diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_main.c b/bgpd/bgp_main.c
index 004bdd90a2..acb4272cd1 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_main.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_main.c
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@
 static const struct option longopts[] = {
 	{"bgp_port", required_argument, NULL, 'p'},
 	{"listenon", required_argument, NULL, 'l'},
+#if CONFDATE > 20190521
+	CPP_NOTICE("-r / --retain has reached deprecation EOL, remove")
+#endif
 	{"retain", no_argument, NULL, 'r'},
 	{"no_kernel", no_argument, NULL, 'n'},
 	{"skip_runas", no_argument, NULL, 'S'},
@@ -101,9 +104,6 @@ static struct quagga_signal_t bgp_signals[] = {
 	},
 };
 
-/* Route retain mode flag. */
-static int retain_mode = 0;
-
 /* privileges */
 static zebra_capabilities_t _caps_p[] = {ZCAP_BIND, ZCAP_NET_RAW,
 					 ZCAP_NET_ADMIN, ZCAP_SYS_ADMIN};
@@ -146,8 +146,7 @@ __attribute__((__noreturn__)) void sigint(void)
 	assert(bm->terminating == false);
 	bm->terminating = true;	/* global flag that shutting down */
 
-	if (!retain_mode)
-		bgp_terminate();
+	bgp_terminate();
 
 	bgp_exit(0);
 
@@ -324,6 +323,11 @@ FRR_DAEMON_INFO(bgpd, BGP, .vty_port = BGP_VTY_PORT,
 
 		.privs = &bgpd_privs, )
 
+#if CONFDATE > 20190521
+CPP_NOTICE("-r / --retain has reached deprecation EOL, remove")
+#endif
+#define DEPRECATED_OPTIONS "r"
+
 /* Main routine of bgpd. Treatment of argument and start bgp finite
    state machine is handled at here. */
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
@@ -338,10 +342,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	frr_preinit(&bgpd_di, argc, argv);
 	frr_opt_add(
-		"p:l:rSne:", longopts,
+		"p:l:Sne:" DEPRECATED_OPTIONS, longopts,
 		"  -p, --bgp_port     Set BGP listen port number (0 means do not listen).\n"
 		"  -l, --listenon     Listen on specified address (implies -n)\n"
-		"  -r, --retain       When program terminates, retain added route by bgpd.\n"
 		"  -n, --no_kernel    Do not install route to kernel.\n"
 		"  -S, --skip_runas   Skip capabilities checks, and changing user and group IDs.\n"
 		"  -e, --ecmp         Specify ECMP to use.\n");
@@ -350,6 +353,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	while (1) {
 		opt = frr_getopt(argc, argv, 0);
 
+		if (opt && opt < 128 && strchr(DEPRECATED_OPTIONS, opt)) {
+			fprintf(stderr,
+				"The -%c option no longer exists.\nPlease refer to the manual.\n",
+				opt);
+			continue;
+		}
+
 		if (opt == EOF)
 			break;
 
@@ -373,9 +383,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 				return 1;
 			}
 			break;
-		case 'r':
-			retain_mode = 1;
-			break;
 		case 'l':
 			bgp_address = optarg;
 		/* listenon implies -n */
diff --git a/ripd/rip_main.c b/ripd/rip_main.c
index 9a448e8958..0194e53128 100644
--- a/ripd/rip_main.c
+++ b/ripd/rip_main.c
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
 #include "ripd/ripd.h"
 
 /* ripd options. */
+#if CONFDATE > 20190521
+	CPP_NOTICE("-r / --retain has reached deprecation EOL, remove")
+#endif
 static struct option longopts[] = {{"retain", no_argument, NULL, 'r'}, {0}};
 
 /* ripd privileges */
@@ -58,9 +61,6 @@ struct zebra_privs_t ripd_privs = {
 	.cap_num_p = 2,
 	.cap_num_i = 0};
 
-/* Route retain mode flag. */
-int retain_mode = 0;
-
 /* Master of threads. */
 struct thread_master *master;
 
