diff --git a/doc/fixes5-0-1.txt b/doc/fixes5-0-1.txt
index 2feee9be0..8a827c5d2 100644
--- a/doc/fixes5-0-1.txt
+++ b/doc/fixes5-0-1.txt
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ X11: toggle off perm_invent if user closes the perm inventory window
 X11: fix menu group accelerators
 X11: implement all text attributes for menus
 X11: fix crash when loading a nonexistent font
+Unix: don't complain about MAXPLAYERS with unknown command line param
 
 
 General New Features
diff --git a/sys/unix/unixmain.c b/sys/unix/unixmain.c
index 6cad795d8..c712b08e6 100644
--- a/sys/unix/unixmain.c
+++ b/sys/unix/unixmain.c
@@ -454,22 +454,8 @@ process_options(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
     }
 
-    if (argc > 1) {
-        int mxplyrs = atoi(argv[1]);
-        boolean mx_ok = (mxplyrs > 0);
-#ifdef SYSCF
-        config_error_add("%s%s%s",
-                         mx_ok ? "MAXPLAYERS are set in sysconf file"
-                               : "Expected MAXPLAYERS, found \"",
-                         mx_ok ? "" : argv[1], mx_ok ? "" : "\"");
-#else
-        /* XXX This is deprecated in favor of SYSCF with MAXPLAYERS */
-        if (mx_ok)
-            gl.locknum = mxplyrs;
-        else
-            config_error_add("Invalid MAXPLAYERS \"%s\"", argv[1]);
-#endif
-    }
+    if (argc > 1)
+        config_error_add("Unknown option: %.60s", origarg);
 #ifdef MAX_NR_OF_PLAYERS
     /* limit to compile-time limit */
     if (!gl.locknum || gl.locknum > MAX_NR_OF_PLAYERS)