diff --git a/sqlmesh/cli/main.py b/sqlmesh/cli/main.py
index f5a3c62cf9..608b6eefb2 100644
--- a/sqlmesh/cli/main.py
+++ b/sqlmesh/cli/main.py
@@ -553,6 +553,7 @@ def diff(ctx: click.Context, environment: t.Optional[str] = None) -> None:
 )
 @click.option(
     "--min-intervals",
+    type=int,
     default=None,
     help="For every model, ensure at least this many intervals are covered by a missing intervals check regardless of the plan start date",
 )
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_cli.py b/tests/cli/test_cli.py
index 092def8e0c..c625cb084d 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_cli.py
@@ -263,6 +263,44 @@ def test_plan_skip_backfill(runner, tmp_path, flag):
     assert "Model batches executed" not in result.output
 
 
+def test_plan_min_intervals(runner, tmp_path):
+    create_example_project(tmp_path)
+
+    # build prod so the dev plan below has a baseline to diff against
+    runner.invoke(
+        cli,
+        ["--log-file-dir", tmp_path, "--paths", tmp_path, "plan", "--no-prompts", "--auto-apply"],
+    )
+    update_incremental_model(tmp_path)
+
+    # --min-intervals must be coerced to int; otherwise the string reaches
+    # range() in _calculate_start_override_per_model and raises TypeError
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        cli,
+        [
+            "--log-file-dir",
+            tmp_path,
+            "--paths",
+            tmp_path,
+            "plan",
+            "dev",
+            "--no-prompts",
+            "--auto-apply",
+            "--min-intervals",
+            "1",
+        ],
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+
+    # a non-integer value is rejected by click, not surfaced as a traceback
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        cli,
+        ["--log-file-dir", tmp_path, "--paths", tmp_path, "plan", "dev", "--min-intervals", "abc"],
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 2
+    assert "is not a valid integer" in result.output
+
+
 def test_plan_auto_apply(runner, tmp_path):
     create_example_project(tmp_path)