diff --git a/src/su.c b/src/su.c
index fc0e826f..006d51d7 100644
--- a/src/su.c
+++ b/src/su.c
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@
 
 #ident "$Id$"
 
-#include <getopt.h>
 #include <grp.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
 #include <signal.h>
@@ -95,6 +94,7 @@ static bool doshell = false;
 static bool fakelogin = false;
 static /*@observer@*/const char *shellstr;
 static /*@null@*/char *command = NULL;
+static int optidx;
 
 
 /* not needed by sulog.c anymore */
@@ -760,6 +760,48 @@ static void save_caller_context (char **argv)
 	pw_free (pw);
 }
 
+/*
+ * flags_match - test arg against flag candidates
+ */
+static bool flags_match(const char *arg, const char *a, const char *b, const char *c)
+{
+	return	(a != NULL && strcmp (arg, a) == 0) ||
+		(b != NULL && strcmp (arg, b) == 0) ||
+		(c != NULL && strcmp (arg, c) == 0);
+}
+
+/* is_flag_like - test if arg resembles a flag
+ *
+ *	lone "--" and bare leading-hyphen-less words are not flag-like,
+ *	everything else is considered a probable flag.
+ */
+static bool is_flag_like(const char *arg)
+{
+	if (arg[0] != '-')
+		return false;
+
+	if (strcmp (arg, "--") == 0)
+		return false;
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+static void flag_arg_required(const char *arg)
+{
+	fprintf (stderr,
+	         _("%s: option \'%s\' requires an argument\n"),
+		 Prog, arg);
+	usage (E_USAGE);
+}
+
+static void flag_unknown(const char *arg)
+{
+	fprintf (stderr,
+	         _("%s: unrecognized option \'%s\'\n"),
+		 Prog, arg);
+	usage (E_BAD_ARG);
+}
+
 /*
  * process_flags - Process the command line arguments
  *
@@ -769,51 +811,41 @@ static void save_caller_context (char **argv)
  */
 static void process_flags (int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	int c;
-	static struct option long_options[] = {
-		{"command",              required_argument, NULL, 'c'},
-		{"help",                 no_argument,       NULL, 'h'},
-		{"login",                no_argument,       NULL, 'l'},
-		{"preserve-environment", no_argument,       NULL, 'p'},
-		{"shell",                required_argument, NULL, 's'},
-		{NULL, 0, NULL, '\0'}
-	};
+	for (optidx = 1; optidx < argc; optidx++) {
+		const char *arg = argv[optidx];
 
-	while ((c = getopt_long (argc, argv, "c:hlmps:",
-	                         long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
-		switch (c) {
-		case 'c':
-			command = optarg;
-			break;
-		case 'h':
+		if (flags_match (arg, "--command", "-c", NULL)) {
+			if (optidx == argc - 1) {
+				flag_arg_required (arg);
+			}
+
+			command = argv[++optidx];
+		} else if (flags_match (arg, "--help", "-h", NULL)) {
 			usage (E_SUCCESS);
-			break;
-		case 'l':
+		} else if (flags_match (arg, "--login", "-l", "-")) {
 			fakelogin = true;
-			break;
-		case 'm':
-		case 'p':
+		} else if (flags_match (arg, "--preserve-environment", "-p", "-m")) {
 			/* This will only have an effect if the target
 			 * user do not have a restricted shell, or if
 			 * su is called by root.
 			 */
 			change_environment = false;
+		} else if (flags_match (arg, "--shell", "-s", NULL)) {
+			if (optidx == argc - 1) {
+				flag_arg_required (arg);
+			}
+
+			shellstr = argv[++optidx];
+		} else if (is_flag_like (arg)) {
+			flag_unknown (arg);
+		} else {
 			break;
-		case 's':
-			shellstr = optarg;
-			break;
-		default:
-			usage (E_USAGE);	/* NOT REACHED */
 		}
 	}
 
-	if ((optind < argc) && (strcmp (argv[optind], "-") == 0)) {
-		fakelogin = true;
-		optind++;
-	}
-
-	if (optind < argc) {
-		STRFCPY (name, argv[optind++]);	/* use this login id */
+	/* if next arg is not "--", treat as USER */
+	if (optidx < argc && strcmp (argv[optidx], "--")) {
+		STRFCPY (name, argv[optidx++]);	/* use this login id */
 	}
 	if ('\0' == name[0]) {		/* use default user */
 		struct passwd *root_pw = getpwnam ("root");
@@ -829,7 +861,12 @@ static void process_flags (int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
-	doshell = (argc == optind);	/* any arguments remaining? */
+	/* if more and next arg is "--", skip it and leave rest as-is */
+	if (optidx < argc && strcmp (argv[optidx], "--") == 0) {
+		optidx++;
+	}
+
+	doshell = (argc == optidx);	/* any arguments remaining? */
 	if (NULL != command) {
 		doshell = false;
 	}
@@ -1178,7 +1215,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 	if (!doshell) {
 		int err;
 		/* Position argv to the remaining arguments */
-		argv += optind;
+		argv += optidx;
 		if (NULL != command) {
 			argv -= 2;
 			argv[0] = "-c";