diff --git a/chgrp.c b/chgrp.c
index 0bb1e75c9..83bb19463 100644
--- a/chgrp.c
+++ b/chgrp.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ int chgrp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	/* Ok, ready to do the deed now */
-	while (optind++ < argc) {
+	while (optind++ < argc-1) {
 		if (recursive_action (argv[optind], recursiveFlag, FALSE, FALSE, 
 					fileAction, fileAction, NULL) == FALSE) {
 			return EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/chmod.c b/chmod.c
index 5e12e76b9..f22e5d06f 100644
--- a/chmod.c
+++ b/chmod.c
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ int chmod_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	/* Ok, ready to do the deed now */
-	while (optind++ < argc) {
+	while (optind++ < argc-1) {
 		if (recursive_action (argv[optind], recursiveFlag, FALSE, FALSE, 
 					fileAction, fileAction, NULL) == FALSE) {
 			return EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/chown.c b/chown.c
index ff935a4c0..43d62b1e0 100644
--- a/chown.c
+++ b/chown.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ int chown_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	/* Ok, ready to do the deed now */
-	while (optind++ < argc) {
+	while (optind++ < argc-1) {
 		if (recursive_action (argv[optind], recursiveFlag, FALSE, FALSE, 
 					fileAction, fileAction, NULL) == FALSE) {
 			return EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/coreutils/chgrp.c b/coreutils/chgrp.c
index 0bb1e75c9..83bb19463 100644
--- a/coreutils/chgrp.c
+++ b/coreutils/chgrp.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ int chgrp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	/* Ok, ready to do the deed now */
-	while (optind++ < argc) {
+	while (optind++ < argc-1) {
 		if (recursive_action (argv[optind], recursiveFlag, FALSE, FALSE, 
 					fileAction, fileAction, NULL) == FALSE) {
 			return EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/coreutils/chmod.c b/coreutils/chmod.c
index 5e12e76b9..f22e5d06f 100644
--- a/coreutils/chmod.c
+++ b/coreutils/chmod.c
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ int chmod_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	/* Ok, ready to do the deed now */
-	while (optind++ < argc) {
+	while (optind++ < argc-1) {
 		if (recursive_action (argv[optind], recursiveFlag, FALSE, FALSE, 
 					fileAction, fileAction, NULL) == FALSE) {
 			return EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/coreutils/chown.c b/coreutils/chown.c
index ff935a4c0..43d62b1e0 100644
--- a/coreutils/chown.c
+++ b/coreutils/chown.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ int chown_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	/* Ok, ready to do the deed now */
-	while (optind++ < argc) {
+	while (optind++ < argc-1) {
 		if (recursive_action (argv[optind], recursiveFlag, FALSE, FALSE, 
 					fileAction, fileAction, NULL) == FALSE) {
 			return EXIT_FAILURE;