diff --git a/src/uu/tr/src/tr.rs b/src/uu/tr/src/tr.rs
index 57acb7fac..90096c90b 100644
--- a/src/uu/tr/src/tr.rs
+++ b/src/uu/tr/src/tr.rs
@@ -170,7 +170,8 @@ pub fn uu_app() -> Command {
                 .short('c')
                 .long(options::COMPLEMENT)
                 .help("use the complement of SET1")
-                .action(ArgAction::SetTrue),
+                .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
+                .overrides_with(options::COMPLEMENT),
         )
         .arg(
             Arg::new(options::DELETE)
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_tr.rs b/tests/by-util/test_tr.rs
index bf589a5c5..4ed3d3967 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_tr.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_tr.rs
@@ -118,6 +118,15 @@ fn test_complement5() {
         .stdout_is("0a1b2c3");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_complement_multi_early() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-c", "-c", "a", "X"])
+        .pipe_in("ab")
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_is("aX");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_squeeze() {
     new_ucmd!()