diff --git a/cmd/cue/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cue/cmd/cmd.go
index 87340b5c9..0f59756ad 100644
--- a/cmd/cue/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cue/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -175,6 +175,10 @@ Run "cue help commands" for more details on tasks and commands.
 			}
 			// Presumably the *cobra.Command argument should be cmd.Command,
 			// as that is the one which will have the right settings applied.
+			if isRootCmd {
+				cmd.PrintErrf("The short-form 'cue %[1]s' is deprecated; use 'cue cmd %[1]s'.\n", args[0])
+				cmd.PrintErrf("See: https://cuelang.org/issue/2519\n")
+			}
 			return sub.RunE(cmd.Command, args[1:])
 		}),
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_embed.txtar b/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_embed.txtar
index b74a3cd8d..6db206eaa 100644
--- a/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_embed.txtar
+++ b/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_embed.txtar
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ exec cue export
 cmp stdout expect/concrete.json
 
 # Using the explicitly written command works OK.
-exec cue hello1
+exec cue cmd hello1
 stdout 'hello, world'
 
 # Using the command that's defined externally fails.
-exec cue hello
+exec cue cmd hello
 stdout 'hello, world'
 
 
diff --git a/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_func.txtar b/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_func.txtar
index 7921b3c67..0bc7a3722 100644
--- a/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_func.txtar
+++ b/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_func.txtar
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Issue #578
-exec cue dump ./...
+exec cue cmd dump ./...
 cmp stdout stdout-expect
 -- k1.cue --
 package kube
diff --git a/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_short.txtar b/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_short.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d55529ec3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/script/cmd_short.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+exec cue cmd hello
+stdout 'Hello world!'
+! stderr .
+
+exec cue hello
+stdout 'Hello world!'
+cmp stderr stderr-warning
+
+-- stderr-warning --
+The short-form 'cue hello' is deprecated; use 'cue cmd hello'.
+See: https://cuelang.org/issue/2519
+-- task_tool.cue --
+package home
+
+import "tool/cli"
+
+command: hello: cli.Print & {
+	text: "Hello world!"
+}