diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Main.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Main.hs
index 9db220d6a..878d84cfa 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Main.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Main.hs
@@ -167,12 +167,13 @@ moveFlagsAfterCommand args = moveArgs $ ensureDebugHasArg args
        _                                                   -> as
 
     -- -h ..., --version ...
-    moveArgs (f:a:as)   | isMovableNoArgFlag f           = (moveArgs $ a:as) ++ [f]
+    moveArgs (f:a:as)   | isMovableNoArgFlag f                   = (moveArgs $ a:as) ++ [f]
     -- -f FILE ..., --alias ALIAS ...
-    moveArgs (f:v:a:as) | isMovableReqArgFlag f
-                        , not (take 1 v == "-")          = (moveArgs $ a:as) ++ [f,v]
+    moveArgs (f:v:a:as) | isMovableReqArgFlag f, isValue v       = (moveArgs $ a:as) ++ [f,v]
     -- -fFILE ..., --alias=ALIAS ...
-    moveArgs (fv:a:as)  | isMovableReqArgFlagAndValue fv = (moveArgs $ a:as) ++ [fv]
+    moveArgs (fv:a:as)  | isMovableReqArgFlagAndValue fv         = (moveArgs $ a:as) ++ [fv]
+    -- -f(missing arg)
+    moveArgs (f:a:as)   | isMovableReqArgFlag f, not (isValue a) = (moveArgs $ a:as) ++ [f]
     -- anything else
     moveArgs as = as
 
@@ -185,6 +186,10 @@ isMovableReqArgFlagAndValue ('-':'-':a:as) = case break (== '=') (a:as) of (f:fs
 isMovableReqArgFlagAndValue ('-':shortflag:_:_) = [shortflag] `elem` reqargflagstomove
 isMovableReqArgFlagAndValue _ = False
 
+isValue "-"     = True
+isValue ('-':_) = False
+isValue _       = True
+
 flagstomove = inputflags ++ helpflags
 noargflagstomove  = concatMap flagNames $ filter ((==FlagNone).flagInfo) flagstomove
 reqargflagstomove = -- filter (/= "debug") $
diff --git a/tests/cli/cli.test b/tests/cli/cli.test
index e988c2547..2736e7675 100644
--- a/tests/cli/cli.test
+++ b/tests/cli/cli.test
@@ -122,12 +122,12 @@ hledger --daily register
 >>>=1
 
 # 12. help and input flags can go before command
-hledger -f /dev/null --alias somealiases --rules-file -? -h --help --version --debug 1 register --daily
+hledger -f /dev/null --alias somealiases --rules-file -h --help --version --debug 1 register --daily
 >>> /^hledger \[COMMAND\]/
 >>>=0
 
 # 13. or after it, and spaces in options are optional
-hledger register -f/dev/null --alias=somealiases --rules-file -? -h --help --version --debug 1 --daily
+hledger register -f/dev/null --alias=somealiases --rules-file -h --help --version --debug 1 --daily
 >>> /^register \[OPTIONS\]/
 >>>=0