opt.relative = 1;
        opt.pathname = 1;
        opt.pattern_tail = &opt.pattern_list;
+       opt.header_tail = &opt.header_list;
        opt.regflags = REG_NEWLINE;
        opt.max_depth = -1;
 
                             PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION |
                             PARSE_OPT_NO_INTERNAL_HELP);
 
+       /*
+        * skip a -- separator; we know it cannot be
+        * separating revisions from pathnames if
+        * we haven't even had any patterns yet
+        */
+       if (argc > 0 && !opt.pattern_list && !strcmp(argv[0], "--")) {
+               argv++;
+               argc--;
+       }
+
        /* First unrecognized non-option token */
        if (argc > 0 && !opt.pattern_list) {
                append_grep_pattern(&opt, argv[0], "command line", 0,