diff --git a/input/cmd.c b/input/cmd.c
index 64232143f7644..3a26e2f792cbd 100644
--- a/input/cmd.c
+++ b/input/cmd.c
@@ -416,6 +416,19 @@ static struct mp_cmd *parse_cmd_str(struct mp_log *log, void *tmp,
 
         struct mp_cmd_arg arg = {.type = opt};
         r = m_option_parse(ctx->log, opt, bstr0(cmd->name), cur_token, &arg.v);
+
+        // Try to read the next cmd arg instead.
+        while (r < 0 && opt->skippable) {
+            assert(i + 1 < MP_CMD_MAX_ARGS);
+            ++i;
+            arg.skipped = true;
+            opt = get_arg_type(cmd->def, i);
+            if (!opt)
+                break;
+            arg.type = opt;
+            r = m_option_parse(ctx->log, opt, bstr0(cmd->name), cur_token, &arg.v);
+        }
+
         if (r < 0) {
             MP_ERR(ctx, "Command %s: argument %d can't be parsed: %s.\n",
                    cmd->name, i + 1, m_option_strerror(r));
diff --git a/input/cmd.h b/input/cmd.h
index 3d4b15fcc3ee4..0efbf0558ab96 100644
--- a/input/cmd.h
+++ b/input/cmd.h
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ struct mp_cmd_arg {
         char **str_list;
         void *p;
     } v;
+    bool skipped;
 };
 
 typedef struct mp_cmd {
diff --git a/options/m_option.c b/options/m_option.c
index 02dea2bf3c7cb..2ca3034d8dd9d 100644
--- a/options/m_option.c
+++ b/options/m_option.c
@@ -71,7 +71,12 @@ int m_option_parse(struct mp_log *log, const m_option_t *opt,
             return r;
     }
 
+    // Silence log on skippable options
+    int old_log_level = mp_msg_level(log);
+    mp_msg_set_max_level(log, -1);
     r = opt->type->parse(log, opt, name, param, dst);
+    mp_msg_set_max_level(log, old_log_level);
+
     if (r < 0)
         return r;
 
diff --git a/options/m_option.h b/options/m_option.h
index 891b51794e1e1..4c339b41bfda8 100644
--- a/options/m_option.h
+++ b/options/m_option.h
@@ -384,6 +384,9 @@ struct m_option {
     // See \ref OptionFlags.
     unsigned int flags;
 
+    // Only for use with commands
+    bool skippable;
+
     int offset;
 
     // Most numeric types restrict the range to [min, max] if min<max (this
diff --git a/player/command.c b/player/command.c
index e1de32be25527..c619dac2e20a6 100644
--- a/player/command.c
+++ b/player/command.c
@@ -5583,7 +5583,15 @@ static void cmd_loadfile(void *p)
     struct MPContext *mpctx = cmd->mpctx;
     char *filename = cmd->args[0].v.s;
     int action_flag = cmd->args[1].v.i;
-    int insert_at_idx = cmd->args[2].v.i;
+    int insert_at_idx = -1;
+    char **pairs;
+
+    if (cmd->args[2].skipped) {
+        pairs = cmd->args[2].v.str_list;
+    } else {
+        insert_at_idx = cmd->args[2].v.i;
+        pairs = cmd->args[3].v.str_list;
+    }
 
     struct load_action action = get_load_action(mpctx, action_flag);
 
@@ -5591,8 +5599,7 @@ static void cmd_loadfile(void *p)
         playlist_clear(mpctx->playlist);
 
     struct playlist_entry *entry = playlist_entry_new(filename);
-    if (cmd->args[3].v.str_list) {
-        char **pairs = cmd->args[3].v.str_list;
+    if (pairs) {
         for (int i = 0; pairs[i] && pairs[i + 1]; i += 2)
             playlist_entry_add_param(entry, bstr0(pairs[i]), bstr0(pairs[i + 1]));
     }
@@ -6769,7 +6776,7 @@ const struct mp_cmd_def mp_cmds[] = {
                 {"insert-at", 5},
                 {"insert-at-play", 6}),
                 .flags = MP_CMD_OPT_ARG},
-            {"index", OPT_INT(v.i), OPTDEF_INT(-1)},
+            {"index", OPT_INT(v.i), .flags = MP_CMD_OPT_ARG, .skippable = true},
             {"options", OPT_KEYVALUELIST(v.str_list), .flags = MP_CMD_OPT_ARG},
         },
     },