diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 6696c4cfd0..3ac479bec3 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -1896,6 +1896,7 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	rev.diff = 1;
 	rev.max_parents = 1;
 	rev.diffopt.flags.recursive = 1;
+	rev.diffopt.no_free = 1;
 	rev.subject_prefix = fmt_patch_subject_prefix;
 	memset(&s_r_opt, 0, sizeof(s_r_opt));
 	s_r_opt.def = "HEAD";
@@ -2021,13 +2022,7 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	if (use_stdout) {
 		setup_pager();
-	} else if (rev.diffopt.close_file) {
-		/*
-		 * The diff code parsed --output; it has already opened the
-		 * file, but we must instruct it not to close after each diff.
-		 */
-		rev.diffopt.no_free = 1;
-	} else {
+	} else if (!rev.diffopt.close_file) {
 		int saved;
 
 		if (!output_directory)
diff --git a/t/t4014-format-patch.sh b/t/t4014-format-patch.sh
index 7dc5a5c736..fbec8ad2ef 100755
--- a/t/t4014-format-patch.sh
+++ b/t/t4014-format-patch.sh
@@ -926,11 +926,40 @@ test_expect_success 'format-patch --numstat should produce a patch' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'format-patch -- <path>' '
-	git format-patch main..side -- file 2>error &&
-	! grep "Use .--" error
+	rm -f *.patch &&
+	git checkout -b pathspec main &&
+
+	echo file_a 1 >file_a &&
+	echo file_b 1 >file_b &&
+	git add file_a file_b &&
+	git commit -m pathspec_initial &&
+
+	echo file_a 2 >>file_a &&
+	git add file_a &&
+	git commit -m pathspec_a &&
+
+	echo file_b 2 >>file_b &&
+	git add file_b &&
+	git commit -m pathspec_b &&
+
+	echo file_a 3 >>file_a &&
+	echo file_b 3 >>file_b &&
+	git add file_a file_b &&
+	git commit -m pathspec_ab &&
+
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	0001-pathspec_initial.patch
+	0002-pathspec_a.patch
+	0003-pathspec_ab.patch
+	EOF
+
+	git format-patch main..pathspec -- file_a >output &&
+	test_cmp expect output &&
+	! grep file_b *.patch
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'format-patch --ignore-if-in-upstream HEAD' '
+	git checkout side &&
 	git format-patch --ignore-if-in-upstream HEAD
 '