diff --git a/qt/aqt/main.py b/qt/aqt/main.py
index 0f2764f66..1acac47d3 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/main.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/main.py
@@ -301,9 +301,10 @@ class AnkiQt(QMainWindow):
 
         self.pendingImport: str | None = None
         self.restoring_backup = False
-        # profile not provided on command line?
-        if not self.pm.name:
-            # if there's a single profile, load it automatically
+        # - if a valid profile was provided on commandline, we load it
+        # - if an invalid profile was provided, we skip this step and show the picker
+        # - if no profile was provided, we use this step
+        if not self.pm.name and not self.pm.invalid_profile_provided_on_commandline:
             profs = self.pm.profiles()
             name = self.pm.last_loaded_profile_name()
             if len(profs) == 1:
diff --git a/qt/aqt/profiles.py b/qt/aqt/profiles.py
index 8a7a2d2ac..28cbd74ae 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/profiles.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/profiles.py
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ class ProfileManager:
         self.name: str | None = None
         self.db: DB | None = None
         self.profile: dict | None = None
+        self.invalid_profile_provided_on_commandline = False
         self.base = str(base)
 
     def setupMeta(self) -> LoadMetaResult:
@@ -131,18 +132,15 @@ class ProfileManager:
         self.firstRun = res.firstTime
         return res
 
-    # profile load on startup
+    # -p profile provided on command line.
     def openProfile(self, profile: str) -> None:
-        if profile:
-            if profile not in self.profiles():
-                QMessageBox.critical(
-                    None, tr.qt_misc_error(), tr.profiles_profile_does_not_exist()
-                )
-                sys.exit(1)
+        if profile not in self.profiles():
+            self.invalid_profile_provided_on_commandline = True
+        else:
             try:
                 self.load(profile)
-            except TypeError as exc:
-                raise Exception("Provided profile does not exist.") from exc
+            except Exception as exc:
+                self.invalid_profile_provided_on_commandline = True
 
     # Profile load/save
     ######################################################################