diff --git a/Documentation/glossary-content.txt b/Documentation/glossary-content.txt
index 0ca029b738..8f62d1abee 100644
--- a/Documentation/glossary-content.txt
+++ b/Documentation/glossary-content.txt
@@ -319,14 +319,14 @@ top `/`;;
 	The magic word `top` (mnemonic: `/`) makes the pattern match
 	from the root of the working tree, even when you are running
 	the command from inside a subdirectory.
-icase;;
-	The magic word `icase` (there is no mnemonic for it) makes the
-	pattern match case insensitively.  E.g. `:(icase)makefile` matches
-	both `Makefile` and `makefile`.
 --
 +
-It is envisioned that we will support more types of magic in later
+Currently only the slash `/` is recognized as the "magic signature",
+but it is envisioned that we will support more types of magic in later
 versions of git.
++
+A pathspec with only a colon means "there is no pathspec". This form
+should not be combined with other pathspec.
 
 [[def_parent]]parent::
 	A <<def_commit_object,commit object>> contains a (possibly empty) list
diff --git a/builtin/grep.c b/builtin/grep.c
index 3ee2ec51de..931eee0d75 100644
--- a/builtin/grep.c
+++ b/builtin/grep.c
@@ -969,13 +969,7 @@ int cmd_grep(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			verify_filename(prefix, argv[j]);
 	}
 
-	if (i < argc)
-		paths = get_pathspec(prefix, argv + i);
-	else if (prefix) {
-		paths = xcalloc(2, sizeof(const char *));
-		paths[0] = prefix;
-		paths[1] = NULL;
-	}
+	paths = get_pathspec(prefix, argv + i);
 	init_pathspec(&pathspec, paths);
 	pathspec.max_depth = opt.max_depth;
 	pathspec.recursive = 1;
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 2b34116624..049ab23ed6 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -800,15 +800,15 @@ struct object_context {
 };
 
 extern int get_sha1(const char *str, unsigned char *sha1);
-extern int get_sha1_with_mode_1(const char *str, unsigned char *sha1, unsigned *mode, int gently, const char *prefix);
+extern int get_sha1_with_mode_1(const char *str, unsigned char *sha1, unsigned *mode, int only_to_die, const char *prefix);
 static inline int get_sha1_with_mode(const char *str, unsigned char *sha1, unsigned *mode)
 {
-	return get_sha1_with_mode_1(str, sha1, mode, 1, NULL);
+	return get_sha1_with_mode_1(str, sha1, mode, 0, NULL);
 }
-extern int get_sha1_with_context_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1, struct object_context *orc, int gently, const char *prefix);
+extern int get_sha1_with_context_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1, struct object_context *orc, int only_to_die, const char *prefix);
 static inline int get_sha1_with_context(const char *str, unsigned char *sha1, struct object_context *orc)
 {
-	return get_sha1_with_context_1(str, sha1, orc, 1, NULL);
+	return get_sha1_with_context_1(str, sha1, orc, 0, NULL);
 }
 extern int get_sha1_hex(const char *hex, unsigned char *sha1);
 extern char *sha1_to_hex(const unsigned char *sha1);	/* static buffer result! */
diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index 4f6b2dac5f..58dc16c8c4 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -85,8 +85,17 @@ static void NORETURN die_verify_filename(const char *prefix, const char *arg)
 {
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
 	unsigned mode;
-	/* try a detailed diagnostic ... */
-	get_sha1_with_mode_1(arg, sha1, &mode, 0, prefix);
+
+	/*
+	 * Saying "'(icase)foo' does not exist in the index" when the
+	 * user gave us ":(icase)foo" is just stupid.  A magic pathspec
+	 * begins with a colon and is followed by a non-alnum; do not
+	 * let get_sha1_with_mode_1(only_to_die=1) to even trigger.
+	 */
+	if (!(arg[0] == ':' && !isalnum(arg[1])))
+		/* try a detailed diagnostic ... */
+		get_sha1_with_mode_1(arg, sha1, &mode, 1, prefix);
+
 	/* ... or fall back the most general message. */
 	die("ambiguous argument '%s': unknown revision or path not in the working tree.\n"
 	    "Use '--' to separate paths from revisions", arg);
@@ -136,12 +145,12 @@ void verify_non_filename(const char *prefix, const char *arg)
  * Possible future magic semantics include stuff like:
  *
  *	{ PATHSPEC_NOGLOB, '!', "noglob" },
+ *	{ PATHSPEC_ICASE, '\0', "icase" },
  *	{ PATHSPEC_RECURSIVE, '*', "recursive" },
  *	{ PATHSPEC_REGEXP, '\0', "regexp" },
  *
  */
 #define PATHSPEC_FROMTOP    (1<<0)
-#define PATHSPEC_ICASE      (1<<1)
 
