diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index e8110a9243..d53ab75ac9 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -981,7 +981,8 @@ static int parse_branchname_arg(int argc, const char **argv,
 		 */
 		int recover_with_dwim = dwim_new_local_branch_ok;
 
-		if (check_filename(NULL, arg) && !has_dash_dash)
+		if (!has_dash_dash &&
+		    (check_filename(NULL, arg) || !no_wildcard(arg)))
 			recover_with_dwim = 0;
 		/*
 		 * Accept "git checkout foo" and "git checkout foo --"
diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index 0deb02238b..59ec6587aa 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -139,9 +139,7 @@ int check_filename(const char *prefix, const char *arg)
 		if (arg[2] == '\0') /* ":/" is root dir, always exists */
 			return 1;
 		name = arg + 2;
-	} else if (!no_wildcard(arg))
-		return 1;
-	else if (prefix)
+	} else if (prefix)
 		name = prefix_filename(prefix, strlen(prefix), arg);
 	else
 		name = arg;
@@ -202,7 +200,7 @@ void verify_filename(const char *prefix,
 {
 	if (*arg == '-')
 		die("bad flag '%s' used after filename", arg);
-	if (check_filename(prefix, arg))
+	if (check_filename(prefix, arg) || !no_wildcard(arg))
 		return;
 	die_verify_filename(prefix, arg, diagnose_misspelt_rev);
 }
diff --git a/sha1_name.c b/sha1_name.c
index 892db21813..d61b3b964e 100644
--- a/sha1_name.c
+++ b/sha1_name.c
@@ -882,12 +882,12 @@ static int get_sha1_oneline(const char *prefix, unsigned char *sha1,
 
 	if (prefix[0] == '!') {
 		if (prefix[1] != '!')
-			die ("Invalid search pattern: %s", prefix);
+			return -1;
 		prefix++;
 	}
 
 	if (regcomp(&regex, prefix, REG_EXTENDED))
-		die("Invalid search pattern: %s", prefix);
+		return -1;
 
 	for (l = list; l; l = l->next) {
 		l->item->object.flags |= ONELINE_SEEN;
diff --git a/t/t2019-checkout-ambiguous-ref.sh b/t/t2019-checkout-ambiguous-ref.sh
index 199b22d85e..b99d5192a9 100755
--- a/t/t2019-checkout-ambiguous-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t2019-checkout-ambiguous-ref.sh
@@ -56,30 +56,4 @@ test_expect_success VAGUENESS_SUCCESS 'checkout reports switch to branch' '
 	test_i18ngrep ! "^HEAD is now at" stderr
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'wildcard ambiguation, paths win' '
-	git init ambi &&
-	(
-		cd ambi &&
-		echo a >a.c &&
-		git add a.c &&
-		echo b >a.c &&
-		git checkout "*.c" &&
-		echo a >expect &&
-		test_cmp expect a.c
-	)
-'
-
-test_expect_success !MINGW 'wildcard ambiguation, refs lose' '
-	git init ambi2 &&
-	(
-		cd ambi2 &&
-		echo a >"*.c" &&
-		git add . &&
-		test_must_fail git show :"*.c" &&
-		git show :"*.c" -- >actual &&
-		echo a >expect &&
-		test_cmp expect actual
-	)
-'
-
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t6133-pathspec-rev-dwim.sh b/t/t6133-pathspec-rev-dwim.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a290ffca0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t6133-pathspec-rev-dwim.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='test dwim of revs versus pathspecs in revision parser'
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
+	test_commit base &&
+	echo content >"br[ack]ets" &&
+	git add . &&
+	test_tick &&
+	git commit -m brackets
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'non-rev wildcard dwims to pathspec' '
+	git log -- "*.t" >expect &&
+	git log    "*.t" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'tree:path with metacharacters dwims to rev' '
+	git show "HEAD:br[ack]ets" -- >expect &&
+	git show "HEAD:br[ack]ets"    >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success '^{foo} with metacharacters dwims to rev' '
+	git log "HEAD^{/b.*}" -- >expect &&
+	git log "HEAD^{/b.*}"    >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success '@{foo} with metacharacters dwims to rev' '
+	git log "HEAD@{now [or thereabouts]}" -- >expect &&
+	git log "HEAD@{now [or thereabouts]}"    >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success ':/*.t from a subdir dwims to a pathspec' '
+	mkdir subdir &&
+	(
+		cd subdir &&
+		git log -- ":/*.t" >expect &&
+		git log    ":/*.t" >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
+test_done