diff --git a/include/tig/argv.h b/include/tig/argv.h
index cc8a5691..395ede94 100644
--- a/include/tig/argv.h
+++ b/include/tig/argv.h
@@ -69,7 +69,12 @@ struct argv_env {
 
 extern struct argv_env argv_env;
 
-bool argv_format(struct argv_env *argv_env, const char ***dst_argv, const char *src_argv[], bool first, bool file_filter);
+enum argv_flag {
+	argv_flag_first = 1 << 0,
+	argv_flag_file_filter = 1 << 1,
+};
+
+bool argv_format(struct argv_env *argv_env, const char ***dst_argv, const char *src_argv[], int flags);
 char *argv_format_arg(struct argv_env *argv_env, const char *src_arg);
 
 struct rev_flags {
diff --git a/src/argv.c b/src/argv.c
index 5ba7fc17..40e9256e 100644
--- a/src/argv.c
+++ b/src/argv.c
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ struct format_context {
 	size_t vars_size;
 	char buf[SIZEOF_MED_STR];
 	size_t bufpos;
-	bool file_filter;
+	int argv_flags;
 };
 
 #define ARGV_ENV_INIT(type, name, ifempty, initval)	initval,
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ format_expand_arg(struct format_context *format, const char *name, const char *e
 		if (string_enum_compare(name, vars[i].name, vars[i].namelen))
 			continue;
 
-		if (vars[i].value_ref == &argv_env.file && !format->file_filter)
+		if (vars[i].value_ref == &argv_env.file && !(format->argv_flags & argv_flag_file_filter))
 			return true;
 
 		return vars[i].formatter(format, &vars[i]);
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ repo_rev_formatter(struct format_context *format, struct format_var *var)
 }
 
 bool
-argv_format(struct argv_env *argv_env, const char ***dst_argv, const char *src_argv[], bool first, bool file_filter)
+argv_format(struct argv_env *argv_env, const char ***dst_argv, const char *src_argv[], int flags)
 {
 	struct format_var vars[] = {
 #define FORMAT_VAR(type, name, ifempty, initval) \
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ argv_format(struct argv_env *argv_env, const char ***dst_argv, const char *src_a
 	{ "%(repo:" #name ")", STRING_SIZE("%(repo:" #name ")"), type ## _formatter, &repo.name, "" },
 		REPO_INFO(FORMAT_REPO_VAR)
 	};
-	struct format_context format = { vars, ARRAY_SIZE(vars), "", 0, file_filter };
+	struct format_context format = { vars, ARRAY_SIZE(vars), "", 0, flags };
 	int argc;
 
 	argv_free(*dst_argv);
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ argv_format(struct argv_env *argv_env, const char ***dst_argv, const char *src_a
 		const char *arg = src_argv[argc];
 
 		if (!strcmp(arg, "%(fileargs)")) {
-			if (file_filter && !argv_append_array(dst_argv, opt_file_args))
+			if ((flags & argv_flag_file_filter) && !argv_append_array(dst_argv, opt_file_args))
 				break;
 
 		} else if (!strcmp(arg, DIFF_ARGS)) {
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ argv_format(struct argv_env *argv_env, const char ***dst_argv, const char *src_a
 				break;
 
 		} else if (!strcmp(arg, "%(revargs)") ||
-			   (first && !strcmp(arg, "%(commit)"))) {
+			   ((flags & argv_flag_first) && !strcmp(arg, "%(commit)"))) {
 			if (!argv_append_array(dst_argv, opt_rev_args))
 				break;
 
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ argv_format_arg(struct argv_env *argv_env, const char *src_arg)
 	const char **dst_argv = NULL;
 	char *dst_arg = NULL;
 
-	if (argv_format(argv_env, &dst_argv, src_argv, false, true))
+	if (argv_format(argv_env, &dst_argv, src_argv, argv_flag_file_filter))
 		dst_arg = (char *) dst_argv[0];
 
 	free(dst_argv);
diff --git a/src/prompt.c b/src/prompt.c
index bc037a95..961b61d3 100644
--- a/src/prompt.c
+++ b/src/prompt.c
@@ -939,7 +939,7 @@ run_prompt_command(struct view *view, const char *argv[])
 
