diff --git a/diff-cache.c b/diff-cache.c
index 0a6720de6c..66e7bdb62e 100644
--- a/diff-cache.c
+++ b/diff-cache.c
@@ -240,12 +240,12 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv)
 		die("unable to read tree object %s", tree_name);
 
 	ret = diff_cache(active_cache, active_nr);
+	if (pathspec)
+		diffcore_pathspec(pathspec);
 	if (detect_rename)
 		diffcore_rename(detect_rename, diff_score_opt);
 	if (pickaxe)
 		diffcore_pickaxe(pickaxe, pickaxe_opts);
-	if (pathspec)
-		diffcore_pathspec(pathspec);
 	diff_flush(diff_output_format, 1);
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/diff-files.c b/diff-files.c
index cf77219285..bd0eb95f85 100644
--- a/diff-files.c
+++ b/diff-files.c
@@ -116,12 +116,12 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv)
 		show_modified(oldmode, mode, ce->sha1, null_sha1,
 			      ce->name);
 	}
+	if (1 < argc)
+		diffcore_pathspec(argv + 1);
 	if (detect_rename)
 		diffcore_rename(detect_rename, diff_score_opt);
 	if (pickaxe)
 		diffcore_pickaxe(pickaxe, pickaxe_opts);
-	if (1 < argc)
-		diffcore_pathspec(argv + 1);
 	diff_flush(diff_output_format, 1);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/diff-helper.c b/diff-helper.c
index 03ac9104cd..6456405b53 100644
--- a/diff-helper.c
+++ b/diff-helper.c
@@ -129,17 +129,17 @@ int main(int ac, const char **av) {
 					  new_path);
 			continue;
 		}
-		if (pickaxe)
-			diffcore_pickaxe(pickaxe, pickaxe_opts);
 		if (1 < ac)
 			diffcore_pathspec(av + 1);
+		if (pickaxe)
+			diffcore_pickaxe(pickaxe, pickaxe_opts);
 		diff_flush(DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH, 0);
 		printf("%s\n", sb.buf);
 	}
-	if (pickaxe)
-		diffcore_pickaxe(pickaxe, pickaxe_opts);
 	if (1 < ac)
 		diffcore_pathspec(av + 1);
+	if (pickaxe)
+		diffcore_pickaxe(pickaxe, pickaxe_opts);
 	diff_flush(DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH, 0);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/t/t4007-rename-3.sh b/t/t4007-rename-3.sh
index cf18440977..518892b90c 100644
--- a/t/t4007-rename-3.sh
+++ b/t/t4007-rename-3.sh
@@ -46,23 +46,23 @@ cat >expected <<\EOF
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success \
-    'validate the result' \
+    'validate the result (#1)' \
     'compare_diff_raw current expected'
 
 # In the tree, there is only path0/COPYING.  In the cache, path0 and
 # path1 both have COPYING and the latter is a copy of path0/COPYING.
-# When we omit output from path0 it should still be able to tell us
-# that path1/COPYING is result from a copy from path0/COPYING, not
-# rename, which would imply path0/COPYING is now gone.
+# However when we say we care only about path1, we should just see
+# path1/COPYING suddenly appearing from nowhere, not detected as
+# a copy from path0/COPYING.
 
 git-diff-cache -C $tree path1 >current
 
 cat >expected <<\EOF
-:100644 100644 6ff87c4664981e4397625791c8ea3bbb5f2279a3 6ff87c4664981e4397625791c8ea3bbb5f2279a3 C100	path0/COPYING	path1/COPYING
+:000000 100644 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 6ff87c4664981e4397625791c8ea3bbb5f2279a3 N	path1/COPYING
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success \
-    'validate the result' \
+    'validate the result (#2)' \
     'compare_diff_raw current expected'
 
 test_expect_success \
@@ -82,22 +82,22 @@ cat >expected <<\EOF
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success \
-    'validate the result' \
+    'validate the result (#3)' \
     'compare_diff_raw current expected'
 
 # In the tree, there is only path0/COPYING.  In the cache, path0 does
 # not have COPYING anymore and path1 has COPYING which is a copy of
-# path0/COPYING.  Even if we restrict the output to path1, it still
-# should show us the rename.
+# path0/COPYING.  When we say we care only about path1, we should just
+# see path1/COPYING appearing from nowhere.
 
 git-diff-cache -C $tree path1 >current
 
 cat >expected <<\EOF
-:100644 100644 6ff87c4664981e4397625791c8ea3bbb5f2279a3 6ff87c4664981e4397625791c8ea3bbb5f2279a3 R100	path0/COPYING	path1/COPYING
+:000000 100644 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 6ff87c4664981e4397625791c8ea3bbb5f2279a3 N	path1/COPYING
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success \
-    'validate the result' \
+    'validate the result (#4)' \
     'compare_diff_raw current expected'
 
 test_done