diff --git a/lisp/eshell/esh-opt.el b/lisp/eshell/esh-opt.el
index b802696306a..67b7d05985d 100644
--- a/lisp/eshell/esh-opt.el
+++ b/lisp/eshell/esh-opt.el
@@ -246,26 +246,27 @@ switch is unrecognized."
 				     options)))
          (ai 0) arg
          (eshell--args args))
-    (while (< ai (length args))
-      (setq arg (nth ai args))
+    (while (< ai (length eshell--args))
+      (setq arg (nth ai eshell--args))
       (if (not (and (stringp arg)
 		    (string-match "^-\\(-\\)?\\(.*\\)" arg)))
 	  (setq ai (1+ ai))
 	(let* ((dash (match-string 1 arg))
 	       (switch (match-string 2 arg)))
 	  (if (= ai 0)
-	      (setq args (cdr args))
-	    (setcdr (nthcdr (1- ai) args) (nthcdr (1+ ai) args)))
+	      (setq eshell--args (cdr eshell--args))
+	    (setcdr (nthcdr (1- ai) eshell--args)
+                    (nthcdr (1+ ai) eshell--args)))
 	  (if dash
 	      (if (> (length switch) 0)
 		  (eshell--process-option name switch 1 ai options opt-vals)
-		(setq ai (length args)))
+		(setq ai (length eshell--args)))
 	    (let ((len (length switch))
 		  (index 0))
 	      (while (< index len)
 		(eshell--process-option name (aref switch index)
                                         0 ai options opt-vals)
 		(setq index (1+ index))))))))
-    (nconc (mapcar #'cdr opt-vals) args)))
+    (nconc (mapcar #'cdr opt-vals) eshell--args)))
 
 ;;; esh-opt.el ends here