diff --git a/src/checkers/inference/InferenceLauncher.java b/src/checkers/inference/InferenceLauncher.java
index 4c03a107..3301dc2a 100644
--- a/src/checkers/inference/InferenceLauncher.java
+++ b/src/checkers/inference/InferenceLauncher.java
@@ -53,19 +53,7 @@ protected void initInferenceOptions(String[] args) {
     public void launch(String[] args) {
         initInferenceOptions(args);
 
-        Mode mode = null;
-        try {
-            mode = Mode.valueOf(InferenceOptions.mode);
-
-        } catch (IllegalArgumentException iexc) {
-            outStream.println(
-                    "Could not recognize mode: "
-                            + InferenceOptions.mode
-                            + "\n"
-                            + "valid modes: "
-                            + StringsPlume.join(", ", Mode.values()));
-            System.exit(1);
-        }
+        Mode mode = InferenceOptions.mode;
 
         switch (mode) {
             case TYPECHECK:
@@ -221,7 +209,7 @@ public void infer() {
 
         addIfTrue("--hacks", InferenceOptions.hacks, argList);
 
-        Mode mode = Mode.valueOf(InferenceOptions.mode);
+        Mode mode = InferenceOptions.mode;
         if (InferenceOptions.makeDefaultsExplicit
                 && (mode == Mode.ROUNDTRIP || mode == Mode.ROUNDTRIP_TYPECHECK)) {
             // Two conditions have to be met to make defaults explicit:
diff --git a/src/checkers/inference/InferenceOptions.java b/src/checkers/inference/InferenceOptions.java
index e187161d..54a3b133 100644
--- a/src/checkers/inference/InferenceOptions.java
+++ b/src/checkers/inference/InferenceOptions.java
@@ -38,10 +38,8 @@ public class InferenceOptions {
     // ------------------------------------------------------
 
     @OptionGroup("General Options")
-
-    // TODO: The mode variable should be an enum rather than a string.
     @Option(value = "-m Modes of operation: TYPECHECK, INFER, ROUNDTRIP, ROUNDTRIP_TYPECHECK")
-    public static String mode;
+    public static Mode mode;
 
     @Option("Should we log certain exceptions rather than crash")
     public static boolean hacks;
@@ -185,21 +183,7 @@ public static InitStatus init(String[] args, boolean requireMode) {
             }
 
         } else {
-            mode = mode.toUpperCase();
-
-            Mode modeEnum = null;
-            try {
-                modeEnum = Mode.valueOf(InferenceOptions.mode);
-
-            } catch (IllegalArgumentException iexc) {
-                System.out.println(
-                        "Could not recognize mode: "
-                                + InferenceOptions.mode
-                                + "\n"
-                                + "valid modes: "
-                                + StringsPlume.join(", ", Mode.values()));
-                System.exit(1);
-            }
+            Mode modeEnum = InferenceOptions.mode;
 
             if (modeEnum != Mode.TYPECHECK) {
                 if (solver == null) {
diff --git a/tests/checkers/inference/InferenceOptionsTest.java b/tests/checkers/inference/InferenceOptionsTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..99d7149e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/checkers/inference/InferenceOptionsTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package checkers.inference;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+
+import checkers.inference.InferenceLauncher.Mode;
+
+public class InferenceOptionsTest {
+
+    @Before
+    public void resetOptions() {
+        InferenceOptions.mode = null;
+        InferenceOptions.hacks = false;
+        InferenceOptions.typesystem = null;
+        InferenceOptions.jaifFile = InferenceOptions.DEFAULT_JAIF;
+        InferenceOptions.checker = null;
+        InferenceOptions.solver = null;
+        InferenceOptions.targetclasspath = ".";
+        InferenceOptions.solverArgs = null;
+        InferenceOptions.cfArgs = null;
+        InferenceOptions.jsonFile = null;
+        InferenceOptions.pathToAfuScripts = null;
+        InferenceOptions.afuOutputDir = null;
+        InferenceOptions.inPlace = false;
+        InferenceOptions.afuOptions = null;
+        InferenceOptions.makeDefaultsExplicit = false;
+        InferenceOptions.version = false;
+        InferenceOptions.help = false;
+        InferenceOptions.logLevel = null;
+        InferenceOptions.printCommands = false;
+        InferenceOptions.debug = null;
+        InferenceOptions.javacOptions = new ArrayList<String>();
+        InferenceOptions.javaFiles = new String[0];
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void parsesUppercaseMode() {
+        InferenceOptions.InitStatus status =
+                InferenceOptions.init(
+                        new String[] {
+                            "--mode=TYPECHECK", "--checker", ostrusted.OsTrustedChecker.class.getName()
+                        },
+                        true);
+
+        assertTrue(status.errors.toString(), status.errors.isEmpty());
+        assertEquals(Mode.TYPECHECK, InferenceOptions.mode);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void parsesLowercaseMode() {
+        InferenceOptions.InitStatus status =
+                InferenceOptions.init(
+                        new String[] {
+                            "--mode=typecheck", "--checker", ostrusted.OsTrustedChecker.class.getName()
+                        },
+                        true);
+
+        assertTrue(status.errors.toString(), status.errors.isEmpty());
+        assertEquals(Mode.TYPECHECK, InferenceOptions.mode);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void parsesHyphenatedMode() {
+        InferenceOptions.InitStatus status =
+                InferenceOptions.init(
+                        new String[] {
+                            "--mode=roundtrip-typecheck",
+                            "--checker",
+                            ostrusted.OsTrustedChecker.class.getName(),
+                            "--jsonFile",
+                            "constraints.json",
+                            "--inPlace"
+                        },
+                        true);
+
+        assertTrue(status.errors.toString(), status.errors.isEmpty());
+        assertEquals(Mode.ROUNDTRIP_TYPECHECK, InferenceOptions.mode);
+    }
+}