@@ -85,8 +85,7 @@ static void sigint(void)
 {
 	zlog_notice("Terminating on signal");
 
-	if (!retain_mode)
-		rip_clean();
+	rip_clean();
 
 	rip_zclient_stop();
 	frr_fini();
@@ -127,13 +126,17 @@ FRR_DAEMON_INFO(ripd, RIP, .vty_port = RIP_VTY_PORT,
 
 		.privs = &ripd_privs, )
 
+#if CONFDATE > 20190521
+CPP_NOTICE("-r / --retain has reached deprecation EOL, remove")
+#endif
+#define DEPRECATED_OPTIONS "r"
+
 /* Main routine of ripd. */
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	frr_preinit(&ripd_di, argc, argv);
-	frr_opt_add(
-		"r", longopts,
-		"  -r, --retain       When program terminates, retain added route by ripd.\n");
+
+	frr_opt_add("" DEPRECATED_OPTIONS, longopts, "");
 
 	/* Command line option parse. */
 	while (1) {
@@ -141,15 +144,19 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 		opt = frr_getopt(argc, argv, NULL);
 
+		if (opt && opt < 128 && strchr(DEPRECATED_OPTIONS, opt)) {
+			fprintf(stderr,
+				"The -%c option no longer exists.\nPlease refer to the manual.\n",
+				opt);
+			continue;
+		}
+
 		if (opt == EOF)
 			break;
 
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 0:
 			break;
-		case 'r':
-			retain_mode = 1;
-			break;
 		default:
 			frr_help_exit(1);
 			break;
diff --git a/ripngd/ripng_main.c b/ripngd/ripng_main.c
index 8ef27daaba..e4501d6f80 100644
--- a/ripngd/ripng_main.c
+++ b/ripngd/ripng_main.c
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@
 #include "ripngd/ripngd.h"
 
 /* RIPngd options. */
+#if CONFDATE > 20190521
+	CPP_NOTICE("-r / --retain has reached deprecation EOL, remove")
+#endif
 struct option longopts[] = {{"retain", no_argument, NULL, 'r'}, {0}};
 
 /* ripngd privileges */
@@ -60,11 +63,6 @@ struct zebra_privs_t ripngd_privs = {
 	.cap_num_i = 0};
 
 
-/* RIPngd program name */
-
-/* Route retain mode flag. */
-int retain_mode = 0;
-
 /* Master of threads. */
 struct thread_master *master;
 
@@ -88,8 +86,7 @@ static void sigint(void)
 {
 	zlog_notice("Terminating on signal");
 
-	if (!retain_mode)
-		ripng_clean();
+	ripng_clean();
 
 	ripng_zebra_stop();
 	frr_fini();
@@ -130,28 +127,36 @@ FRR_DAEMON_INFO(ripngd, RIPNG, .vty_port = RIPNG_VTY_PORT,
 
 		.privs = &ripngd_privs, )
 
+#if CONFDATE > 20190521
+CPP_NOTICE("-r / --retain has reached deprecation EOL, remove")
+#endif
+#define DEPRECATED_OPTIONS "r"
+
 /* RIPngd main routine. */
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	frr_preinit(&ripngd_di, argc, argv);
-	frr_opt_add(
-		"r", longopts,
-		"  -r, --retain       When program terminates, retain added route by ripd.\n");
+
+	frr_opt_add("" DEPRECATED_OPTIONS, longopts, "");
 
 	while (1) {
 		int opt;
 
 		opt = frr_getopt(argc, argv, NULL);
 
+		if (opt && opt < 128 && strchr(DEPRECATED_OPTIONS, opt)) {
+			fprintf(stderr,
+				"The -%c option no longer exists.\nPlease refer to the manual.\n",
+				opt);
+			continue;
+		}
+
 		if (opt == EOF)
 			break;
 
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 0:
 			break;
-		case 'r':
-			retain_mode = 1;
-			break;
 		default:
 			frr_help_exit(1);
 			break;