diff --git a/args.go b/args.go
index 2c1f99e7..f12fcc6e 100644
--- a/args.go
+++ b/args.go
@@ -23,16 +23,15 @@ type PositionalArgs func(cmd *Command, args []string) error
 
 // Legacy arg validation has the following behaviour:
 // - root commands with no subcommands can take arbitrary arguments
-// - root commands with subcommands will do subcommand validity checking
-// - subcommands will always accept arbitrary arguments
+// - commands with subcommands cannot take any arguments
 func legacyArgs(cmd *Command, args []string) error {
 	// no subcommand, always take args
 	if !cmd.HasSubCommands() {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// root command with subcommands, do subcommand checking.
-	if !cmd.HasParent() && len(args) > 0 {
+	// root command with subcommands, the args should be empty.
+	if cmd.HasSubCommands() && len(args) > 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unknown command %q for %q%s", args[0], cmd.CommandPath(), cmd.findSuggestions(args[0]))
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/command.go b/command.go
index 1867d22c..4518ea91 100644
--- a/command.go
+++ b/command.go
@@ -828,12 +828,6 @@ func (c *Command) execute(a []string) (err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if !c.Runnable() {
-		return flag.ErrHelp
-	}
-
-	c.preRun()
-
 	argWoFlags := c.Flags().Args()
 	if c.DisableFlagParsing {
 		argWoFlags = a
@@ -843,6 +837,12 @@ func (c *Command) execute(a []string) (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if !c.Runnable() {
+		return flag.ErrHelp
+	}
+
+	c.preRun()
+
 	for p := c; p != nil; p = p.Parent() {
 		if p.PersistentPreRunE != nil {
 			if err := p.PersistentPreRunE(c, argWoFlags); err != nil {