diff --git a/Documentation/blame-options.txt b/Documentation/blame-options.txt
index e9f984ba01..4e55b1564e 100644
--- a/Documentation/blame-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/blame-options.txt
@@ -9,9 +9,13 @@
 --show-stats::
 	Include additional statistics at the end of blame output.
 
--L <start>,<end>, -L :<regex>::
-	Annotate only the given line range.  <start> and <end> can take
-	one of these forms:
+-L <start>,<end>::
+-L :<regex>::
+	Annotate only the given line range.  <start> and <end> are optional.
+	``-L <start>'' or ``-L <start>,'' spans from <start> to end of file.
+	``-L ,<end>'' spans from start of file to <end>.
++
+<start> and <end> can take one of these forms:
 
 include::line-range-format.txt[]
 
diff --git a/line-range.c b/line-range.c
index 8faf943745..3942475c2f 100644
--- a/line-range.c
+++ b/line-range.c
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ int parse_range_arg(const char *arg, nth_line_fn_t nth_line_cb,
 		    void *cb_data, long lines, long *begin, long *end,
 		    const char *path)
 {
+	*begin = *end = 0;
+
 	if (*arg == ':') {
 		arg = parse_range_funcname(arg, nth_line_cb, cb_data, lines, begin, end, path);
 		if (!arg || *arg)
@@ -226,6 +228,11 @@ int parse_range_arg(const char *arg, nth_line_fn_t nth_line_cb,
 	if (*arg)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (*begin && *end && *end < *begin) {
+		long tmp;
+		tmp = *end; *end = *begin; *begin = tmp;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/t/annotate-tests.sh b/t/annotate-tests.sh
index c56a77d237..0bfee001b4 100644
--- a/t/annotate-tests.sh
+++ b/t/annotate-tests.sh
@@ -2,11 +2,21 @@
 # sourced from t8001-annotate.sh and t8002-blame.sh.
 
