diff --git a/include/tig/io.h b/include/tig/io.h
index b2ca0b4d0..5b1505e6c 100644
--- a/include/tig/io.h
+++ b/include/tig/io.h
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ enum status_code io_load(struct io *io, const char *separators,
 	    io_read_fn read_property, void *data);
 enum status_code io_load_span(struct io *io, const char *separators,
 	     size_t *lineno, io_read_fn read_property, void *data);
-enum status_code io_run_load(const char **argv, const char *separators,
+enum status_code io_run_load(struct io *io, const char **argv, const char *separators,
 		io_read_fn read_property, void *data);
 char *io_memchr(struct buffer *buf, char *data, int c);
 
diff --git a/src/io.c b/src/io.c
index f60e98d4e..6d74b0c5b 100644
--- a/src/io.c
+++ b/src/io.c
@@ -702,14 +702,12 @@ io_load(struct io *io, const char *separators,
 }
 
 enum status_code
-io_run_load(const char **argv, const char *separators,
+io_run_load(struct io *io, const char **argv, const char *separators,
 	    io_read_fn read_property, void *data)
 {
-	struct io io;
-
-	if (!io_run(&io, IO_RD, NULL, NULL, argv))
+	if (!io_run(io, IO_RD, NULL, NULL, argv))
 		return error("Failed to open IO");
-	return io_load(&io, separators, read_property, data);
+	return io_load(io, separators, read_property, data);
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/src/options.c b/src/options.c
index cb1177a8d..a2d5312b6 100644
--- a/src/options.c
+++ b/src/options.c
@@ -1475,9 +1475,10 @@ read_repo_config_option(char *name, size_t namelen, char *value, size_t valuelen
 enum status_code
 load_git_config(void)
 {
+	struct io io;
 	const char *config_list_argv[] = { "git", "config", "--list", NULL };
 
-	return io_run_load(config_list_argv, "=", read_repo_config_option, NULL);
+	return io_run_load(&io, config_list_argv, "=", read_repo_config_option, NULL);
 }
 
 /* vim: set ts=8 sw=8 noexpandtab: */
diff --git a/src/refdb.c b/src/refdb.c
index 9aee13514..ae9444bfb 100644
--- a/src/refdb.c
+++ b/src/refdb.c
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ cleanup_refs(void *data, void *ref_)
 static enum status_code
 reload_refs(bool force)
 {
+	struct io io;
 	const char *ls_remote_argv[SIZEOF_ARG] = {
 		"git", "show-ref", "--head", "--dereference", NULL
 	};
@@ -342,7 +343,7 @@ reload_refs(bool force)
 	string_map_clear(&refs_by_id);
 	string_map_foreach(&refs_by_name, invalidate_refs, NULL);
 
-	code = io_run_load(ls_remote_argv, " \t", read_ref, &opt);
+	code = io_run_load(&io, ls_remote_argv, " \t", read_ref, &opt);
 	if (code != SUCCESS)
 		return code;
 
diff --git a/src/repo.c b/src/repo.c
index 665b0248c..69c978153 100644
--- a/src/repo.c
+++ b/src/repo.c
@@ -80,9 +80,10 @@ read_repo_info(char *name, size_t namelen, char *value, size_t valuelen, void *d
 static enum status_code
 reload_repo_info(const char **rev_parse_argv)
 {
+	struct io io;
 	struct repo_info_state state = { rev_parse_argv + 2 };
 
-	return io_run_load(rev_parse_argv, "\n", read_repo_info, &state);
+	return io_run_load(&io, rev_parse_argv, "\n", read_repo_info, &state);
 }
 
 enum status_code
diff --git a/src/tig.c b/src/tig.c
index 25b9c20c4..44ad49de4 100644
--- a/src/tig.c
+++ b/src/tig.c
@@ -402,29 +402,32 @@ read_filter_args(char *name, size_t namelen, char *value, size_t valuelen, void
 	return argv_append(filter_args, name) ? SUCCESS : ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
 }
 
-static void
+static bool
 filter_rev_parse(const char ***args, const char *arg1, const char *arg2, const char *argv[])
 {
 	const char *rev_parse_argv[SIZEOF_ARG] = { "git", "rev-parse", arg1, arg2 };
 	const char **all_argv = NULL;
+	struct io io;
 
 	if (!argv_append_array(&all_argv, rev_parse_argv) ||
 	    !argv_append_array(&all_argv, argv) ||
-	    io_run_load(all_argv, "\n", read_filter_args, args) != SUCCESS)
+	    io_run_load(&io, all_argv, "\n", read_filter_args, args) != SUCCESS)
 		die("Failed to split arguments");
 	argv_free(all_argv);
 	free(all_argv);
+
+	return !io.status;
 }
 
 static void
-filter_options(const char *argv[], bool rev_parse)
+filter_options(const char *argv[], enum request request)
 {
 	const char **flags = NULL;
 	int next, flags_pos;
 
 	update_options_from_argv(argv);
 
-	if (!rev_parse) {
+	if (request == REQ_VIEW_GREP || request == REQ_VIEW_REFS) {
 		opt_cmdline_args = argv;
 		return;
 	}
@@ -446,7 +449,9 @@ filter_options(const char *argv[], bool rev_parse)
 
 	argv[flags_pos] = NULL;
 
-	filter_rev_parse(&opt_file_args, "--no-revs", "--no-flags", argv);
+	if (!filter_rev_parse(&opt_file_args, "--no-revs", "--no-flags", argv) &&
+	    request != REQ_VIEW_BLAME)
+		die("No revisions match the given arguments.");
 	filter_rev_parse(&flags, "--flags", "--no-revs", argv);
 
 	if (flags) {
@@ -473,7 +478,6 @@ parse_options(int argc, const char *argv[], bool pager_mode)
 	enum request request;
 	const char *subcommand;
 	bool seen_dashdash = false;
-	bool rev_parse = true;
 	const char **filter_argv = NULL;
 	int i;
 
@@ -503,7 +507,6 @@ parse_options(int argc, const char *argv[], bool pager_mode)
 
 	} else if (!strcmp(subcommand, "grep")) {
 		request = REQ_VIEW_GREP;
-		rev_parse = false;
 
 	} else if (!strcmp(subcommand, "show")) {
 		request = REQ_VIEW_DIFF;
@@ -519,7 +522,6 @@ parse_options(int argc, const char *argv[], bool pager_mode)
 
 	} else if (!strcmp(subcommand, "refs")) {
 		request = REQ_VIEW_REFS;
-		rev_parse = false;
 
 	} else {
 		subcommand = NULL;
@@ -568,7 +570,7 @@ parse_options(int argc, const char *argv[], bool pager_mode)
 	}
 
 	if (filter_argv)
-		filter_options(filter_argv, rev_parse);
+		filter_options(filter_argv, request);
 
 	return request;
 }