 struct pathspec_magic {
 	unsigned bit;
@@ -149,7 +158,6 @@ struct pathspec_magic {
 	const char *name;
 } pathspec_magic[] = {
 	{ PATHSPEC_FROMTOP, '/', "top" },
-	{ PATHSPEC_ICASE, '\0', "icase" },
 };
 
 /*
@@ -169,8 +177,7 @@ const char *prefix_pathspec(const char *prefix, int prefixlen, const char *elt)
 {
 	unsigned magic = 0;
 	const char *copyfrom = elt;
-	const char *retval;
-	int i, free_source = 0;
+	int i;
 
 	if (elt[0] != ':') {
 		; /* nothing to do */
@@ -199,9 +206,6 @@ const char *prefix_pathspec(const char *prefix, int prefixlen, const char *elt)
 		}
 		if (*copyfrom == ')')
 			copyfrom++;
-	} else if (!elt[1]) {
-		/* Just ':' -- no element! */
-		return NULL;
 	} else {
 		/* shorthand */
 		for (copyfrom = elt + 1;
@@ -224,31 +228,10 @@ const char *prefix_pathspec(const char *prefix, int prefixlen, const char *elt)
 			copyfrom++;
 	}
 
-	if (magic & PATHSPEC_ICASE) {
-		struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
-		for (i = 0; copyfrom[i]; i++) {
-			int ch = copyfrom[i];
-			if (('a' <= ch && ch <= 'z') ||
-			    ('A' <= ch && ch <= 'Z')) {
-				strbuf_addf(&sb, "[%c%c]",
-					    tolower(ch), toupper(ch));
-			} else {
-				strbuf_addch(&sb, ch);
-			}
-		}
-		if (sb.len) {
-			free_source = 1;
-			copyfrom = strbuf_detach(&sb, NULL);
-		}
-	}
-
 	if (magic & PATHSPEC_FROMTOP)
-		retval = xstrdup(copyfrom);
+		return xstrdup(copyfrom);
 	else
-		retval = prefix_path(prefix, prefixlen, copyfrom);
-	if (free_source)
-		free((char *)copyfrom);
-	return retval;
+		return prefix_path(prefix, prefixlen, copyfrom);
 }
 
 const char **get_pathspec(const char *prefix, const char **pathspec)
diff --git a/sha1_name.c b/sha1_name.c
index 69cd6c815d..ff5992acc9 100644
--- a/sha1_name.c
+++ b/sha1_name.c
@@ -1083,11 +1083,12 @@ static void diagnose_invalid_index_path(int stage,
 }
 
 
-int get_sha1_with_mode_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1, unsigned *mode, int gently, const char *prefix)
+int get_sha1_with_mode_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1, unsigned *mode,
+			 int only_to_die, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct object_context oc;
 	int ret;
-	ret = get_sha1_with_context_1(name, sha1, &oc, gently, prefix);
+	ret = get_sha1_with_context_1(name, sha1, &oc, only_to_die, prefix);
 	*mode = oc.mode;
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -1111,7 +1112,7 @@ static char *resolve_relative_path(const char *rel)
 
