diff --git a/git-filter-branch.sh b/git-filter-branch.sh
index 98e8fe43d2..86d6994619 100755
--- a/git-filter-branch.sh
+++ b/git-filter-branch.sh
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ else
 	remap_to_ancestor=t
 fi
 
-rev_args=$(git rev-parse --revs-only "$@")
+git rev-parse --revs-only "$@" >../parse
 
 case "$filter_subdir" in
 "")
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ case "$filter_subdir" in
 esac
 
 git rev-list --reverse --topo-order --default HEAD \
-	--parents --simplify-merges $rev_args "$@" > ../revs ||
+	--parents --simplify-merges --stdin "$@" <../parse >../revs ||
 	die "Could not get the commits"
 commits=$(wc -l <../revs | tr -d " ")