diff --git a/src/uu/pr/src/pr.rs b/src/uu/pr/src/pr.rs
index d74c65cc5..def105ae5 100644
--- a/src/uu/pr/src/pr.rs
+++ b/src/uu/pr/src/pr.rs
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ fn parse_usize(matches: &ArgMatches, opt: &str) -> Option<Result<usize, PrError>
         let i = value_to_parse.0;
         let option = value_to_parse.1;
         i.parse().map_err(|_e| PrError::EncounteredErrors {
-            msg: format!("invalid {option} argument {}", i.quote()),
+            msg: format!("invalid -{option} argument {}", i.quote()),
         })
     };
     matches
@@ -771,6 +771,11 @@ fn build_options(
             })
     });
     let start_column_option = match res {
+        Some(Ok(0)) => {
+            return Err(PrError::EncounteredErrors {
+                msg: "invalid --column argument '0'".to_string(),
+            });
+        }
         Some(res) => Some(res?),
         None => None,
     };
@@ -778,6 +783,11 @@ fn build_options(
     // --column has more priority than -column
 
     let column_option_value = match parse_usize(matches, options::COLUMN) {
+        Some(Ok(0)) => {
+            return Err(PrError::EncounteredErrors {
+                msg: "invalid --column argument '0'".to_string(),
+            });
+        }
         Some(res) => Some(res?),
         None => start_column_option,
     };
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_pr.rs b/tests/by-util/test_pr.rs
index 02735a2ab..26403b6f4 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_pr.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_pr.rs
@@ -873,3 +873,19 @@ fn test_expand_tab_does_not_consume_next_argument() {
     new_ucmd!().args(&["-ea", test_file_path]).succeeds();
     new_ucmd!().args(&["-ea1", test_file_path]).succeeds();
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_zero_columns() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .arg("--column=0")
+        .fails_with_code(1)
+        .stderr_contains("pr: invalid --column argument '0'");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_zero_columns_shortcut() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .arg("-0")
+        .fails_with_code(1)
+        .stderr_contains("pr: invalid --column argument '0'");
+}