@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ pkgdev 0.2.19 (unreleased)
 - bugs: fix a package being filed as its own dependency, when an unsolvable
   ``|| ( ... )`` is answered by the package's own slot (Arthur Zamarin, #208)
 
+**pkgdev commit:**
+
+- commit: a path argument sharing its name with a ref, e.g. ``pkgdev commit
+  main``, no longer fails as an ambiguous git argument (Arthur Zamarin)
+
 pkgdev 0.2.18 (2026-09-05)
 --------------------------
 
 
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ def __init__(self, tmpdir, *args, **kwargs):
 def _extract_historical(repo, path: str, keys: Iterable[str]):
     """Extract the packages as they are in HEAD into a directory."""
     old_files = subprocess.Popen(
-        ["git", "archive", "HEAD", *keys],
+        ["git", "archive", "--end-of-options", "HEAD", *keys],
         stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
         stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
         cwd=repo.location,
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ def _generate_mapping(self):
         """Generate mapping for staged changes."""
         # stage changes as requested
         if self._options.git_add_arg:
-            git.run("add", self._options.git_add_arg, self._options.cwd)
+            git.run("add", self._options.git_add_arg, "--", self._options.cwd)
 
         # determine staged changes forcing rename search
         p = git.run(
@@ -647,7 +647,9 @@ def _generate_mapping(self):
             "--name-status",
             "--cached",
             "-z",
+            "--end-of-options",
             "HEAD",
+            "--",
             *self._options.git_args_paths,
             stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
         )
@@ -922,6 +924,7 @@ def update_manifests(options, out, err, changes):
                 "--porcelain=v1",
                 "-u",
                 "-z",
+                "--",
                 "*.ebuild",
                 cwd=repo.location,
                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
@@ -972,7 +975,7 @@ def _commit(options, out, err):
 
     # stage modified files
     if options.git_add_files:
-        git.run("add", *options.git_add_files, cwd=repo.location)
+        git.run("add", "--", *options.git_add_files, cwd=repo.location)
 
     # scan staged changes for QA issues if requested
     if options.scan:
 
@@ -103,7 +103,13 @@ def _restrict_targets(repo, targets):
 def _restrict_modified_files(repo):
     ebuild_re = re.compile(r"^[ MTARC?]{2} (?P<path>[^/]+/[^/]+/[^/]+\.ebuild)$")
     p = git.run(
-        "status", "--porcelain=v1", "-z", "*.ebuild", cwd=repo.location, stdout=subprocess.PIPE
+        "status",
+        "--porcelain=v1",
+        "-z",
+        "--",
+        "*.ebuild",
+        cwd=repo.location,
+        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
     )
 
     restrictions = []
 
@@ -240,6 +240,24 @@ def test_empty_repo(self, capsys, repo, make_git_repo):
         assert not out
         assert err.strip() == "pkgdev commit: error: no staged changes exist"
 
+    def test_path_matching_ref_name(self, repo, make_git_repo):
+        """A path argument sharing its name with a ref is still a path."""
+        git_repo = make_git_repo(repo.location, commit=True)
+        # 'main' names both the branch and the file being committed
+        path = pjoin(git_repo.path, "main")
+        with open(path, "w") as f:
+            f.write("data\n")
+        git_repo.add_all("main", commit=False)
+
+        with (
+            patch("sys.argv", self.args + ["-m", "add main", "main"]),
+            pytest.raises(SystemExit) as excinfo,
+            chdir(git_repo.path),
+        ):
+            self.script()
+        assert excinfo.value.code == 0
+        assert git_repo.log(["--pretty=tformat:%s", "-1"]) == ["main: add main"]
+
     def test_git_message_opts(self, repo, make_git_repo, tmp_path):
         """Verify message-related options are passed through to `git commit`."""
         git_repo = make_git_repo(repo.location, commit=True)