diff --git a/Lib/cProfile.py b/Lib/cProfile.py
index 3c9be3cbd22441..305e79e2804986 100755
--- a/Lib/cProfile.py
+++ b/Lib/cProfile.py
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ def main():
     import os
     import sys
     import runpy
+    import pstats
     from optparse import OptionParser
     usage = "cProfile.py [-o output_file_path] [-s sort] [-m module | scriptfile] [arg] ..."
     parser = OptionParser(usage=usage)
@@ -139,7 +140,8 @@ def main():
         help="Save stats to <outfile>", default=None)
     parser.add_option('-s', '--sort', dest="sort",
         help="Sort order when printing to stdout, based on pstats.Stats class",
-        default=-1)
+        default=-1,
+        choices=sorted(pstats.Stats.sort_arg_dict_default))
     parser.add_option('-m', dest="module", action="store_true",
         help="Profile a library module", default=False)
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_cprofile.py b/Lib/test/test_cprofile.py
index 2fd67ee75688fe..406d70305f9e9c 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_cprofile.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_cprofile.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import sys
 from test.support import run_unittest, TESTFN, unlink
+import unittest
 
 # rip off all interesting stuff from test_profile
 import cProfile
@@ -76,9 +77,14 @@ def test_profile_as_context_manager(self):
         # profile shouldn't be set once we leave the with-block.
         self.assertIs(sys.getprofile(), None)
 
+class TestCommandLine(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_sort(self):
+        rc, out, err = assert_python_failure('-m', 'cProfile', '-s', 'demo')
+        self.assertGreater(rc, 0)
+        self.assertIn(b"option -s: invalid choice: 'demo'", err)
 
 def test_main():
-    run_unittest(CProfileTest)
+    run_unittest(CProfileTest, TestCommandLine)
 
 def main():
     if '-r' not in sys.argv:
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2018-10-17-11-00-00.bpo-23420.Lq74Uu.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2018-10-17-11-00-00.bpo-23420.Lq74Uu.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..034e7e53970adf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2018-10-17-11-00-00.bpo-23420.Lq74Uu.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Verify the value for the parameter '-s' of the cProfile CLI. Patch by Robert
+Kuska