diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index b708517a35..00a4ce602c 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -158,13 +158,9 @@ static void cmd_log_init_finish(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 	if (rev->show_notes)
 		init_display_notes(&rev->notes_opt);
 
-	if (rev->diffopt.pickaxe || rev->diffopt.filter)
+	if (rev->diffopt.pickaxe || rev->diffopt.filter ||
+	    DIFF_OPT_TST(&rev->diffopt, FOLLOW_RENAMES))
 		rev->always_show_header = 0;
-	if (DIFF_OPT_TST(&rev->diffopt, FOLLOW_RENAMES)) {
-		rev->always_show_header = 0;
-		if (rev->diffopt.pathspec.nr != 1)
-			usage("git logs can only follow renames on one pathname at a time");
-	}
 
 	if (source)
 		rev->show_source = 1;
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index e34bf97120..a99b925ac7 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -3317,6 +3317,9 @@ void diff_setup_done(struct diff_options *options)
 		options->output_format = DIFF_FORMAT_NO_OUTPUT;
 		DIFF_OPT_SET(options, EXIT_WITH_STATUS);
 	}
+
+	if (DIFF_OPT_TST(options, FOLLOW_RENAMES) && options->pathspec.nr != 1)
+		die(_("--follow requires exactly one pathspec"));
 }
 
 static int opt_arg(const char *arg, int arg_short, const char *arg_long, int *val)