diff --git a/src/bin/cargo/cli.rs b/src/bin/cargo/cli.rs
index 7c0e3b5ee85..a21030f0141 100644
--- a/src/bin/cargo/cli.rs
+++ b/src/bin/cargo/cli.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use anyhow::{anyhow, Context as _};
 use cargo::core::shell::Shell;
 use cargo::core::{features, CliUnstable};
 use cargo::{self, drop_print, drop_println, CargoResult, CliResult, Config};
-use clap::{Arg, ArgMatches};
+use clap::{builder::UnknownArgumentValueParser, Arg, ArgMatches};
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::ffi::OsStr;
@@ -618,15 +618,29 @@ See '<cyan,bold>cargo help</> <cyan><<command>></>' for more information on a sp
                 .help_heading(heading::MANIFEST_OPTIONS)
                 .global(true),
         )
-        .arg_config()
-        .arg(
-            Arg::new("unstable-features")
-                .help("Unstable (nightly-only) flags to Cargo, see 'cargo -Z help' for details")
-                .short('Z')
-                .value_name("FLAG")
-                .action(ArgAction::Append)
-                .global(true),
-        )
+        // Better suggestion for the unsupported short config flag.
+        .arg( Arg::new("unsupported-short-config-flag")
+            .help("")
+            .short('c')
+            .value_parser(UnknownArgumentValueParser::suggest_arg("--config"))
+            .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
+            .global(true)
+            .hide(true))
+        .arg(multi_opt("config", "KEY=VALUE", "Override a configuration value").global(true))
+        // Better suggestion for the unsupported lowercase unstable feature flag.
+        .arg( Arg::new("unsupported-lowercase-unstable-feature-flag")
+            .help("")
+            .short('z')
+            .value_parser(UnknownArgumentValueParser::suggest_arg("-Z"))
+            .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
+            .global(true)
+            .hide(true))
+        .arg(Arg::new("unstable-features")
+            .help("Unstable (nightly-only) flags to Cargo, see 'cargo -Z help' for details")
+            .short('Z')
+            .value_name("FLAG")
+            .action(ArgAction::Append)
+            .global(true))
         .subcommands(commands::builtin())
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/command_prelude.rs b/src/cargo/util/command_prelude.rs
index bfc2c45cd05..a8b8e31c7eb 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/command_prelude.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/command_prelude.rs
@@ -378,21 +378,6 @@ pub trait CommandExt: Sized {
         )
         ._arg(unsupported_short_arg)
     }
-
-    fn arg_config(self) -> Self {
-        let unsupported_short_arg = {
-            let value_parser = UnknownArgumentValueParser::suggest_arg("--config");
-            Arg::new("unsupported-short-config-flag")
-                .help("")
-                .short('c')
-                .value_parser(value_parser)
-                .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
-                .global(true)
-                .hide(true)
-        };
-        self._arg(unsupported_short_arg)
-            ._arg(multi_opt("config", "KEY=VALUE", "Override a configuration value").global(true))
-    }
 }
 
 impl CommandExt for Command {
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/build.rs b/tests/testsuite/build.rs
index bd4b43b4266..77cdd538eef 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/build.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/build.rs
@@ -244,6 +244,33 @@ fn cargo_compile_directory_not_cwd() {
     assert!(p.bin("foo").is_file());
 }
 
+#[cargo_test]
+fn cargo_compile_with_unsupported_short_unstable_feature_flag() {
+    let p = project()
+        .file("Cargo.toml", &basic_bin_manifest("foo"))
+        .file("src/foo.rs", &main_file(r#""i am foo""#, &[]))
+        .file(".cargo/config.toml", &"")
+        .build();
+
+    p.cargo("-zunstable-options -C foo build")
+        .masquerade_as_nightly_cargo(&["chdir"])
+        .cwd(p.root().parent().unwrap())
+        .with_stderr(
+            "\
+error: unexpected argument '-z' found
+
+  tip: a similar argument exists: '-Z'
+
+Usage: cargo [+toolchain] [OPTIONS] [COMMAND]
+       cargo [+toolchain] [OPTIONS] -Zscript <MANIFEST_RS> [ARGS]...
+
+For more information, try '--help'.
+",
+        )
+        .with_status(1)
+        .run();
+}
+
 #[cargo_test]
 fn cargo_compile_directory_not_cwd_with_invalid_config() {
     let p = project()