diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout-index.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout-index.txt
index 1ba6fb2..70645ae 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-checkout-index.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-checkout-index.txt
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
 	forces overwrite of existing files
 
 -a::
-	checks out all files in the cache (will then continue to
-	process listed files).
+	checks out all files in the cache.  Cannot be used
+	together with explicit filenames.
 
 -n::
 	Don't checkout new files, only refresh files already checked
@@ -44,15 +44,9 @@
 --::
 	Do not interpret any more arguments as options.
 
-Note that the order of the flags matters:
+The order of the flags used to matter, but not anymore.
 
-     git-checkout-index -a -f file.c
-
-will first check out all files listed in the cache (but not overwrite
-any old ones), and then force-checkout `file.c` a second time (ie that
-one *will* overwrite any old contents with the same filename).
-
-Also, just doing "git-checkout-index" does nothing. You probably meant
+Just doing "git-checkout-index" does nothing. You probably meant
 "git-checkout-index -a". And if you want to force it, you want
 "git-checkout-index -f -a".
 
@@ -78,12 +72,12 @@
 The prefix ability basically makes it trivial to use
 git-checkout-index as an "export as tree" function. Just read the
 desired tree into the index, and do a
-  
+
         git-checkout-index --prefix=git-export-dir/ -a
-  
+
 and git-checkout-index will "export" the cache into the specified
 directory.
-  
+
 NOTE The final "/" is important. The exported name is literally just
 prefixed with the specified string, so you can also do something like
 
diff --git a/checkout-index.c b/checkout-index.c
index f32513c..596d320 100644
--- a/checkout-index.c
+++ b/checkout-index.c
@@ -82,8 +82,9 @@
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	int i, force_filename = 0;
+	int i;
 	int newfd = -1;
+	int all = 0;
 
 	if (read_cache() < 0) {
 		die("invalid cache");
@@ -91,58 +92,70 @@
 
 	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
 		const char *arg = argv[i];
-		if (!force_filename) {
-			if (!strcmp(arg, "-a")) {
-				checkout_all();
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (!strcmp(arg, "--")) {
-				force_filename = 1;
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (!strcmp(arg, "-f")) {
-				state.force = 1;
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (!strcmp(arg, "-q")) {
-				state.quiet = 1;
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (!strcmp(arg, "-n")) {
-				state.not_new = 1;
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (!strcmp(arg, "-u")) {
-				state.refresh_cache = 1;
-				if (newfd < 0)
-					newfd = hold_index_file_for_update
-						(&cache_file,
-						 get_index_file());
-				if (newfd < 0)
-					die("cannot open index.lock file.");
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (!memcmp(arg, "--prefix=", 9)) {
-				state.base_dir = arg+9;
-				state.base_dir_len = strlen(state.base_dir);
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (arg[0] == '-')
-				usage(checkout_cache_usage);
+
+		if (!strcmp(arg, "--")) {
+			i++;
+			break;
 		}
-		if (state.base_dir_len) {
-			/* when --prefix is specified we do not
-			 * want to update cache.
-			 */
-			if (state.refresh_cache) {
-				close(newfd); newfd = -1;
-				rollback_index_file(&cache_file);
-			}
-			state.refresh_cache = 0;
+		if (!strcmp(arg, "-a") || !strcmp(arg, "--all")) {
+			all = 1;
+			continue;
 		}
+		if (!strcmp(arg, "-f") || !strcmp(arg, "--force")) {
+			state.force = 1;
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (!strcmp(arg, "-q") || !strcmp(arg, "--quiet")) {
+			state.quiet = 1;
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (!strcmp(arg, "-n") || !strcmp(arg, "--no-create")) {
+			state.not_new = 1;
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (!strcmp(arg, "-u") || !strcmp(arg, "--index")) {
+			state.refresh_cache = 1;
+			if (newfd < 0)
+				newfd = hold_index_file_for_update
+					(&cache_file,
+					 get_index_file());
+			if (newfd < 0)
+				die("cannot open index.lock file.");
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (!memcmp(arg, "--prefix=", 9)) {
+			state.base_dir = arg+9;
+			state.base_dir_len = strlen(state.base_dir);
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (arg[0] == '-')
+			usage(checkout_cache_usage);
+		break;
+	}
+
+	if (state.base_dir_len) {
+		/* when --prefix is specified we do not
+		 * want to update cache.
+		 */
+		if (state.refresh_cache) {
+			close(newfd); newfd = -1;
+			rollback_index_file(&cache_file);
+		}
+		state.refresh_cache = 0;
+	}
+
+	/* Check out named files first */
+	for ( ; i < argc; i++) {
+		const char *arg = argv[i];
+
+		if (all)
+			die("git-checkout-index: don't mix '--all' and explicit filenames");
 		checkout_file(arg);
 	}
 
+	if (all)
+		checkout_all();
+
 	if (0 <= newfd &&
 	    (write_cache(newfd, active_cache, active_nr) ||
 	     commit_index_file(&cache_file)))