diff --git a/mesonbuild/compilers.py b/mesonbuild/compilers.py
index f3ea766ae..a68a0f9d2 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/compilers.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/compilers.py
@@ -1505,7 +1505,7 @@ class DCompiler(Compiler):
     def get_soname_args(self, shlib_name, path, soversion):
         return []
 
-    def get_unittest_flag(self):
+    def get_unittest_args(self):
         return ['-unittest']
 
     def get_buildtype_linker_args(self, buildtype):
@@ -1587,7 +1587,7 @@ class GnuDCompiler(DCompiler):
     def build_rpath_args(self, build_dir, rpath_paths, install_rpath):
         return build_unix_rpath_args(build_dir, rpath_paths, install_rpath)
 
-    def get_unittest_flag(self):
+    def get_unittest_args(self):
         return ['-funittest']
 
 class LLVMDCompiler(DCompiler):
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
index 763eb7da9..f9841bd6d 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ class CompilerHolder(InterpreterObject):
                              'find_library': self.find_library_method,
                              'has_argument' : self.has_argument_method,
                              'first_supported_argument' : self.first_supported_argument_method,
-                             'get_unittest_flag' : self.get_unittest_flag_method,
+                             'unittest_args' : self.unittest_args_method,
                             })
 
     def version_method(self, args, kwargs):
@@ -651,11 +651,11 @@ class CompilerHolder(InterpreterObject):
     def get_id_method(self, args, kwargs):
         return self.compiler.get_id()
 
-    def get_unittest_flag_method(self, args, kwargs):
+    def unittest_args_method(self, args, kwargs):
         # At time, only D compilers have this feature.
-        if not getattr(self.compiler, "get_unittest_flag", None):
-            return ''
-        return self.compiler.get_unittest_flag()
+        if not hasattr(self.compiler, 'get_unittest_args'):
+            raise InterpreterException('This {} compiler has no unittest arguments.'.format(self.compiler.language))
+        return self.compiler.get_unittest_args()
 
     def has_member_method(self, args, kwargs):
         if len(args) != 2: