diff --git a/confluent_client/bin/nodefirmware b/confluent_client/bin/nodefirmware
index 8f8ab62c..62ff32a7 100755
--- a/confluent_client/bin/nodefirmware
+++ b/confluent_client/bin/nodefirmware
@@ -147,10 +147,12 @@ def update_firmware(session, filename):
 def show_firmware(session):
     global exitcode
     firmware_shown = False
+    nodes_matched = False
     for component in components:
         for res in session.read(
                 '/noderange/{0}/inventory/firmware/all/{1}'.format(
                     noderange, component)):
+            nodes_matched = True
             exitcode |= client.printerror(res)
             if 'databynode' not in res:
                 continue
@@ -161,7 +163,9 @@ def show_firmware(session):
                     for prefix in inv:
                         firmware_shown = True
                         printfirm(node, prefix, inv[prefix])
-    if not firmware_shown and not exitcode:
+    if not nodes_matched:
+        sys.stderr.write('No matching nodes for noderange "{0}"'.format(noderange))
+    elif not firmware_shown and not exitcode:
         argparser.print_help()