 int get_sha1_with_context_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1,
 			    struct object_context *oc,
-			    int gently, const char *prefix)
+			    int only_to_die, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int ret, bracket_depth;
 	int namelen = strlen(name);
@@ -1133,7 +1134,7 @@ int get_sha1_with_context_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1,
 		struct cache_entry *ce;
 		char *new_path = NULL;
 		int pos;
-		if (namelen > 2 && name[1] == '/') {
+		if (!only_to_die && namelen > 2 && name[1] == '/') {
 			struct commit_list *list = NULL;
 			for_each_ref(handle_one_ref, &list);
 			return get_sha1_oneline(name + 2, sha1, list);
@@ -1176,7 +1177,7 @@ int get_sha1_with_context_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1,
 			}
 			pos++;
 		}
-		if (!gently)
+		if (only_to_die && name[1] && name[1] != '/')
 			diagnose_invalid_index_path(stage, prefix, cp);
 		free(new_path);
 		return -1;
@@ -1192,7 +1193,7 @@ int get_sha1_with_context_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1,
 	if (*cp == ':') {
 		unsigned char tree_sha1[20];
 		char *object_name = NULL;
-		if (!gently) {
+		if (only_to_die) {
 			object_name = xmalloc(cp-name+1);
 			strncpy(object_name, name, cp-name);
 			object_name[cp-name] = '\0';
@@ -1205,7 +1206,7 @@ int get_sha1_with_context_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1,
 			if (new_filename)
 				filename = new_filename;
 			ret = get_tree_entry(tree_sha1, filename, sha1, &oc->mode);
-			if (!gently) {
+			if (only_to_die) {
 				diagnose_invalid_sha1_path(prefix, filename,
 							   tree_sha1, object_name);
 				free(object_name);
@@ -1218,7 +1219,7 @@ int get_sha1_with_context_1(const char *name, unsigned char *sha1,
 			free(new_filename);
 			return ret;
 		} else {
-			if (!gently)
+			if (only_to_die)
 				die("Invalid object name '%s'.", object_name);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/t/t3703-add-magic-pathspec.sh b/t/t3703-add-magic-pathspec.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..ce5585ebb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t3703-add-magic-pathspec.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='magic pathspec tests using git-add'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
+	mkdir sub anothersub &&
+	: >sub/foo &&
+	: >anothersub/foo
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'add :/' "
+	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
+	add 'anothersub/foo'
+	add 'expected'
+	add 'sub/actual'
+	add 'sub/foo'
+	EOF
+	(cd sub && git add -n :/ >actual) &&
+	test_cmp expected sub/actual
+"
+
+cat >expected <<EOF
+add 'anothersub/foo'
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'add :/anothersub' '
+	(cd sub && git add -n :/anothersub >actual) &&
+	test_cmp expected sub/actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'add :/non-existent' '
+	(cd sub && test_must_fail git add -n :/non-existent)
+'
+
+cat >expected <<EOF
+add 'sub/foo'
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'a file with the same (long) magic name exists' '
+	: >":(icase)ha" &&
+	test_must_fail git add -n ":(icase)ha" &&
+	git add -n "./:(icase)ha"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'a file with the same (short) magic name exists' '
+	mkdir ":" &&
+	: >":/bar" &&
+	test_must_fail git add -n :/bar &&
+	git add -n "./:/bar"
+'
+
+test_done
diff --git a/t/t4208-log-magic-pathspec.sh b/t/t4208-log-magic-pathspec.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..2c482b622b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t4208-log-magic-pathspec.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='magic pathspec tests using git-log'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
+	test_commit initial &&
+	test_tick &&
+	git commit --allow-empty -m empty &&
+	mkdir sub
+'
+
+test_expect_success '"git log :/" should be ambiguous' '
+	test_must_fail git log :/ 2>error &&
+	grep ambiguous error
+'
+
+test_expect_success '"git log :" should be ambiguous' '
+	test_must_fail git log : 2>error &&
+	grep ambiguous error
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git log -- :' '
+	git log -- :
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git log HEAD -- :/' '
+	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
+	24b24cf initial
+	EOF
+	(cd sub && git log --oneline HEAD -- :/ >../actual) &&
+	test_cmp expected actual
+'
+
+test_done