diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go
index ef82d5081..9faa0da59 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package clone
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/iostreams"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
 type CloneOptions struct {
@@ -33,16 +35,18 @@ func NewCmdClone(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*CloneOptions) error) *cobra.Comm
 	}
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "clone <repository> [<directory>]",
+		DisableFlagsInUseLine: true,
+
+		Use:   "clone <repository> [<directory>] [-- <gitflags>...]",
 		Args:  cobra.MinimumNArgs(1),
 		Short: "Clone a repository locally",
-		Long: heredoc.Doc(
-			`Clone a GitHub repository locally.
+		Long: heredoc.Doc(`
+			Clone a GitHub repository locally.
 
 			If the "OWNER/" portion of the "OWNER/REPO" repository argument is omitted, it
 			defaults to the name of the authenticating user.
 			
-			To pass 'git clone' flags, separate them with '--'.
+			Pass additional 'git clone' flags by listing them after '--'.
 		`),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts.Repository = args[0]
@@ -56,6 +60,13 @@ func NewCmdClone(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*CloneOptions) error) *cobra.Comm
 		},
 	}
 
+	cmd.SetFlagErrorFunc(func(cmd *cobra.Command, err error) error {
+		if err == pflag.ErrHelp {
+			return err
+		}
+		return &cmdutil.FlagError{Err: fmt.Errorf("%w\nSeparate git clone flags with '--'.", err)}
+	})
+
 	return cmd
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone_test.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone_test.go
index c732c8bfe..54aa2f1cb 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone_test.go
@@ -179,3 +179,10 @@ func Test_RepoClone_withoutUsername(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, cs.Count)
 	assert.Equal(t, "git clone https://github.com/OWNER/REPO.git", strings.Join(cs.Calls[0].Args, " "))
 }
+
+func Test_RepoClone_flagError(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := runCloneCommand(nil, "--depth 1 OWNER/REPO")
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != "unknown flag: --depth\nSeparate git clone flags with '--'." {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected error %v", err)
+	}
+}