diff --git a/git-flow-feature b/git-flow-feature
index a413534..8893598 100644
--- a/git-flow-feature
+++ b/git-flow-feature
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@
 	parse_cmdline "$@"
 
 	# read arguments into global variables
-	NAME=${!#}
+	NAME=$(last_arg "$@")
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$NAME
 }
 
diff --git a/git-flow-hotfix b/git-flow-hotfix
index 436760c..a675619 100644
--- a/git-flow-hotfix
+++ b/git-flow-hotfix
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
 	eval set -- "${FLAGS_ARGV}"
 
 	# read arguments into global variables
-	VERSION=${!#}
+	VERSION=$(last_arg "$@")
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
 }
 
diff --git a/git-flow-release b/git-flow-release
index e24c55e..aea6e42 100644
--- a/git-flow-release
+++ b/git-flow-release
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
 	eval set -- "${FLAGS_ARGV}"
 
 	# read arguments into global variables
-	VERSION=${!#}
+	VERSION=$(last_arg "$@")
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
 }
 
diff --git a/gitflow-common b/gitflow-common
index dcb58bd..e5ffc74 100644
--- a/gitflow-common
+++ b/gitflow-common
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@
 warn() { echo "$@" >&2; }
 die() { warn "$@"; exit 1; }
 
+# argument processing
+last_arg() {
+    if [ $# -ne 0 ]; then
+        shift $(expr $# - 1)
+        echo "$1"
+    fi
+}
+
 # set logic
 has() {
 	local item=$1; shift