 check_count () {
-	head=
-	case "$1" in -h) head="$2"; shift; shift ;; esac
-	echo "$PROG file $head" >&4
-	$PROG file $head >.result || return 1
-	cat .result | perl -e '
+	head= &&
+	file='file' &&
+	options= &&
+	while :
+	do
+		case "$1" in
+		-h) head="$2"; shift; shift ;;
+		-f) file="$2"; shift; shift ;;
+		-*) options="$options $1"; shift ;;
+		*) break ;;
+		esac
+	done &&
+	echo "$PROG $options $file $head" >&4 &&
+	$PROG $options $file $head >actual &&
+	perl -e '
 		my %expect = (@ARGV);
 		my %count = map { $_ => 0 } keys %expect;
 		while (<STDIN>) {
@@ -31,107 +41,246 @@ check_count () {
 			print STDERR "Author $author (expected $value, attributed $count) $ok\n";
 		}
 		exit($bad);
-	' "$@"
+	' "$@" <actual
 }
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'prepare reference tree' \
-    'echo "1A quick brown fox jumps over the" >file &&
-     echo "lazy dog" >>file &&
-     git add file &&
-     GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="A" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="A@test.git" git commit -a -m "Initial."'
+test_expect_success 'setup A lines' '
+	echo "1A quick brown fox jumps over the" >file &&
+	echo "lazy dog" >>file &&
+	git add file &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="A" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="A@test.git" \
+	git commit -a -m "Initial."
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'check all lines blamed on A' \
-    'check_count A 2'
+test_expect_success 'blame 1 author' '
+	check_count A 2
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'Setup new lines blamed on B' \
-    'echo "2A quick brown fox jumps over the" >>file &&
-     echo "lazy dog" >> file &&
-     GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="B" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="B@test.git" git commit -a -m "Second."'
+test_expect_success 'setup B lines' '
+	echo "2A quick brown fox jumps over the" >>file &&
+	echo "lazy dog" >>file &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="B" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="B@test.git" \
+	git commit -a -m "Second."
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'Two lines blamed on A, two on B' \
-    'check_count A 2 B 2'
+test_expect_success 'blame 2 authors' '
+	check_count A 2 B 2
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'merge-setup part 1' \
-    'git checkout -b branch1 master &&
-     echo "3A slow green fox jumps into the" >> file &&
-     echo "well." >> file &&
-     GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="B1" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="B1@test.git" git commit -a -m "Branch1-1"'
+test_expect_success 'setup B1 lines (branch1)' '
+	git checkout -b branch1 master &&
+	echo "3A slow green fox jumps into the" >>file &&
+	echo "well." >>file &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="B1" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="B1@test.git" \
+	git commit -a -m "Branch1-1"
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'Two lines blamed on A, two on B, two on B1' \
-    'check_count A 2 B 2 B1 2'
+test_expect_success 'blame 2 authors + 1 branch1 author' '
+	check_count A 2 B 2 B1 2
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'merge-setup part 2' \
-    'git checkout -b branch2 master &&
-     sed -e "s/2A quick brown/4A quick brown lazy dog/" < file > file.new &&
-     mv file.new file &&
-     GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="B2" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="B2@test.git" git commit -a -m "Branch2-1"'
+test_expect_success 'setup B2 lines (branch2)' '
+	git checkout -b branch2 master &&
+	sed -e "s/2A quick brown/4A quick brown lazy dog/" <file >file.new &&
+	mv file.new file &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="B2" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="B2@test.git" \
+	git commit -a -m "Branch2-1"
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'Two lines blamed on A, one on B, one on B2' \
-    'check_count A 2 B 1 B2 1'
+test_expect_success 'blame 2 authors + 1 branch2 author' '
+	check_count A 2 B 1 B2 1
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'merge-setup part 3' \
-    'git pull . branch1'
+test_expect_success 'merge branch1 & branch2' '
+	git pull . branch1
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'Two lines blamed on A, one on B, two on B1, one on B2' \
-    'check_count A 2 B 1 B1 2 B2 1'
+test_expect_success 'blame 2 authors + 2 merged-in authors' '
+	check_count A 2 B 1 B1 2 B2 1
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'Annotating an old revision works' \
-    'check_count -h master A 2 B 2'
+test_expect_success 'blame ancestor' '
+	check_count -h master A 2 B 2
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'Annotating an old revision works' \
-    'check_count -h master^ A 2'
+test_expect_success 'blame great-ancestor' '
+	check_count -h master^ A 2
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'merge-setup part 4' \
-    'echo "evil merge." >>file &&
-     git commit -a --amend'
+test_expect_success 'setup evil merge' '
+	echo "evil merge." >>file &&
+	git commit -a --amend
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'Two lines blamed on A, one on B, two on B1, one on B2, one on A U Thor' \
-    'check_count A 2 B 1 B1 2 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1'
+test_expect_success 'blame evil merge' '
+	check_count A 2 B 1 B1 2 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'an incomplete line added' \
-    'echo "incomplete" | tr -d "\\012" >>file &&
-    GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="C" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="C@test.git" git commit -a -m "Incomplete"'
+test_expect_success 'setup incomplete line' '
+	echo "incomplete" | tr -d "\\012" >>file &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="C" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="C@test.git" \
+	git commit -a -m "Incomplete"
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'With incomplete lines.' \
-    'check_count A 2 B 1 B1 2 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1 C 1'
+test_expect_success 'blame incomplete line' '
+	check_count A 2 B 1 B1 2 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1 C 1
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'some edit' \
-    'mv file file.orig &&
-    {
-	cat file.orig &&
-	echo
-    } | sed -e "s/^3A/99/" -e "/^1A/d" -e "/^incomplete/d" > file &&
-    echo "incomplete" | tr -d "\\012" >>file &&
-    GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="D" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="D@test.git" git commit -a -m "edit"'
+test_expect_success 'setup edits' '
+	mv file file.orig &&
+	{
+		cat file.orig &&
+		echo
+	} | sed -e "s/^3A/99/" -e "/^1A/d" -e "/^incomplete/d" >file &&
+	echo "incomplete" | tr -d "\\012" >>file &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="D" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="D@test.git" \
+	git commit -a -m "edit"
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'some edit' \
-    'check_count A 1 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1 C 1 D 1'
+test_expect_success 'blame edits' '
+	check_count A 1 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1 C 1 D 1
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'an obfuscated email added' \
-    'echo "No robots allowed" > file.new &&
-     cat file >> file.new &&
-     mv file.new file &&
-     GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="E" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="E at test dot git" git commit -a -m "norobots"'
+test_expect_success 'setup obfuscated email' '
+	echo "No robots allowed" >file.new &&
+	cat file >>file.new &&
+	mv file.new file &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="E" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="E at test dot git" \
+	git commit -a -m "norobots"
+'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'obfuscated email parsed' \
-    'check_count A 1 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1 C 1 D 1 E 1'
+test_expect_success 'blame obfuscated email' '
+	check_count A 1 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1 C 1 D 1 E 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L 1 (all)' '
+	check_count -L1 A 1 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1 C 1 D 1 E 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L , (all)' '
+	check_count -L, A 1 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 "A U Thor" 1 C 1 D 1 E 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X (X to end)' '
+	check_count -L5 B1 1 C 1 D 1 "A U Thor" 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X, (X to end)' '
+	check_count -L5, B1 1 C 1 D 1 "A U Thor" 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L ,Y (up to Y)' '
+	check_count -L,3 A 1 B2 1 E 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X,X' '
+	check_count -L3,3 B2 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X,Y' '
+	check_count -L3,6 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 D 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L Y,X (undocumented)' '
+	check_count -L6,3 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 D 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X,+1' '
+	check_count -L3,+1 B2 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X,+N' '
+	check_count -L3,+4 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 D 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X,-1' '
+	check_count -L3,-1 B2 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X,-N' '
+	check_count -L6,-4 B 1 B1 1 B2 1 D 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L /RE/ (RE to end)' '
+	check_count -L/evil/ C 1 "A U Thor" 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L /RE/,/RE2/' '
+	check_count -L/robot/,/green/ A 1 B 1 B2 1 D 1 E 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X,/RE/' '
+	check_count -L5,/evil/ B1 1 D 1 "A U Thor" 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L /RE/,Y' '
+	check_count -L/99/,7 B1 1 D 1 "A U Thor" 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L /RE/,+N' '
+	check_count -L/99/,+3 B1 1 D 1 "A U Thor" 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L /RE/,-N' '
+	check_count -L/99/,-3 B 1 B2 1 D 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L X (X > nlines)' '
+	test_must_fail $PROG -L12345 file
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L ,Y (Y > nlines)' '
+	test_must_fail $PROG -L,12345 file
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setup -L :regex' '
+	tr Q "\\t" >hello.c <<-\EOF &&
+	int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
+	{
+	Qputs("hello");
+	}
+	EOF
+	git add hello.c &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="F" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="F@test.git" \
+	git commit -m "hello" &&
+
+	mv hello.c hello.orig &&
+	sed -e "/}/i\\
+	Qputs(\"goodbye\");" <hello.orig | tr Q "\\t" >hello.c &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="G" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="G@test.git" \
+	git commit -a -m "goodbye" &&
+
+	mv hello.c hello.orig &&
+	echo "#include <stdio.h>" >hello.c &&
+	cat hello.orig >>hello.c &&
+	tr Q "\\t" >>hello.c <<-\EOF
+	void mail()
+	{
+	Qputs("mail");
+	}
+	EOF
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="H" GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="H@test.git" \
+	git commit -a -m "mail"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L :literal' '
+	check_count -f hello.c -L:main F 4 G 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L :regex' '
+	check_count -f hello.c "-L:m[a-z][a-z]l" H 4
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L :nomatch' '
+	test_must_fail $PROG -L:nomatch hello.c
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame -L bogus' '
+	test_must_fail $PROG -L file &&
+	test_must_fail $PROG -L1,+ file &&
+	test_must_fail $PROG -L1,- file &&
+	test_must_fail $PROG -LX file &&
+	test_must_fail $PROG -L1,X file &&
+	test_must_fail $PROG -L1,+N file &&
+	test_must_fail $PROG -L1,-N file
+'
diff --git a/t/t8001-annotate.sh b/t/t8001-annotate.sh
index 41962f04a7..72176e42c1 100755
--- a/t/t8001-annotate.sh
+++ b/t/t8001-annotate.sh
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ test_description='git annotate'
 PROG='git annotate'
 . "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/annotate-tests.sh
 
