diff --git a/builtin/grep.c b/builtin/grep.c
index 4de49df917..1a6c02804c 100644
--- a/builtin/grep.c
+++ b/builtin/grep.c
@@ -631,7 +631,6 @@ int cmd_grep(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	const char *show_in_pager = NULL, *default_pager = "dummy";
 	struct grep_opt opt;
 	struct object_array list = OBJECT_ARRAY_INIT;
-	const char **paths = NULL;
 	struct pathspec pathspec;
 	struct string_list path_list = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 	int i;
@@ -858,8 +857,9 @@ int cmd_grep(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			verify_filename(prefix, argv[j], j == i);
 	}
 
-	paths = get_pathspec(prefix, argv + i);
-	init_pathspec(&pathspec, paths);
+	parse_pathspec(&pathspec, 0,
+		       PATHSPEC_PREFER_CWD,
+		       prefix, argv + i);
 	pathspec.max_depth = opt.max_depth;
 	pathspec.recursive = 1;
 
diff --git a/builtin/ls-tree.c b/builtin/ls-tree.c
index 93fc3a0e93..bdb03f3662 100644
--- a/builtin/ls-tree.c
+++ b/builtin/ls-tree.c
@@ -167,7 +167,15 @@ int cmd_ls_tree(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (get_sha1(argv[0], sha1))
 		die("Not a valid object name %s", argv[0]);
 
-	init_pathspec(&pathspec, get_pathspec(prefix, argv + 1));
+	/*
+	 * show_recursive() rolls its own matching code and is
+	 * generally ignorant of 'struct pathspec'. The magic mask
+	 * cannot be lifted until it is converted to use
+	 * match_pathspec_depth() or tree_entry_interesting()
+	 */
+	parse_pathspec(&pathspec, 0,
+		       PATHSPEC_PREFER_CWD,
+		       prefix, argv + 1);
 	for (i = 0; i < pathspec.nr; i++)
 		pathspec.items[i].nowildcard_len = pathspec.items[i].len;
 	pathspec.has_wildcard = 0;
diff --git a/builtin/update-index.c b/builtin/update-index.c
index b9c2bd0741..e795818799 100644
--- a/builtin/update-index.c
+++ b/builtin/update-index.c
@@ -547,10 +547,11 @@ static int do_reupdate(int ac, const char **av,
 	 */
 	int pos;
 	int has_head = 1;
-	const char **paths = get_pathspec(prefix, av + 1);
 	struct pathspec pathspec;
 
-	init_pathspec(&pathspec, paths);
+	parse_pathspec(&pathspec, 0,
+		       PATHSPEC_PREFER_CWD,
+		       prefix, av + 1);
 
 	if (read_ref("HEAD", head_sha1))
 		/* If there is no HEAD, that means it is an initial
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 2f0142f22e..cdc7f45d5e 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -2120,8 +2120,8 @@ int setup_revisions(int argc, const char **argv, struct rev_info *revs, struct s
 		 */
 		ALLOC_GROW(prune_data.path, prune_data.nr+1, prune_data.alloc);
 		prune_data.path[prune_data.nr++] = NULL;
-		init_pathspec(&revs->prune_data,
-			      get_pathspec(revs->prefix, prune_data.path));
+		parse_pathspec(&revs->prune_data, 0, 0,
+			       revs->prefix, prune_data.path);
 	}
 
 	if (revs->def == NULL)