diff --git a/client/gefyra/cli/run.py b/client/gefyra/cli/run.py
index c32c541b..7b909b6c 100644
--- a/client/gefyra/cli/run.py
+++ b/client/gefyra/cli/run.py
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 import ast
 import click
-from gefyra.cli.utils import OptionEatAll, check_connection_name, parse_ip_port_map
+from gefyra.cli.utils import (
+    OptionEatAll,
+    check_connection_name,
+    parse_env,
+    parse_ip_port_map,
+    parse_workload,
+)
 
 
 @click.command()
@@ -32,6 +38,7 @@
     "--env-from",
     help="Copy the environment from the container in the notation 'Pod/Container'",
     type=str,
+    callback=parse_workload,
 )
 @click.option(
     "-v",
@@ -50,6 +57,7 @@
         " times"
     ),
     type=str,
+    callback=parse_env,
     multiple=True,
 )
 @click.option(
diff --git a/client/gefyra/cli/utils.py b/client/gefyra/cli/utils.py
index 41a89158..86f09669 100644
--- a/client/gefyra/cli/utils.py
+++ b/client/gefyra/cli/utils.py
@@ -216,6 +216,25 @@ def v(p: str):
     return res
 
 
+def parse_env(ctx, param, envs: Tuple[str]) -> List[str]:
+    res = []
+    for env in envs:
+        if "=" not in env:
+            raise ValueError("Invalid value for env variable. Please use 'ENV=value'.")
+        res.append(env)
+    return res
+
+
+def parse_workload(ctx, param, workload: str) -> str:
+    MSG = (
+        "Invalid workload format. Please provide the workload "
+        "in the format 'type/name' or 'type/name/container-name'."
+    )
+    if "/" not in workload:
+        raise ValueError(MSG)
+    return workload
+
+
 def check_connection_name(ctx, param, selected: Optional[str] = None) -> str:
     from gefyra import api
 
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/test_cli_utils.py b/client/tests/unit/test_cli_utils.py
index 7855a903..ca9abbe6 100644
--- a/client/tests/unit/test_cli_utils.py
+++ b/client/tests/unit/test_cli_utils.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 from gefyra.local.utils import get_connection_from_kubeconfig, get_processed_paths
 from gefyra.api.utils import generate_env_dict_from_strings, get_workload_type
-from gefyra.cli.utils import parse_ip_port_map
+from gefyra.cli.utils import parse_env, parse_ip_port_map, parse_workload
 
 
 @patch("kubernetes.config.kube_config.KUBE_CONFIG_DEFAULT_LOCATION", "/tmp/kube.yaml")
@@ -97,6 +97,26 @@ def test_env_dict_creation():
     )
 
 
+def test_env_parsing():
+    try:
+        parse_env(None, None, ("APP",))
+    except Exception as e:
+        assert "use 'ENV=value'" in str(e)
+
+    res = parse_env(None, None, ("APP=test-app",))
+    TestCase().assertListEqual(res, ["APP=test-app"])
+
+
+def test_workload_parsing():
+    res = parse_workload(None, None, "pod/test")
+    assert res == "pod/test"
+
+    try:
+        res = parse_workload(None, None, "pod")
+    except Exception as e:
+        assert "Invalid workload format" in str(e)
+
+
 def test_ip_port_map_parsing():
     # single
     res = parse_ip_port_map(None, None, ("1234:1234",))