diff --git a/src/nano.c b/src/nano.c
index 296f22dc..bd069cd3 100644
--- a/src/nano.c
+++ b/src/nano.c
@@ -2486,23 +2486,17 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			char *filename = argv[optind++];
 			char *colon = filename + (*filename ? 1 : 0);
 
-			/* Search for a colon, to open the file on a specific line. */
+			/* Search the filename for a colon.  If the colon is preceded by
+			 * a backslash, elide the backslash and skip the colon.  If there
+			 * is a valid number after the colon, chop colon and number off.
+			 * The number is later used to place the cursor on that line. */
 			while ((colon = strchr(colon, ':'))) {
-
-				/* If the colon is escaped, unescape it and skip it. */
-				if (*(colon - 1) == '\\') {
+				if (*(colon - 1) == '\\')
 					memmove(colon - 1, colon, strlen(colon) + 1);
-					continue;
-				}
-
-				/* If parsing succeeds, cut off the line suffix. */
-				if (parse_line_column(colon + 1, &givenline, &givencol)) {
-					*colon = 0;
-					break;
-				}
-
-				/* Parsing failed; skip this colon. */
-				++colon;
+				else if (parse_line_column(colon + 1, &givenline, &givencol))
+					*colon = '\0';
+				else
+					++colon;
 			}
 
 			if (!open_buffer(filename, TRUE))