for (parents = commit->parents, parent_number = 1;
             parents;
             parents = parents->next, parent_number++) {
+               char *name = NULL;
+
                if (exclude_parent && parent_number != exclude_parent)
                        continue;
 
+               if (symbolic)
+                       name = xstrfmt("%s^%d", arg, parent_number);
                show_rev(include_parents ? NORMAL : REVERSED,
-                        parents->item->object.oid.hash, arg);
+                        parents->item->object.oid.hash, name);
+               free(name);
        }
 
        *dotdot = '^';
                                filter &= ~(DO_FLAGS|DO_NOREV);
                                verify = 1;
                                abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV;
-                               if (arg[7] == '=')
-                                       abbrev = strtoul(arg + 8, NULL, 10);
+                               if (!arg[7])
+                                       continue;
+                               abbrev = strtoul(arg + 8, NULL, 10);
                                if (abbrev < MINIMUM_ABBREV)
                                        abbrev = MINIMUM_ABBREV;
                                else if (40 <= abbrev)