diff --git a/bin/acorn b/bin/acorn
index f70fe21ee6..a3d05f4e69 100755
--- a/bin/acorn
+++ b/bin/acorn
@@ -4,13 +4,10 @@ var path = require("path");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var acorn = require("../acorn.js");
 
-var infile, infilecount = 0;
-var options = {}, silent = false, compact = false;
-var parsed;
+var infile, parsed, options = {}, silent = false, compact = false;
 
 function help(status) {
-  // we want to print to stderr, not stdout, on errors.
-  var print = (status == 0) ? console.out : console.err;
+  var print = (status == 0) ? console.out : console.error;
   print("usage: " + path.basename(process.argv[1]) + " [--ecma3|--ecma5] [--strictSemicolons]");
   print("        [--locations] [--compact] [--silent] [--help] [--] infile");
   process.exit(status);
@@ -18,16 +15,8 @@ function help(status) {
 
 for (var i = 2; i < process.argv.length; ++i) {
   var arg = process.argv[i];
-  if (arg[0] != "-") {
-    infile = arg;
-    ++infilecount;
-    continue;
-  } else if (arg == "--") {
-    if (i < process.argv.length - 2) help(1); // we have too many remaining `infile`s
-    infile = process.argv[i + 1]; // we want the *next* argument, not the current one
-    ++infilecount;
-    break;
-  }
+  if (arg[0] != "-" && !infile) infile = arg;
+  else if (arg == "--" && !infile && i + 2 == process.argv.length) infile = process.argv[++i];
   else if (arg == "--ecma3") options.ecmaVersion = 3;
   else if (arg == "--ecma5") options.ecmaVersion = 5;
   else if (arg == "--strictSemicolons") options.strictSemicolons = true;
@@ -35,12 +24,9 @@ for (var i = 2; i < process.argv.length; ++i) {
   else if (arg == "--silent") silent = true;
   else if (arg == "--compact") compact = true;
   else if (arg == "--help") help(0);
-  else help(1); // we already took care of all arguments without a starting dash
+  else help(1);
 }
 
-// test against counter: we want exactly 1 file. Any more or less should error.
-if (infilecount !== 1) help(1);
-
 try {
   var code = fs.readFileSync(infile, "utf8");
   parsed = acorn.parse(code, options);