diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index 7f5156059..8a95ea2a2 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -227,6 +227,11 @@ bool CmdLineParser::fillSettingsFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
         std::copy_if(fileSettings.cbegin(), fileSettings.cend(), std::back_inserter(mFileSettings), [&](const FileSettings &fs) {
             return mSettings.library.markupFile(fs.filename) && mSettings.library.processMarkupAfterCode(fs.filename);
         });
+
+        if (mFileSettings.empty()) {
+            mLogger.printError("could not find or open any of the paths given.");
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 
     if (!pathnamesRef.empty()) {
@@ -239,6 +244,7 @@ bool CmdLineParser::fillSettingsFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
         const bool caseSensitive = true;
 #endif
         // Execute recursiveAddFiles() to each given file parameter
+        // TODO: verbose log which files were ignored?
         const PathMatch matcher(ignored, caseSensitive);
         for (const std::string &pathname : pathnamesRef) {
             const std::string err = FileLister::recursiveAddFiles(filesResolved, Path::toNativeSeparators(pathname), mSettings.library.markupExtensions(), matcher);
@@ -248,6 +254,14 @@ bool CmdLineParser::fillSettingsFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
             }
         }
 
+        if (filesResolved.empty()) {
+            mLogger.printError("could not find or open any of the paths given.");
+            // TODO: PathMatch should provide the information if files were ignored
+            if (!ignored.empty())
+                mLogger.printMessage("Maybe all paths were ignored?");
+            return false;
+        }
+
         // de-duplicate files
         {
             auto it = filesResolved.begin();
@@ -283,13 +297,11 @@ bool CmdLineParser::fillSettingsFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
         std::copy_if(files.cbegin(), files.cend(), std::inserter(mFiles, mFiles.end()), [&](const decltype(files)::value_type& entry) {
             return mSettings.library.markupFile(entry.first) && mSettings.library.processMarkupAfterCode(entry.first);
         });
-    }
 
-    if (mFiles.empty() && mFileSettings.empty()) {
-        mLogger.printError("could not find or open any of the paths given.");
-        if (!ignored.empty())
-            mLogger.printMessage("Maybe all paths were ignored?");
-        return false;
+        if (mFiles.empty()) {
+            mLogger.printError("could not find or open any of the paths given.");
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 
     return true;
diff --git a/test/cli/test-more-projects.py b/test/cli/test-more-projects.py
index d84ff8746..36e1b2d98 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-more-projects.py
+++ b/test/cli/test-more-projects.py
@@ -371,15 +371,19 @@ def test_project_file_filter_3(tmpdir):
 
 
 def test_project_file_filter_no_match(tmpdir):
+    test_file = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'test.cpp')
+    with open(test_file, 'wt') as f:
+        pass
+
     project_file = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'test.cppcheck')
     with open(project_file, 'wt') as f:
         f.write(
             """<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <project>
     <paths>
-        <dir name="test.cpp"/>
+        <dir name="{}"/>
     </paths>
-</project>""")
+</project>""".format(test_file))
 
     args = ['--file-filter=*.c', '--project={}'.format(project_file)]
     out_lines = [
@@ -504,3 +508,27 @@ def test_project_file_duplicate_2(tmpdir):
         '3/3 files checked 0% done'
     ]
     assert stderr == ''
+
+
+def test_project_file_ignore(tmpdir):
+    test_file = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'test.cpp')
+    with open(test_file, 'wt') as f:
+        pass
+
+    project_file = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'test.cppcheck')
+    with open(project_file, 'wt') as f:
+        f.write(
+            """<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<project>
+    <paths>
+        <dir name="{}"/>
+    </paths>
+</project>""".format(test_file))
+
+    args = ['-itest.cpp', '--project={}'.format(project_file)]
+    out_lines = [
+        'cppcheck: error: could not find or open any of the paths given.',
+        'cppcheck: Maybe all paths were ignored?'
+    ]
+
+    assert_cppcheck(args, ec_exp=1, err_exp=[], out_exp=out_lines)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/cli/test-other.py b/test/cli/test-other.py
index 0ad6573f6..8787fcb66 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-other.py
+++ b/test/cli/test-other.py
@@ -598,7 +598,11 @@ def test_file_filter_3(tmpdir):
 
 
 def test_file_filter_no_match(tmpdir):
-    args = ['--file-filter=*.c', 'test.cpp']
+    test_file = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'test.cpp')
+    with open(test_file, 'wt'):
+        pass
+
+    args = ['--file-filter=*.c', test_file]
     out_lines = [
         'cppcheck: error: could not find any files matching the filter.'
     ]
@@ -825,3 +829,17 @@ def test_file_duplicate_2(tmpdir):
         '3/3 files checked 0% done'
     ]
     assert stderr == ''
+
+
+def test_file_ignore(tmpdir):
+    test_file = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'test.cpp')
+    with open(test_file, 'wt'):
+        pass
+
+    args = ['-itest.cpp', test_file]
+    out_lines = [
+        'cppcheck: error: could not find or open any of the paths given.',
+        'cppcheck: Maybe all paths were ignored?'
+    ]
+
+    assert_cppcheck(args, ec_exp=1, err_exp=[], out_exp=out_lines)
diff --git a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
index c4b6ed38f..4d219b713 100644
--- a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -350,6 +350,7 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(ignorepaths4);
         TEST_CASE(ignorefilepaths1);
         TEST_CASE(ignorefilepaths2);
+        TEST_CASE(ignorefilepaths3);
 
         TEST_CASE(checkconfig);
         TEST_CASE(unknownParam);
@@ -2228,6 +2229,14 @@ private:
         ASSERT_EQUALS("src/foo.cpp", parser->getIgnoredPaths()[0]);
     }
 
+    void ignorefilepaths3() {
+        REDIRECT;
+        const char * const argv[] = {"cppcheck", "-i", "foo.cpp", "file.cpp"};
+        ASSERT_EQUALS(CmdLineParser::Result::Success, parser->parseFromArgs(4, argv));
+        ASSERT_EQUALS(1, parser->getIgnoredPaths().size());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("foo.cpp", parser->getIgnoredPaths()[0]);
+    }
+
     void checkconfig() {
         REDIRECT;
         const char * const argv[] = {"cppcheck", "--check-config", "file.cpp"};