '%s'. Nic arguments "
+                                 "must be of the form --nic <net-id=net-uuid"
+                                 ",v4-fixed-ip=ip-addr,v6-fixed-ip=ip-addr,"
+                                 "port-id=port-uuid>."))
+                        raise exceptions.CommandError(msg % k)
                 if bool(nic_info["net-id"]) == bool(nic_info["port-id"]):
                     msg = _("either network or port should be specified "
                             "but not both")
diff --git a/openstackclient/tests/unit/compute/v2/test_server.py b/openstackclient/tests/unit/compute/v2/test_server.py
index b02b149119..5b0d28a1c6 100644
--- a/openstackclient/tests/unit/compute/v2/test_server.py
+++ b/openstackclient/tests/unit/compute/v2/test_server.py
@@ -797,6 +797,66 @@ class TestServerCreate(TestServer):
                           self.cmd.take_action, parsed_args)
         self.assertNotCalled(self.servers_mock.create)
 
+    def test_server_create_with_invalid_network_key(self):
+        arglist = [
+            '--image', 'image1',
+            '--flavor', 'flavor1',
+            '--nic', 'abcdefgh=12324',
+            self.new_server.name,
+        ]
+        verifylist = [
+            ('image', 'image1'),
+            ('flavor', 'flavor1'),
+            ('nic', ['abcdefgh=12324']),
+            ('config_drive', False),
+            ('server_name', self.new_server.name),
+        ]
+        parsed_args = self.check_parser(self.cmd, arglist, verifylist)
+
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.CommandError,
+                          self.cmd.take_action, parsed_args)
+        self.assertNotCalled(self.servers_mock.create)
+
+    def test_server_create_with_empty_network_key_value(self):
+        arglist = [
+            '--image', 'image1',
+            '--flavor', 'flavor1',
+            '--nic', 'net-id=',
+            self.new_server.name,
+        ]
+        verifylist = [
+            ('image', 'image1'),
+            ('flavor', 'flavor1'),
+            ('nic', ['net-id=']),
+            ('config_drive', False),
+            ('server_name', self.new_server.name),
+        ]
+        parsed_args = self.check_parser(self.cmd, arglist, verifylist)
+
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.CommandError,
+                          self.cmd.take_action, parsed_args)
+        self.assertNotCalled(self.servers_mock.create)
+
+    def test_server_create_with_only_network_key(self):
+        arglist = [
+            '--image', 'image1',
+            '--flavor', 'flavor1',
+            '--nic', 'net-id',
+            self.new_server.name,
+        ]
+        verifylist = [
+            ('image', 'image1'),
+            ('flavor', 'flavor1'),
+            ('nic', ['net-id']),
+            ('config_drive', False),
+            ('server_name', self.new_server.name),
+        ]
+        parsed_args = self.check_parser(self.cmd, arglist, verifylist)
+
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.CommandError,
+                          self.cmd.take_action, parsed_args)
+        self.assertNotCalled(self.servers_mock.create)
+
     @mock.patch.object(common_utils, 'wait_for_status', return_value=True)
     def test_server_create_with_wait_ok(self, mock_wait_for_status):
         arglist = [