diff --git a/mesonbuild/coredata.py b/mesonbuild/coredata.py
index b2b966b7d726..e7de3d7fde32 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/coredata.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/coredata.py
@@ -974,6 +974,8 @@ def set_options(self, options: T.Dict[OptionKey, T.Any], subproject: str = '', f
         return dirty
 
     def set_default_options(self, default_options: T.MutableMapping[OptionKey, str], subproject: str, env: 'Environment') -> None:
+        from .compilers import base_options
+
         # Main project can set default options on subprojects, but subprojects
         # can only set default options on themselves.
         # Preserve order: if env.options has 'buildtype' it must come after
@@ -1005,7 +1007,10 @@ def set_default_options(self, default_options: T.MutableMapping[OptionKey, str],
                 continue
             # Skip base, compiler, and backend options, they are handled when
             # adding languages and setting backend.
-            if k.type in {OptionType.COMPILER, OptionType.BACKEND, OptionType.BASE}:
+            if k.type in {OptionType.COMPILER, OptionType.BACKEND}:
+                continue
+            if k.type == OptionType.BASE and k in base_options:
+                # set_options will report unknown base options
                 continue
             options[k] = v
 
diff --git a/unittests/allplatformstests.py b/unittests/allplatformstests.py
index 777f2f92a127..1064e6adb34d 100644
--- a/unittests/allplatformstests.py
+++ b/unittests/allplatformstests.py
@@ -2694,7 +2694,7 @@ def test_command_line(self):
 
         # It is not an error to set wrong option for unknown subprojects or
         # language because we don't have control on which one will be selected.
-        self.init(testdir, extra_args=['-Dc_wrong=1', '-Dwrong:bad=1', '-Db_wrong=1'])
+        self.init(testdir, extra_args=['-Dc_wrong=1', '-Dwrong:bad=1'])
         self.wipe()
 
         # Test we can set subproject option
diff --git a/unittests/platformagnostictests.py b/unittests/platformagnostictests.py
index 6884da42e763..21cb3b94563c 100644
--- a/unittests/platformagnostictests.py
+++ b/unittests/platformagnostictests.py
@@ -285,3 +285,10 @@ def test_reconfigure_base_options(self):
         out = self.init(testdir, extra_args=['--reconfigure', '-Db_ndebug=if-release', '-Dc_std=c99'])
         self.assertIn('\nMessage: b_ndebug: if-release\n', out)
         self.assertIn('\nMessage: c_std: c99\n', out)
+
+    def test_setup_with_unknown_option(self):
+        testdir = os.path.join(self.common_test_dir, '1 trivial')
+
+        for option in ('not_an_option', 'b_not_an_option'):
+            out = self.init(testdir, extra_args=['--wipe', f'-D{option}=1'], allow_fail=True)
+            self.assertIn(f'ERROR: Unknown options: "{option}"', out)