-test_expect_success 'Annotating an old revision works' '
-	git annotate file master >result &&
-	awk "{ print \$3; }" <result >authors &&
+test_expect_success 'annotate old revision' '
+	git annotate file master >actual &&
+	awk "{ print \$3; }" <actual >authors &&
 	test 2 = $(grep A <authors | wc -l) &&
 	test 2 = $(grep B <authors | wc -l)
 '
diff --git a/t/t8002-blame.sh b/t/t8002-blame.sh
index e2896cffc1..5cdf3f178e 100755
--- a/t/t8002-blame.sh
+++ b/t/t8002-blame.sh
@@ -7,8 +7,16 @@ PROG='git blame -c'
 . "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/annotate-tests.sh
 
 PROG='git blame -c -e'
-test_expect_success 'Blame --show-email works' '
-    check_count "<A@test.git>" 1 "<B@test.git>" 1 "<B1@test.git>" 1 "<B2@test.git>" 1 "<author@example.com>" 1 "<C@test.git>" 1 "<D@test.git>" 1 "<E at test dot git>" 1
+test_expect_success 'blame --show-email' '
+	check_count \
+		"<A@test.git>" 1 \
+		"<B@test.git>" 1 \
+		"<B1@test.git>" 1 \
+		"<B2@test.git>" 1 \
+		"<author@example.com>" 1 \
+		"<C@test.git>" 1 \
+		"<D@test.git>" 1 \
+		"<E at test dot git>" 1
 '
 
 test_done