diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 12eb332350..d81c08a1de 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -1725,8 +1725,8 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		revs->max_count = atoi(argv[1]);
 		revs->no_walk = 0;
 		return 2;
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "-n")) {
-		revs->max_count = atoi(arg + 2);
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "-n", &optarg)) {
+		revs->max_count = atoi(optarg);
 		revs->no_walk = 0;
 	} else if ((argcount = parse_long_opt("max-age", argv, &optarg))) {
 		revs->max_age = atoi(optarg);
@@ -1785,16 +1785,13 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--author-date-order")) {
 		revs->sort_order = REV_SORT_BY_AUTHOR_DATE;
 		revs->topo_order = 1;
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--early-output")) {
-		int count = 100;
-		switch (arg[14]) {
-		case '=':
-			count = atoi(arg+15);
-			/* Fallthrough */
-		case 0:
-			revs->topo_order = 1;
-		       revs->early_output = count;
-		}
+	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--early-output")) {
+		revs->early_output = 100;
+		revs->topo_order = 1;
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--early-output=", &optarg)) {
+		if (strtoul_ui(optarg, 10, &revs->early_output) < 0)
+			die("'%s': not a non-negative integer", optarg);
+		revs->topo_order = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--parents")) {
 		revs->rewrite_parents = 1;
 		revs->print_parents = 1;
@@ -1810,13 +1807,13 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		revs->min_parents = 2;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-merges")) {
 		revs->max_parents = 1;
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--min-parents=")) {
-		revs->min_parents = atoi(arg+14);
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--no-min-parents")) {
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--min-parents=", &optarg)) {
+		revs->min_parents = atoi(optarg);
+	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-min-parents")) {
 		revs->min_parents = 0;
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--max-parents=")) {
-		revs->max_parents = atoi(arg+14);
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--no-max-parents")) {
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--max-parents=", &optarg)) {
+		revs->max_parents = atoi(optarg);
+	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-max-parents")) {
 		revs->max_parents = -1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--boundary")) {
 		revs->boundary = 1;
@@ -1897,14 +1894,15 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		revs->verbose_header = 1;
 		revs->pretty_given = 1;
 		get_commit_format(NULL, revs);
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--pretty=") || starts_with(arg, "--format=")) {
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--pretty=", &optarg) ||
+		   skip_prefix(arg, "--format=", &optarg)) {
 		/*
 		 * Detached form ("--pretty X" as opposed to "--pretty=X")
 		 * not allowed, since the argument is optional.
 		 */
 		revs->verbose_header = 1;
 		revs->pretty_given = 1;
-		get_commit_format(arg+9, revs);
+		get_commit_format(optarg, revs);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--expand-tabs")) {
 		revs->expand_tabs_in_log = 8;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-expand-tabs")) {
@@ -1922,26 +1920,23 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		revs->show_signature = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-show-signature")) {
 		revs->show_signature = 0;
-	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--show-linear-break") ||
-		   starts_with(arg, "--show-linear-break=")) {
-		if (starts_with(arg, "--show-linear-break="))
-			revs->break_bar = xstrdup(arg + 20);
-		else
-			revs->break_bar = "                    ..........";
+	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--show-linear-break")) {
+		revs->break_bar = "                    ..........";
 		revs->track_linear = 1;
 		revs->track_first_time = 1;
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--show-notes=") ||
-		   starts_with(arg, "--notes=")) {
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--show-linear-break=", &optarg)) {
+		revs->break_bar = xstrdup(optarg);
+		revs->track_linear = 1;
+		revs->track_first_time = 1;
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--show-notes=", &optarg) ||
+		   skip_prefix(arg, "--notes=", &optarg)) {
 		struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 		revs->show_notes = 1;
 		revs->show_notes_given = 1;
-		if (starts_with(arg, "--show-notes")) {
-			if (revs->notes_opt.use_default_notes < 0)
-				revs->notes_opt.use_default_notes = 1;
-			strbuf_addstr(&buf, arg+13);
-		}
-		else
-			strbuf_addstr(&buf, arg+8);
+		if (starts_with(arg, "--show-notes=") &&
+		    revs->notes_opt.use_default_notes < 0)
+			revs->notes_opt.use_default_notes = 1;
+		strbuf_addstr(&buf, optarg);
 		expand_notes_ref(&buf);
 		string_list_append(&revs->notes_opt.extra_notes_refs,
 				   strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL));
@@ -1978,8 +1973,8 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		revs->abbrev = 0;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--abbrev")) {
 		revs->abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV;
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--abbrev=")) {
-		revs->abbrev = strtoul(arg + 9, NULL, 10);
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--abbrev=", &optarg)) {
+		revs->abbrev = strtoul(optarg, NULL, 10);
 		if (revs->abbrev < MINIMUM_ABBREV)
 			revs->abbrev = MINIMUM_ABBREV;
 		else if (revs->abbrev > 40)
@@ -2140,20 +2135,20 @@ static int handle_revision_pseudo_opt(const char *submodule,
 	} else if ((argcount = parse_long_opt("exclude", argv, &optarg))) {
 		add_ref_exclusion(&revs->ref_excludes, optarg);
 		return argcount;
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--branches=")) {
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--branches=", &optarg)) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
-		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, arg + 11, "refs/heads/", &cb);
+		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, optarg, "refs/heads/", &cb);
 		clear_ref_exclusion(&revs->ref_excludes);
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--tags=")) {
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--tags=", &optarg)) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
-		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, arg + 7, "refs/tags/", &cb);
+		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, optarg, "refs/tags/", &cb);
 		clear_ref_exclusion(&revs->ref_excludes);
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--remotes=")) {
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--remotes=", &optarg)) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
-		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, arg + 10, "refs/remotes/", &cb);
+		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, optarg, "refs/remotes/", &cb);
 		clear_ref_exclusion(&revs->ref_excludes);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--reflog")) {
 		add_reflogs_to_pending(revs, *flags);
@@ -2163,14 +2158,14 @@ static int handle_revision_pseudo_opt(const char *submodule,
 		*flags ^= UNINTERESTING | BOTTOM;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-walk")) {
 		revs->no_walk = REVISION_WALK_NO_WALK_SORTED;
-	} else if (starts_with(arg, "--no-walk=")) {
+	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--no-walk=", &optarg)) {
 		/*
 		 * Detached form ("--no-walk X" as opposed to "--no-walk=X")
 		 * not allowed, since the argument is optional.
 		 */
-		if (!strcmp(arg + 10, "sorted"))
+		if (!strcmp(optarg, "sorted"))
 			revs->no_walk = REVISION_WALK_NO_WALK_SORTED;
-		else if (!strcmp(arg + 10, "unsorted"))
+		else if (!strcmp(optarg, "unsorted"))
 			revs->no_walk = REVISION_WALK_NO_WALK_UNSORTED;
 		else
 			return error("invalid argument to --no-walk");
diff --git a/revision.h b/revision.h
index a91dd3d5d9..f96e7f7f49 100644
--- a/revision.h
+++ b/revision.h
@@ -74,8 +74,9 @@ struct rev_info {
 	/* topo-sort */
 	enum rev_sort_order sort_order;
 
-	unsigned int	early_output:1,
-			ignore_missing:1,
+	unsigned int early_output;
+
+	unsigned int	ignore_missing:1,
 			ignore_missing_links:1;
 
 	/* Traversal flags */