 		/* Trim the leading '!'. */
 		argv[0] = cmd + 1;
-		copied = argv_format(view->env, &next->argv, argv, false, true);
+		copied = argv_format(view->env, &next->argv, argv, argv_flag_file_filter);
 		argv[0] = cmd;
 
 		if (!copied) {
@@ -967,7 +967,7 @@ run_prompt_command(struct view *view, const char *argv[])
 
 		if (argv[1]
 		    && strlen(argv[1]) > 0
-		    && (!argv_format(view->env, &fmt_argv, &argv[1], false, true)
+		    && (!argv_format(view->env, &fmt_argv, &argv[1], argv_flag_file_filter)
 			|| !argv_to_string(fmt_argv, text, sizeof(text), " ")
 			)) {
 			report("Failed to format echo string");
@@ -1102,7 +1102,7 @@ exec_run_request(struct view *view, struct run_request *req)
 
 	if (!argv_to_string(req->argv, cmd, sizeof(cmd), " ")
 	    || !argv_from_string_no_quotes(req_argv, &req_argc, cmd)
-	    || !argv_format(view->env, &argv, req_argv, false, true)
+	    || !argv_format(view->env, &argv, req_argv, argv_flag_file_filter)
 	    || !argv) {
 		report("Failed to format arguments");
 		return REQ_NONE;
diff --git a/src/reflog.c b/src/reflog.c
index 67a10694..0f5dd0eb 100644
--- a/src/reflog.c
+++ b/src/reflog.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ reflog_request(struct view *view, enum request request, struct line *line)
 		};
 		enum open_flags flags = view_is_displayed(view) ? OPEN_SPLIT : OPEN_DEFAULT;
 
-		if (!argv_format(main_view.env, &main_view.argv, main_argv, false, false))
+		if (!argv_format(main_view.env, &main_view.argv, main_argv, 0))
 			report("Failed to format argument");
 		else
 			open_main_view(view, flags | OPEN_PREPARED);
diff --git a/src/refs.c b/src/refs.c
index 86ff4032..49b12726 100644
--- a/src/refs.c
+++ b/src/refs.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ refs_request(struct view *view, enum request request, struct line *line)
 		};
 		enum open_flags flags = view_is_displayed(view) ? OPEN_SPLIT : OPEN_DEFAULT;
 
-		if (!argv_format(main_view.env, &main_view.argv, all_references_argv, false, false))
+		if (!argv_format(main_view.env, &main_view.argv, all_references_argv, 0))
 			report("Failed to format argument");
 		else
 			open_main_view(view, flags | OPEN_PREPARED);
diff --git a/src/stash.c b/src/stash.c
index c32bcab7..255c8052 100644
--- a/src/stash.c
+++ b/src/stash.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ stash_request(struct view *view, enum request request, struct line *line)
 					"--no-color", "%(stash)", NULL
 			};
 
-			if (!argv_format(diff_view.env, &diff_view.argv, diff_argv, false, false))
+			if (!argv_format(diff_view.env, &diff_view.argv, diff_argv, 0))
 				report("Failed to format argument");
 			else
 				open_diff_view(view, flags | OPEN_PREPARED);
diff --git a/src/status.c b/src/status.c
index 6e3953b5..c3f1e262 100644
--- a/src/status.c
+++ b/src/status.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ status_run(struct view *view, const char *argv[], char status, enum line_type ty
 	struct buffer buf;
 	struct io io;
 	const char **status_argv = NULL;
-	bool ok = argv_format(view->env, &status_argv, argv, false, false) &&
+	bool ok = argv_format(view->env, &status_argv, argv, 0) &&
 		  io_run(&io, IO_RD, repo.exec_dir, NULL, status_argv);
 
 	argv_free(status_argv);
diff --git a/src/view.c b/src/view.c
index 52c808d1..4da10581 100644
--- a/src/view.c
+++ b/src/view.c
@@ -575,10 +575,14 @@ begin_update(struct view *view, const char *dir, const char **argv, enum open_fl
 	view->unrefreshable = open_in_pager_mode(flags);
 
 	if (!refresh && argv) {
-		bool file_filter = !view_has_flags(view, VIEW_FILE_FILTER) || opt_file_filter;
+		int flags = 0;
+		if (!view->prev)
+			flags |= argv_flag_first;
+		if (!view_has_flags(view, VIEW_FILE_FILTER) || opt_file_filter)
+			flags |= argv_flag_file_filter;
 
 		view->dir = dir;
-		if (!argv_format(view->env, &view->argv, argv, !view->prev, file_filter))
+		if (!argv_format(view->env, &view->argv, argv, flags))
 			return error("Failed to format %s arguments", view->name);
 	}
 
