diff -r b7f2d28260b4 Lib/argparse.py
--- a/Lib/argparse.py	Tue Apr 09 17:23:27 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/argparse.py	Sat Apr 13 23:33:22 2013 -0700
@@ -1907,6 +1907,15 @@
             # and add the Positional and its args to the list
             for action, arg_count in zip(positionals, arg_counts):
                 args = arg_strings[start_index: start_index + arg_count]
+                if action.nargs not in [PARSER, REMAINDER]:
+                    pats = arg_strings_pattern[start_index: start_index + arg_count]
+                    # remove '--' corresponding to a '-' in pattern
+                    try:
+                        ii = pats.index('-')
+                        assert(args[ii]=='--')
+                        del args[ii]
+                    except ValueError:
+                        pass
                 start_index += arg_count
                 take_action(action, args)
 
@@ -2212,11 +2221,12 @@
     # ========================
     def _get_values(self, action, arg_strings):
         # for everything but PARSER, REMAINDER args, strip out first '--'
-        if action.nargs not in [PARSER, REMAINDER]:
-            try:
-                arg_strings.remove('--')
-            except ValueError:
-                pass
+        #if action.nargs not in [PARSER, REMAINDER]:
+        #    try:
+        #        arg_strings.remove('--')
+        #    except ValueError:
+        #        pass
+        # we already removed '--' in consume_positionals()
 
         # optional argument produces a default when not present
         if not arg_strings and action.nargs == OPTIONAL:
diff -r b7f2d28260b4 Lib/test/test_argparse.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_argparse.py	Tue Apr 09 17:23:27 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_argparse.py	Sat Apr 13 23:33:22 2013 -0700
@@ -1281,6 +1281,50 @@
         ('-3 1 a', NS(x=None, y=1.0, z=['a'])),
     ]
 
+class TestDoubleDashRemoval(ParserTestCase):
+    """Test actions with multiple -- values"""
+
+    """argparse removed all '--'
+    a 3-2012 patch removed just the 1st -- of each positional group
+    this new patch removes just the 1st --
+    this change is most valuable when passing arg strings to another process"""
+    argument_signatures = [
+        Sig('-f', '--foo', help='an optional'),
+        Sig('cmd', help='a command'),
+        Sig('rest', nargs='*', help='zero or more args'),
+    ]
+    failures = ['cmd --foo bar 1 2 3', 'cmd -f1 2 3']
+    successes = [
+        ('-f1 1 -- 2 3', NS(cmd='1', foo='1', rest=['2', '3'])),
+        ('cmd -- --foo bar', NS(cmd='cmd', foo=None, rest=['--foo', 'bar'])),
+        ('cmd -- --foo -- -f2', NS(cmd='cmd', foo=None, rest=['--foo', '--', '-f2'])),
+
+        ('-- --foo -- --bar 2', NS(cmd='--foo', foo=None, rest=['--', '--bar', '2'])),
+        # NS(cmd='--foo', foo=None, rest=['--bar', '2']) old
+
+        ('-f1 -- -- 1 -- 2', NS(cmd='--', foo='1', rest=['1', '--', '2'])),
+        # NS(cmd=[], foo='1', rest=['1', '2']) older, note cmd=[]
+        # NS(cmd='--', foo='1', rest=['1', '2']) old
+
+        ('-- cmd -- -- --foo', NS(cmd='cmd', foo=None, rest=['--', '--', '--foo'])),
+        # NS(cmd='cmd', foo=None, rest=['--foo'])  older
+        # NS(cmd='cmd', foo=None, rest=['--', '--foo']) old
+    ]
+
+class TestDoubleDashRemoval1(ParserTestCase):
+    """Test actions with multiple -- values, with '+' positional"""
+
+    argument_signatures = [
+        Sig('-f', '--foo', help='an optional'),
+        Sig('cmd', help='a command'),
+        Sig('rest', nargs='+', help='1 or more args'),
+    ]
+    failures = ['cmd -f1', '-f1 -- cmd', '-f1 cmd --']
+    successes = [
+        ('cmd -f1 2 3', NS(cmd='cmd', foo='1', rest=['2', '3'])),
+        ('cmd -f1 -- 2 3', NS(cmd='cmd', foo='1', rest=['2', '3'])),
+        ('-f1 -- cmd -- -f2 3', NS(cmd='cmd', foo='1', rest=['--', '-f2', '3'])),
+    ]
 
 class TestDefaultSuppress(ParserTestCase):
     """Test actions with suppressed defaults"""