diff --git a/include/player.h b/include/player.h
index 78b1a61c..ede5ad72 100644
--- a/include/player.h
+++ b/include/player.h
@@ -60,11 +60,12 @@ struct player {
     natid cnum;
     int state;
     int flags;
-    struct cmndstr *command;
+    struct cmndstr *command;	/* currently executing command */
     struct iop *iop;
     char combuf[1024];		/* command input buffer, UTF-8 */
-    char *argp[128];		/* arguments, ASCII */
-    char *condarg;		/* conditional, ASCII */
+    char *argp[128];		/* arguments, ASCII, valid if command */
+    char *condarg;		/* conditional, ASCII, valid if command */
+    char *comtail[128];		/* start of args in combuf[] */
     time_t lasttime;		/* when minleft was last debited */
     int ncomstat;
     int minleft;
diff --git a/include/prototypes.h b/include/prototypes.h
index 670ea38c..3c1d3d63 100644
--- a/include/prototypes.h
+++ b/include/prototypes.h
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ extern int deltay(int, int);
 extern int mapdist(int, int, int, int);
 extern char *effadv(int);
 extern int onearg(char *, char *);
-extern int parse(char *, char **, char **, char *, char **);
+extern int parse(char *, char *, char **, char **, char **, char **);
 extern int ldround(double, int);
 extern int roundintby(int, int);
 extern int scthash(int, int, int);
diff --git a/src/lib/commands/navi.c b/src/lib/commands/navi.c
index 0d0dcc40..1f589dc1 100644
--- a/src/lib/commands/navi.c
+++ b/src/lib/commands/navi.c
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ do_unit_move(struct emp_qelem *ulist, int *together,
 	    cp++;
 	    continue;
 	}
-	ac = parse(cp, player->argp, NULL, scanspace, NULL);
+	ac = parse(cp, scanspace, player->argp, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 	if (ac <= 1) {
 	    sprintf(dp, "%d", leader->uid);
 	    player->argp[1] = dp;
diff --git a/src/lib/gen/emp_config.c b/src/lib/gen/emp_config.c
index 37ba63ba..b9651b3e 100644
--- a/src/lib/gen/emp_config.c
+++ b/src/lib/gen/emp_config.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ emp_config(char *file)
 	for (i = 0; buf[i] && isspace(buf[i]); ++i) ;
 	if (!buf[i] || buf[i] == '#')
 	    continue;
-	if (parse(buf, av, NULL, scanspace, NULL) < 0) {
+	if (parse(buf, scanspace, av, NULL, NULL, NULL) < 0) {
 	    fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d: Can't parse line %s", file, lno, buf);
 	    errors = 1;
 	    continue;
diff --git a/src/lib/gen/parse.c b/src/lib/gen/parse.c
index fc8a7003..526e4469 100644
--- a/src/lib/gen/parse.c
+++ b/src/lib/gen/parse.c
@@ -39,21 +39,22 @@
 /*
  * Parse user command in BUF.
  * BUF is UTF-8.
- * Set ARG[0] to point to the command name.
- * Set ARG[1..N] to point to arguments, where N is the number of
- * arguments.  Set ARG[N+1..127] to NULL.
- * If CONDP is not null, recognize conditional argument syntax, and
- * set *CONDP to the conditional argument if present, else NULL.
  * Command name and arguments are copied into SPACE[], whose size must
  * be at least strlen(BUF) + 1.
+ * Set ARG[0] to the zero-terminated command name.
+ * Set ARG[1..N] to the zero-terminated arguments, where N is the
+ * number of arguments.  Set ARG[N+1..127] to NULL.
+ * Set TAIL[0..N] to beginning of ARG[0] in BUF[].
+ * If CONDP is not null, recognize conditional argument syntax, and
+ * set *CONDP to the conditional argument if present, else NULL.
  * If REDIR is not null, recognize redirection syntax, and set *REDIR
  * to UTF-8 redirection string if present, else NULL.
  * Return number of slots used in ARG[], or -1 on error.
  */
 int
-parse(char *buf, char **arg, char **condp, char *space, char **redir)
+parse(char *buf, char *space, char **arg,
+      char **tail, char **condp, char **redir)
 {
-    char *ap;
     int i, quoted, argnum;
 
     if (redir)
@@ -72,9 +73,17 @@ parse(char *buf, char **arg, char **condp, char *space, char **redir)
 	    break;
 	}
 
+	if (condp && *buf == '?') {
+	    buf++;
+	    *condp = space;
+	} else {
+	    if (tail)
+		tail[argnum] = buf;
+	    arg[argnum++] = space;
+	}
+
 	/* copy argument */
 	quoted = 0;
-	ap = space;
 	for (; *buf && (quoted || !isspace(*(unsigned char *)buf)); buf++) {
 	    if (*buf == '"')
 		quoted = !quoted;
@@ -83,16 +92,13 @@ parse(char *buf, char **arg, char **condp, char *space, char **redir)
 	    /* else funny character; ignore */
 	}
 	*space++ = 0;
-
-	/* store copied argument as conditional or regular argument */
-	if (condp && *ap == '?')
-	    *condp = ap + 1;
-	else
-	    arg[argnum++] = ap;
     }
 
-    for (i = argnum; i < 128; i++)
+    for (i = argnum; i < 128; i++) {
 	arg[i] = NULL;
+	if (tail)
+	    tail[i] = NULL;
+    }
 
     return argnum;
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/player/login.c b/src/lib/player/login.c
index bf30d7c6..64b24e71 100644
--- a/src/lib/player/login.c
+++ b/src/lib/player/login.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ player_login(void *ud)
 	    io_input(player->iop, IO_WAIT);
 	    continue;
 	}
-	ac = parse(buf, player->argp, NULL, space, NULL);
+	ac = parse(buf, space, player->argp, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 	cmd = comtch(player->argp[0], login_coms, 0);
 	if (cmd < 0) {
 	    pr_id(player, C_BADCMD, "Command %s not found\n", player->argp[0]);
diff --git a/src/lib/player/player.c b/src/lib/player/player.c
index 4f925342..8d3762c4 100644
--- a/src/lib/player/player.c
+++ b/src/lib/player/player.c
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ command(void)
 
     if (getcommand(player->combuf) < 0)
 	return 0;
-    if (parse(player->combuf, player->argp, &player->condarg,
-	      scanspace, &redir) < 0) {
+    if (parse(player->combuf, scanspace, player->argp, player->comtail,
+	      &player->condarg, &redir) < 0) {
 	pr("See \"info Syntax\"?\n");
     } else {
 	if (dispatch(player->combuf, redir) < 0)
@@ -287,8 +287,8 @@ execute(void)
     while (!failed && status()) {
 	if (recvclient(buf, sizeof(buf)) < 0)
 	    break;
-	if (parse(buf, player->argp, &player->condarg,
-		  scanspace, &redir) < 0) {
+	if (parse(buf, scanspace, player->argp, player->comtail,
+		  &player->condarg, &redir) < 0) {
 	    failed = 1;
 	    continue;
 	}