diff --git a/builtin/grep.c b/builtin/grep.c
index 5a282c4d06..081e1b57a1 100644
--- a/builtin/grep.c
+++ b/builtin/grep.c
@@ -1154,6 +1154,11 @@ int cmd_grep(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		const char *arg = argv[i];
 		unsigned char sha1[20];
 		struct object_context oc;
+		if (!strcmp(arg, "--")) {
+			i++;
+			seen_dashdash = 1;
+			break;
+		}
 		/* Is it a rev? */
 		if (!get_sha1_with_context(arg, 0, sha1, &oc)) {
 			struct object *object = parse_object_or_die(sha1, arg);
@@ -1162,10 +1167,6 @@ int cmd_grep(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			add_object_array_with_path(object, arg, &list, oc.mode, oc.path);
 			continue;
 		}
-		if (!strcmp(arg, "--")) {
-			i++;
-			seen_dashdash = 1;
-		}
 		break;
 	}
 
diff --git a/t/t7810-grep.sh b/t/t7810-grep.sh
index 19f0108f8a..2c1f7373e6 100755
--- a/t/t7810-grep.sh
+++ b/t/t7810-grep.sh
@@ -982,6 +982,21 @@ test_expect_success 'grep -e -- -- path' '
 	test_cmp expected actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'grep --no-index pattern -- path' '
+	rm -fr non &&
+	mkdir -p non/git &&
+	(
+		GIT_CEILING_DIRECTORIES="$(pwd)/non" &&
+		export GIT_CEILING_DIRECTORIES &&
+		cd non/git &&
+		echo hello >hello &&
+		echo goodbye >goodbye &&
+		echo hello:hello >expect &&
+		git grep --no-index o -- hello >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
 cat >expected <<EOF
 hello.c:int main(int argc, const char **argv)
 hello.c:	printf("Hello world.\n");