diff --git a/parse-options.h b/parse-options.h
index ac6ba8abf9..b6ea0ac66d 100644
--- a/parse-options.h
+++ b/parse-options.h
@@ -128,55 +128,67 @@ struct option {
 	intptr_t extra;
 };
 
-#define OPT_BIT_F(s, l, v, h, b, f) { OPTION_BIT, (s), (l), (v), NULL, (h), \
+#define DEFINE_OPT_TYPE_CHECK(name, type)  \
+	static inline void *_opt_ ## name(type *p)	\
+	{						\
+		return p;				\
+	}
+
+DEFINE_OPT_TYPE_CHECK(int, int)
+DEFINE_OPT_TYPE_CHECK(ulong, unsigned long)
+DEFINE_OPT_TYPE_CHECK(string, const char *)
+DEFINE_OPT_TYPE_CHECK(string_list, struct string_list)
+DEFINE_OPT_TYPE_CHECK(timestamp, timestamp_t)
+
+#define OPT_BIT_F(s, l, v, h, b, f) { OPTION_BIT, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), NULL, (h), \
 				      PARSE_OPT_NOARG|(f), NULL, (b) }
-#define OPT_COUNTUP_F(s, l, v, h, f) { OPTION_COUNTUP, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
+#define OPT_COUNTUP_F(s, l, v, h, f) { OPTION_COUNTUP, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), NULL, \
 				       (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG|(f) }
-#define OPT_SET_INT_F(s, l, v, h, i, f) { OPTION_SET_INT, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
+#define OPT_SET_INT_F(s, l, v, h, i, f) { OPTION_SET_INT, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), NULL, \
 					  (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG | (f), NULL, (i) }
 #define OPT_BOOL_F(s, l, v, h, f)   OPT_SET_INT_F(s, l, v, h, 1, f)
 #define OPT_CALLBACK_F(s, l, v, a, h, f, cb)			\
 	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), (v), (a), (h), (f), (cb) }
-#define OPT_STRING_F(s, l, v, a, h, f)   { OPTION_STRING,  (s), (l), (v), (a), (h), (f) }
-#define OPT_INTEGER_F(s, l, v, h, f)     { OPTION_INTEGER, (s), (l), (v), N_("n"), (h), (f) }
+#define OPT_STRING_F(s, l, v, a, h, f)   { OPTION_STRING,  (s), (l), _opt_string(v), (a), (h), (f) }
+#define OPT_INTEGER_F(s, l, v, h, f)     { OPTION_INTEGER, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), N_("n"), (h), (f) }
 
