diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index 9fc456596..cc1a84a10 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -898,20 +898,9 @@ bool CmdLineParser::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
             }
 
             // Output formatter
-            else if (std::strcmp(argv[i], "--template") == 0 ||
-                     std::strncmp(argv[i], "--template=", 11) == 0) {
-                // "--template format"
-                if (argv[i][10] == '=')
-                    mSettings.templateFormat = argv[i] + 11;
-                else if ((i+1) < argc && argv[i+1][0] != '-') {
-                    printMessage("'--template <template>' is deprecated and will be removed in 2.13 - please use '--template=<template>' instead");
-                    ++i;
-                    mSettings.templateFormat = argv[i];
-                } else {
-                    printError("argument to '--template' is missing.");
-                    return false;
-                }
-                // TODO: bail out when no placeholders are found?
+            else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "--template=", 11) == 0) {
+                mSettings.templateFormat = argv[i] + 11;
+                // TODO: bail out when no template is provided?
 
                 if (mSettings.templateFormat == "gcc") {
                     mSettings.templateFormat = "{bold}{file}:{line}:{column}: {magenta}warning:{default} {message} [{id}]{reset}\\n{code}";
@@ -931,21 +920,12 @@ bool CmdLineParser::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
                     mSettings.templateLocation = "{file}:{line}:{column}: note: {info}\\n{code}";
                     mSettings.daca = true;
                 }
+                // TODO: bail out when no placeholders are found?
             }
 
-            else if (std::strcmp(argv[i], "--template-location") == 0 ||
-                     std::strncmp(argv[i], "--template-location=", 20) == 0) {
-                // "--template-location format"
-                if (argv[i][19] == '=')
-                    mSettings.templateLocation = argv[i] + 20;
-                else if ((i+1) < argc && argv[i+1][0] != '-') {
-                    printMessage("'--template-location <template>' is deprecated and will be removed in 2.13 - please use '--template-location=<template>' instead");
-                    ++i;
-                    mSettings.templateLocation = argv[i];
-                } else {
-                    printError("argument to '--template-location' is missing.");
-                    return false;
-                }
+            else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "--template-location=", 20) == 0) {
+                mSettings.templateLocation = argv[i] + 20;
+                // TODO: bail out when no template is provided?
                 // TODO: bail out when no placeholders are found?
             }
 
diff --git a/releasenotes.txt b/releasenotes.txt
index 945e66873..996751884 100644
--- a/releasenotes.txt
+++ b/releasenotes.txt
@@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ Changed interface:
 
 Other:
 - Windows builds now default to the `native` platform instead of `win32A` or `win64`. Please specify it explicitly if you depedent on it.
+- The undocumented and deprecated command-line options `--template <template>` and `--template-format <template>` has been removed. Please use `--template=` and `--template-format=` instead.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
index e5593f6a0..109f4fa09 100644
--- a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -179,10 +179,8 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(templatesSelfcheck);
         TEST_CASE(templatesNoPlaceholder);
         TEST_CASE(templateFormatInvalid);
-        TEST_CASE(templateFormatInvalid2);
         TEST_CASE(templateFormatEmpty);
         TEST_CASE(templateLocationInvalid);
-        TEST_CASE(templateLocationInvalid2);
         TEST_CASE(templateLocationEmpty);
         TEST_CASE(xml);
         TEST_CASE(xmlver2);
@@ -1416,24 +1414,12 @@ private:
     }
 
     void templateFormatInvalid() {
-        REDIRECT;
-        const char* const argv[] = { "cppcheck", "--template", "--template-location={file}", "file.cpp" };
-        ASSERT(!parser->parseFromArgs(4, argv));
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: error: argument to '--template' is missing.\n", GET_REDIRECT_OUTPUT);
-    }
-
-    // TODO: will not error out as he next option does not start with a "-"
-    void templateFormatInvalid2() {
         REDIRECT;
         settings->templateFormat.clear();
         settings->templateLocation.clear();
         const char* const argv[] = { "cppcheck", "--template", "file.cpp" };
         ASSERT(!parser->parseFromArgs(3, argv));
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("file.cpp", settings->templateFormat);
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("", settings->templateLocation);
-        TODO_ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: error: argument to '--template' is missing.\n",
-                           "cppcheck: '--template <template>' is deprecated and will be removed in 2.13 - please use '--template=<template>' instead\n"
-                           "cppcheck: error: no C or C++ source files found.\n", GET_REDIRECT_OUTPUT);
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: error: unrecognized command line option: \"--template\".\n", GET_REDIRECT_OUTPUT);
     }
 
     // will use the default
@@ -1453,21 +1439,7 @@ private:
         REDIRECT;
         const char* const argv[] = { "cppcheck", "--template-location", "--template={file}", "file.cpp" };
         ASSERT(!parser->parseFromArgs(4, argv));
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: error: argument to '--template-location' is missing.\n", GET_REDIRECT_OUTPUT);
-    }
-
-    // TODO: will not error out as the next option does not start with a "-"
-    void templateLocationInvalid2() {
-        REDIRECT;
-        settings->templateFormat.clear();
-        settings->templateLocation.clear();
-        const char* const argv[] = { "cppcheck", "--template-location", "file.cpp" };
-        ASSERT(!parser->parseFromArgs(3, argv));
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("{file}:{line}:{column}: {inconclusive:}{severity}:{inconclusive: inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]\n{code}", settings->templateFormat);
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("file.cpp", settings->templateLocation);
-        TODO_ASSERT_EQUALS("",
-                           "cppcheck: '--template-location <template>' is deprecated and will be removed in 2.13 - please use '--template-location=<template>' instead\n"
-                           "cppcheck: error: no C or C++ source files found.\n", GET_REDIRECT_OUTPUT);
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("cppcheck: error: unrecognized command line option: \"--template-location\".\n", GET_REDIRECT_OUTPUT);
     }
 
     // will use the default