diff --git a/cmd/dump_repo.go b/cmd/dump_repo.go
index e980af30110..7d2477e203a 100644
--- a/cmd/dump_repo.go
+++ b/cmd/dump_repo.go
@@ -128,7 +128,9 @@ func runDumpRepository(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	} else {
 		units := strings.Split(ctx.String("units"), ",")
 		for _, unit := range units {
-			switch strings.ToLower(unit) {
+			switch strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(unit)) {
+			case "":
+				continue
 			case "wiki":
 				opts.Wiki = true
 			case "issues":
@@ -145,6 +147,8 @@ func runDumpRepository(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 				opts.Comments = true
 			case "pull_requests":
 				opts.PullRequests = true
+			default:
+				return errors.New("invalid unit: " + unit)
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/restore_repo.go b/cmd/restore_repo.go
index c3081279dfc..2256cc61abf 100644
--- a/cmd/restore_repo.go
+++ b/cmd/restore_repo.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"net/http"
+	"strings"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/private"
@@ -37,10 +38,10 @@ var CmdRestoreRepository = cli.Command{
 			Value: "",
 			Usage: "Restore destination repository name",
 		},
-		cli.StringSliceFlag{
+		cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:  "units",
-			Value: nil,
-			Usage: `Which items will be restored, one or more units should be repeated with this flag.
+			Value: "",
+			Usage: `Which items will be restored, one or more units should be separated as comma.
 wiki, issues, labels, releases, release_assets, milestones, pull_requests, comments are allowed. Empty means all units.`,
 		},
 		cli.BoolFlag{
@@ -55,13 +56,16 @@ func runRestoreRepository(c *cli.Context) error {
 	defer cancel()
 
 	setting.LoadFromExisting()
-
+	var units []string
+	if s := c.String("units"); s != "" {
+		units = strings.Split(s, ",")
+	}
 	statusCode, errStr := private.RestoreRepo(
 		ctx,
 		c.String("repo_dir"),
 		c.String("owner_name"),
 		c.String("repo_name"),
-		c.StringSlice("units"),
+		units,
 		c.Bool("validation"),
 	)
 	if statusCode == http.StatusOK {
diff --git a/services/migrations/dump.go b/services/migrations/dump.go
index 21d03b333f8..a9ec459519e 100644
--- a/services/migrations/dump.go
+++ b/services/migrations/dump.go
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ func updateOptionsUnits(opts *base.MigrateOptions, units []string) error {
 		opts.ReleaseAssets = true
 	} else {
 		for _, unit := range units {
-			switch strings.ToLower(unit) {
+			switch strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(unit)) {
 			case "":
 				continue
 			case "wiki":