diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Run.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Run.hs
index ef8921e56..01498787a 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Run.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Run.hs
@@ -89,7 +89,10 @@ run defaultJournalOverride findBuiltinCommand cliopts@CliOpts{rawopts_=rawopts}
         allAreFiles <- and <$> mapM (doesFileExist . snd . splitReaderPrefix) args
         case allAreFiles of
           True  -> runFromFiles key findBuiltinCommand args
-          False -> runFromArgs  key findBuiltinCommand args
+          False ->
+            case args of
+              "--":_ -> runFromArgs  key findBuiltinCommand args
+              _ -> error' $ "'run' expects '--' before first command, found none"
 
 -- | The actual repl command.
 repl :: (String -> Maybe (Mode RawOpts, CliOpts -> Journal -> IO ())) -> CliOpts -> IO ()
diff --git a/hledger/test/run.test b/hledger/test/run.test
index dcf51b9ea..e9ba65284 100644
--- a/hledger/test/run.test
+++ b/hledger/test/run.test
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 # * run command
 
+# ** 0. Run requires -- before first command
+<
+2017-01-01 groceries
+   assets:cash  -$100
+   expenses:food
+$ hledger run -f- register cash
+>2 /hledger: Error: 'run' expects '--' before first command, found none/
+>=1
+
 # ** 0. Run one command from command line
 <
 2017-01-01 groceries