 #define OPT_END()                   { OPTION_END }
-#define OPT_ARGUMENT(l, v, h)       { OPTION_ARGUMENT, 0, (l), (v), NULL, \
+#define OPT_ARGUMENT(l, v, h)       { OPTION_ARGUMENT, 0, (l), _opt_int(v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG, NULL, 1 }
 #define OPT_GROUP(h)                { OPTION_GROUP, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, (h) }
 #define OPT_BIT(s, l, v, h, b)      OPT_BIT_F(s, l, v, h, b, 0)
-#define OPT_BITOP(s, l, v, h, set, clear) { OPTION_BITOP, (s), (l), (v), NULL, (h), \
+#define OPT_BITOP(s, l, v, h, set, clear) { OPTION_BITOP, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), NULL, (h), \
 					    PARSE_OPT_NOARG|PARSE_OPT_NONEG, NULL, \
 					    (set), NULL, (clear) }
-#define OPT_NEGBIT(s, l, v, h, b)   { OPTION_NEGBIT, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
+#define OPT_NEGBIT(s, l, v, h, b)   { OPTION_NEGBIT, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG, NULL, (b) }
 #define OPT_COUNTUP(s, l, v, h)     OPT_COUNTUP_F(s, l, v, h, 0)
 #define OPT_SET_INT(s, l, v, h, i)  OPT_SET_INT_F(s, l, v, h, i, 0)
 #define OPT_BOOL(s, l, v, h)        OPT_BOOL_F(s, l, v, h, 0)
-#define OPT_HIDDEN_BOOL(s, l, v, h) { OPTION_SET_INT, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
+#define OPT_HIDDEN_BOOL(s, l, v, h) { OPTION_SET_INT, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG | PARSE_OPT_HIDDEN, NULL, 1}
-#define OPT_CMDMODE(s, l, v, h, i)  { OPTION_CMDMODE, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
+#define OPT_CMDMODE(s, l, v, h, i)  { OPTION_CMDMODE, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG|PARSE_OPT_NONEG, NULL, (i) }
 #define OPT_INTEGER(s, l, v, h)     OPT_INTEGER_F(s, l, v, h, 0)
-#define OPT_MAGNITUDE(s, l, v, h)   { OPTION_MAGNITUDE, (s), (l), (v), \
+#define OPT_MAGNITUDE(s, l, v, h)   { OPTION_MAGNITUDE, (s), (l), _opt_ulong(v), \
 				      N_("n"), (h), PARSE_OPT_NONEG }
 #define OPT_STRING(s, l, v, a, h)   OPT_STRING_F(s, l, v, a, h, 0)
 #define OPT_STRING_LIST(s, l, v, a, h) \
-				    { OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), (v), (a), \
+				    { OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), _opt_string_list(v), (a), \
 				      (h), 0, &parse_opt_string_list }
-#define OPT_UYN(s, l, v, h)         { OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
+#define OPT_UYN(s, l, v, h)         { OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG, &parse_opt_tertiary }
 #define OPT_EXPIRY_DATE(s, l, v, h) \
-	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), (v), N_("expiry-date"),(h), 0,	\
+	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), _opt_timestamp(v), N_("expiry-date"),(h), 0,	\
 	  parse_opt_expiry_date_cb }
 #define OPT_CALLBACK(s, l, v, a, h, f) OPT_CALLBACK_F(s, l, v, a, h, 0, f)
 #define OPT_NUMBER_CALLBACK(v, h, f) \
 	{ OPTION_NUMBER, 0, NULL, (v), NULL, (h), \
 	  PARSE_OPT_NOARG | PARSE_OPT_NONEG, (f) }
-#define OPT_FILENAME(s, l, v, h)    { OPTION_FILENAME, (s), (l), (v), \
+#define OPT_FILENAME(s, l, v, h)    { OPTION_FILENAME, (s), (l), _opt_string(v), \
 				       N_("file"), (h) }
 #define OPT_COLOR_FLAG(s, l, v, h) \
-	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), (v), N_("when"), (h), PARSE_OPT_OPTARG, \
+	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), _opt_int(v), N_("when"), (h), PARSE_OPT_OPTARG, \
 		parse_opt_color_flag_cb, (intptr_t)"always" }
 
 #define OPT_NOOP_NOARG(s, l) \
@@ -301,14 +313,14 @@ int parse_opt_passthru_argv(const struct option *, const char *, int);
 #define OPT__VERBOSE(var, h)  OPT_COUNTUP('v', "verbose", (var), (h))
 #define OPT__QUIET(var, h)    OPT_COUNTUP('q', "quiet",   (var), (h))
 #define OPT__VERBOSITY(var) \
-	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, 'v', "verbose", (var), NULL, N_("be more verbose"), \
+	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, 'v', "verbose", _opt_int(var), NULL, N_("be more verbose"), \
 	  PARSE_OPT_NOARG, &parse_opt_verbosity_cb, 0 }, \
-	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, 'q', "quiet", (var), NULL, N_("be more quiet"), \
+	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, 'q', "quiet", _opt_int(var), NULL, N_("be more quiet"), \
 	  PARSE_OPT_NOARG, &parse_opt_verbosity_cb, 0 }
 #define OPT__DRY_RUN(var, h)  OPT_BOOL('n', "dry-run", (var), (h))
 #define OPT__FORCE(var, h, f) OPT_COUNTUP_F('f', "force",   (var), (h), (f))
 #define OPT__ABBREV(var)  \
-	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, 0, "abbrev", (var), N_("n"),	\
+	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, 0, "abbrev", _opt_int(var), N_("n"),	\
 	  N_("use <n> digits to display SHA-1s"),	\
 	  PARSE_OPT_OPTARG, &parse_opt_abbrev_cb, 0 }
 #define OPT__COLOR(var, h) \
