diff --git a/Documentation/RelNotes/2.4.12.txt b/Documentation/RelNotes/2.4.12.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7d15f94725
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/RelNotes/2.4.12.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Git v2.4.12 Release Notes
+=========================
+
+Fixes since v2.4.11
+-------------------
+
+ * "git-shell" rejects a request to serve a repository whose name
+   begins with a dash, which makes it no longer possible to get it
+   confused into spawning service programs like "git-upload-pack" with
+   an option like "--help", which in turn would spawn an interactive
+   pager, instead of working with the repository user asked to access
+   (i.e. the one whose name is "--help").
diff --git a/Documentation/RelNotes/2.5.6.txt b/Documentation/RelNotes/2.5.6.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9cd025bb1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/RelNotes/2.5.6.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Git v2.5.6 Release Notes
+========================
+
+Fixes since v2.5.5
+------------------
+
+ * "git-shell" rejects a request to serve a repository whose name
+   begins with a dash, which makes it no longer possible to get it
+   confused into spawning service programs like "git-upload-pack" with
+   an option like "--help", which in turn would spawn an interactive
+   pager, instead of working with the repository user asked to access
+   (i.e. the one whose name is "--help").
diff --git a/Documentation/git.txt b/Documentation/git.txt
index ea256de13c..9b75c50d30 100644
--- a/Documentation/git.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git.txt
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@ Documentation for older releases are available here:
   link:RelNotes/2.6.1.txt[2.6.1],
   link:RelNotes/2.6.0.txt[2.6].
 
-* link:v2.5.5/git.html[documentation for release 2.5.5]
+* link:v2.5.6/git.html[documentation for release 2.5.6]
 
 * release notes for
+  link:RelNotes/2.5.6.txt[2.5.6],
   link:RelNotes/2.5.5.txt[2.5.5],
   link:RelNotes/2.5.4.txt[2.5.4],
   link:RelNotes/2.5.3.txt[2.5.3],
@@ -64,9 +65,10 @@ Documentation for older releases are available here:
   link:RelNotes/2.5.1.txt[2.5.1],
   link:RelNotes/2.5.0.txt[2.5].
 
-* link:v2.4.11/git.html[documentation for release 2.4.11]
+* link:v2.4.12/git.html[documentation for release 2.4.12]
 
 * release notes for
+  link:RelNotes/2.4.12.txt[2.4.12],
   link:RelNotes/2.4.11.txt[2.4.11],
   link:RelNotes/2.4.10.txt[2.4.10],
   link:RelNotes/2.4.9.txt[2.4.9],
diff --git a/shell.c b/shell.c
index ace62e4b65..c3bf8ec38a 100644
--- a/shell.c
+++ b/shell.c
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ static int do_generic_cmd(const char *me, char *arg)
 	const char *my_argv[4];
 
 	setup_path();
-	if (!arg || !(arg = sq_dequote(arg)))
+	if (!arg || !(arg = sq_dequote(arg)) || *arg == '-')
 		die("bad argument");
 	if (!starts_with(me, "git-"))
 		die("bad command");