diff --git a/src/globals.c b/src/globals.c
index 8c22cd2f..0d8cf66c 100644
--- a/src/globals.c
+++ b/src/globals.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ const char fopen_read_mode[] = "r";
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* Cmdline options (used at xinit, and then not used anymore) */
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------- */
-int cli_opt_argc;
+int cli_opt_argc, cli_argc;
 char **cli_opt_argv = NULL;
 int cli_opt_netlist_type = 0;
 int cli_opt_flat_netlist = 0;
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index f89c116f..e501e19f 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     } else XCloseDisplay(display);
   }
 #endif
-  argc = process_options(argc, argv);
-
+  cli_argc = argc;
+  cli_opt_argc = process_options(argc, argv);
   #ifdef __unix__
   /* if invoked in background (and not invoked from a command pipeline) detach from console */
   if(!fstat(0, &statbuf)) {
@@ -125,9 +125,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
    * using cli_opt_detach if no windowing exists (has_x == 0) is non sense so do nothing
    */
 
-
-
-  cli_opt_argc = argc;
   cli_opt_argv = my_malloc(_ALLOC_ID_, cli_opt_argc * sizeof(char *));
   for(i = 0; i < cli_opt_argc; ++i) {
     cli_opt_argv[i] = NULL;
diff --git a/src/xinit.c b/src/xinit.c
index a9fad1b3..f8876a5b 100644
--- a/src/xinit.c
+++ b/src/xinit.c
@@ -2816,7 +2816,6 @@ int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
    my_strncpy(xctx->sch_to_compare, abs_sym_path(cli_opt_diff, ""), S(xctx->sch_to_compare));
    tclsetvar("compare_sch", "1");
  } 
-
  if(cli_opt_filename[0]) {
     char f[PATH_MAX];
     int file_loaded = 1;
@@ -2852,7 +2851,7 @@ int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
    if(cli_opt_do_netlist) if(!file_loaded) tcleval("exit 1");
    if(cli_opt_do_netlist) set_modify(-1); /* set tab/window title */
    tclvareval("update_recent_file {", f, "}", NULL);
- } else /* if(!cli_opt_filename[0]) */
+ } else if(cli_argc == 1) /* if(!cli_opt_filename[0]) */
  {
    char * tmp;
    char fname[PATH_MAX];
diff --git a/src/xschem.h b/src/xschem.h
index 8d7bae63..438c1b34 100644
--- a/src/xschem.h
+++ b/src/xschem.h
@@ -1209,7 +1209,8 @@ extern char old_winpath[PATH_MAX]; /* previously switched window, used in callba
 extern const char fopen_read_mode[]; /* "r" on unix, "rb" on windows */
 
 /*********** Cmdline options  (used at xinit, and then not used anymore) ***********/
-extern int cli_opt_argc;
+extern int cli_argc; /* copy of main argc */
+extern int cli_opt_argc; /* arguments after stripping off options */
 extern char **cli_opt_argv;
 extern int cli_opt_netlist_type;
 extern int cli_opt_flat_netlist;