diff --git a/Git/Queue.hs b/Git/Queue.hs
index d88c71880a..b8e863658a 100644
--- a/Git/Queue.hs
+++ b/Git/Queue.hs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ data Action
 	| CommandAction 
 		{ getSubcommand :: String
 		, getParams :: [CommandParam]
-		, getFiles :: [FilePath]
+		, getFiles :: [CommandParam]
 		} 
 
 {- A key that can uniquely represent an action in a Map. -}
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ addCommand subcommand params files q repo =
 		, getParams = params
 		, getFiles = newfiles
 		}
-	newfiles = files ++ maybe [] getFiles (M.lookup key $ items q)
+	newfiles = map File files ++ maybe [] getFiles (M.lookup key $ items q)
 		
 	different (CommandAction { getSubcommand = s }) = s /= subcommand
 	different _ = True
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ runAction repo (UpdateIndexAction streamers) =
 runAction repo action@(CommandAction {}) =
 	withHandle StdinHandle createProcessSuccess p $ \h -> do
 		fileEncoding h
-		hPutStr h $ intercalate "\0" $ getFiles action
+		hPutStr h $ intercalate "\0" $ toCommand $ getFiles action
 		hClose h
   where
 	p = (proc "xargs" params) { env = gitEnv repo }
diff --git a/Utility/SafeCommand.hs b/Utility/SafeCommand.hs
index 785aec5781..d24c75dd48 100644
--- a/Utility/SafeCommand.hs
+++ b/Utility/SafeCommand.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {- safely running shell commands
  -
- - Copyright 2010-2012 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
+ - Copyright 2010-2013 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
  -
  - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
  -}
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import Utility.Process
 import System.Process (env)
 import Data.String.Utils
 import Control.Applicative
+import System.FilePath
+import Data.Char
 
 {- A type for parameters passed to a shell command. A command can
  - be passed either some Params (multiple parameters can be included,
@@ -24,14 +26,18 @@ data CommandParam = Params String | Param String | File FilePath
 {- Used to pass a list of CommandParams to a function that runs
  - a command and expects Strings. -}
 toCommand :: [CommandParam] -> [String]
-toCommand = (>>= unwrap)
+toCommand = concatMap unwrap
   where
 	unwrap (Param s) = [s]
 	unwrap (Params s) = filter (not . null) (split " " s)
-	-- Files that start with a dash are modified to avoid
-	-- the command interpreting them as options.
-	unwrap (File s@('-':_)) = ["./" ++ s]
+	-- Files that start with a non-alphanumeric that is not a path
+	-- separator are modified to avoid the command interpreting them as
+	-- options or other special constructs.
+	unwrap (File s@(h:_))
+		| isAlphaNum h || h `elem` pathseps = [s]
+		| otherwise = ["./" ++ s]
 	unwrap (File s) = [s]
+	pathseps = [pathSeparator, '.']
 
 {- Run a system command, and returns True or False
  - if it succeeded or failed.
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 4792161657..b5d1211b7f 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ git-annex (4.20130724) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * Fix a few bugs involving filenames that are at or near the filesystem's
     maximum filename length limit.
   * find: Avoid polluting stdout with progress messages. Closes: #718186
+  * Escape ':' in file/directory names to avoid it being treated
+    as a pathspec by some git commands. Closes: #718185
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Tue, 23 Jul 2013 12:39:48 -0400