diff --git a/src/Arg.cpp b/src/Arg.cpp
index 7acbcef..f0fca88 100644
--- a/src/Arg.cpp
+++ b/src/Arg.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ namespace TCLAP {
 // defaults
 bool Arg::_ignoreRest = false;
 char Arg::_delimiter = ' ';
+const char Arg::blankChar = '*';
+const char Arg::flagStartChar = '-';
+const string Arg::flagStartString = "-";
+const string Arg::nameStartString = "--";
 
 Arg::Arg( const string& flag, 
 		 const string& name, 
@@ -89,7 +93,7 @@ string Arg::shortID( const string& valueId ) const
 {
 	string id = "";
 
-	id = "-" + _flag;
+	id = Arg::flagStartString + _flag;
 
 	string delim = " "; 
 	delim[0] = Arg::_delimiter; // ugly!!!
@@ -107,13 +111,13 @@ string Arg::longID( const string& valueId ) const
 {
 	string id = "";
 
-	id = "-" + _flag;
+	id = Arg::flagStartString + _flag;
 
 	if ( _valueRequired )
 		id += " <" + valueId + ">";
 
 
-	id += ",  --" + _name;
+	id += ",  " + Arg::nameStartString + _name;
 
 	if ( _valueRequired )
 		id += " <" + valueId + ">";
@@ -162,8 +166,8 @@ bool Arg::isIgnoreable() const { return _ignoreable; }
 
 bool Arg::argMatches( const string& argFlag ) const
 {
-	if ( argFlag == "-" + _flag ||
-		 argFlag == "--" + _name )
+	if ( argFlag == Arg::flagStartString + _flag ||
+		 argFlag == Arg::nameStartString + _name )
 		return true;
 	else
 		return false;
@@ -171,7 +175,7 @@ bool Arg::argMatches( const string& argFlag ) const
 
 string Arg::toString() const
 {
-	string s = "-" + _flag + " (--" + _name + ")";
+	string s = Arg::flagStartString + _flag + " (" + Arg::nameStartString + _name + ")";
 	return s;
 }
 
@@ -202,4 +206,16 @@ void Arg::trimFlag(string& flag, string& value) const
 
 }
 
+/**
+ * Implementation of _hasBlanks.
+ */
+bool Arg::_hasBlanks( const string& s ) const
+{
+	for ( int i = 1; i < s.length(); i++ )
+		if ( s[i] == Arg::blankChar )
+			return true;
+
+	return false;
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/CmdLine.cpp b/src/CmdLine.cpp
index e6ae7b8..e9af286 100644
--- a/src/CmdLine.cpp
+++ b/src/CmdLine.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ CmdLine::CmdLine(const string& m, char delim, const string& v )
 									false, new VersionVisitor( this ) );
 	add( *vers );
 
-	SwitchArg* ignore  = new SwitchArg("-","ignore_rest",
+	SwitchArg* ignore  = new SwitchArg(Arg::flagStartString,"ignore_rest",
                "Ignores the rest of the labeled arguments following this flag.",
 			   false, new IgnoreRestVisitor() );
 	add( *ignore );
@@ -118,6 +118,11 @@ void CmdLine::parse(int argc, char** argv)
 			}
         }
 
+		// checks to see if the argument is an empty combined switch ...
+		// and if so, then we've actually matched it
+		if ( !matched && _emptyCombined( args[i] ) )
+			matched = true;
+
 		if ( !matched && !Arg::ignoreRest() )
 			throw( ArgException("Couldn't find match for argument",args[i]));
     }
@@ -137,4 +142,15 @@ void CmdLine::parse(int argc, char** argv)
 	}
 }
 
+bool CmdLine::_emptyCombined(const string& s)
+{
+	if ( s[0] != Arg::flagStartChar )
+		return false;
+
+	for ( int i = 1; (unsigned int)i < s.length(); i++ )
+		if ( s[i] != Arg::blankChar )
+			return false;
+
+	return true;
+}
 }
diff --git a/src/SwitchArg.cpp b/src/SwitchArg.cpp
index 820099a..092a4fa 100644
--- a/src/SwitchArg.cpp
+++ b/src/SwitchArg.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ bool SwitchArg::combinedSwitchesMatch(string& combinedSwitches )
 			// update the combined switches so this one is no longer present
 			// this is necessary so that no unlabeled args are matched
 			// later in the processing.
-			combinedSwitches.erase(i,1);
+			//combinedSwitches.erase(i,1);
+			combinedSwitches[i] = Arg::blankChar; 
 			return true;
 		}