diff --git a/coreutils/date.c b/coreutils/date.c
index bc6d13137..3ede1237c 100644
--- a/coreutils/date.c
+++ b/coreutils/date.c
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	char *date_str = NULL;
 	char *date_fmt = NULL;
 	char *t_buff;
-	int i;
+	char c;
 	int set_time = 0;
 	int rfc822 = 0;
 	int utc = 0;
@@ -168,49 +168,39 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct tm tm_time;
 
 	/* Interpret command line args */
-	i = --argc;
-	argv++;
-	while (i > 0 && **argv) {
-		if (**argv == '-') {
-			while (i > 0 && *++(*argv))
-				switch (**argv) {
-				case 'R':
-					rfc822 = 1;
-					break;
-				case 's':
-					set_time = 1;
-					if (date_str != NULL)
-						usage(date_usage);
-					date_str = *argv;
-					break;
-				case 'u':
-					utc = 1;
-					if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0) 
-						fatalError(memory_exhausted);
-					break;
-				case 'd':
-					use_arg = 1;
-					if (date_str != NULL)
-						usage(date_usage);
-					date_str = *argv;
-					break;
-				case '-':
-					usage(date_usage);
-				}
-		} else {
-			if ((date_fmt == NULL) && (**argv == '+'))
-				date_fmt = *argv + 1;   /* Skip over the '+' */
-			else if (date_str == NULL) {
-				set_time = 1;
-				date_str = *argv;
-			} else {
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "Rs:ud:")) != EOF) {
+		switch (c) {
+		case 'R':
+			rfc822 = 1;
+			break;
+		case 's':
+			set_time = 1;
+			if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
 				usage(date_usage);
-			}
+			break;
+		case 'u':
+			utc = 1;
+			if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0) 
+				fatalError(memory_exhausted);
+			break;
+		case 'd':
+			use_arg = 1;
+			if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
+				usage(date_usage);
+			break;
+		default:
+			usage(date_usage);
 		}
-		i--;
-		argv++;
 	}
 
+	if ((date_fmt == NULL) && (optind < argc) && (argv[optind][0] == '+'))
+		date_fmt = &argv[optind][1];   /* Skip over the '+' */
+	else if (date_str == NULL) {
+		set_time = 1;
+		date_str = argv[optind];
+	} else {
+		usage(date_usage);
+	}
 
 	/* Now we have parsed all the information except the date format
 	   which depends on whether the clock is being set or read */
diff --git a/coreutils/echo.c b/coreutils/echo.c
index 6e279d1c6..387ea3fef 100644
--- a/coreutils/echo.c
+++ b/coreutils/echo.c
@@ -45,23 +45,24 @@ echo_main(int argc, char** argv)
 	int nflag = 0;
 	int eflag = 0;
 
-	ap = argv;
-	if (argc)
-		ap++;
-	while ((p = *ap) != NULL && *p == '-') {
-		if (strcmp(p, "-n")==0) {
+
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "neE")) != EOF) {
+		switch (c) {
+		case 'n': 
 			nflag = 1;
-		} else if (strcmp(p, "-e")==0) {
+			break;
+		case 'e':
 			eflag = 1;
-		} else if (strcmp(p, "-E")==0) {
+			break;
+		case 'E':
 			eflag = 0;
+			break;
+		default: 
+			usage(uname_usage);
 		}
-		else if (strncmp(p, "--", 2)==0) {
-			usage( uname_usage);
-		} 
-		else break;
-		ap++;
 	}
+
+	ap = &argv[optind];
 	while ((p = *ap++) != NULL) {
 		while ((c = *p++) != '\0') {
 			if (c == '\\' && eflag) {
diff --git a/date.c b/date.c
index bc6d13137..3ede1237c 100644
--- a/date.c
+++ b/date.c
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	char *date_str = NULL;
 	char *date_fmt = NULL;
 	char *t_buff;
-	int i;
+	char c;
 	int set_time = 0;
 	int rfc822 = 0;
 	int utc = 0;
@@ -168,49 +168,39 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct tm tm_time;
 
 	/* Interpret command line args */
-	i = --argc;
-	argv++;
-	while (i > 0 && **argv) {
-		if (**argv == '-') {
-			while (i > 0 && *++(*argv))
-				switch (**argv) {
-				case 'R':
-					rfc822 = 1;
-					break;
-				case 's':
-					set_time = 1;
-					if (date_str != NULL)
-						usage(date_usage);
-					date_str = *argv;
-					break;
-				case 'u':
-					utc = 1;
-					if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0) 
-						fatalError(memory_exhausted);
-					break;
-				case 'd':
-					use_arg = 1;
-					if (date_str != NULL)
-						usage(date_usage);
-					date_str = *argv;
-					break;
-				case '-':
-					usage(date_usage);
-				}
-		} else {
-			if ((date_fmt == NULL) && (**argv == '+'))
-				date_fmt = *argv + 1;   /* Skip over the '+' */
-			else if (date_str == NULL) {
-				set_time = 1;
-				date_str = *argv;
-			} else {
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "Rs:ud:")) != EOF) {
+		switch (c) {
+		case 'R':
+			rfc822 = 1;
+			break;
+		case 's':
+			set_time = 1;
+			if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
 				usage(date_usage);
-			}
+			break;
+		case 'u':
+			utc = 1;
+			if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0) 
+				fatalError(memory_exhausted);
+			break;
+		case 'd':
+			use_arg = 1;
+			if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
+				usage(date_usage);
+			break;
+		default:
+			usage(date_usage);
 		}
-		i--;
-		argv++;
 	}
 
+	if ((date_fmt == NULL) && (optind < argc) && (argv[optind][0] == '+'))
+		date_fmt = &argv[optind][1];   /* Skip over the '+' */
+	else if (date_str == NULL) {
+		set_time = 1;
+		date_str = argv[optind];
+	} else {
+		usage(date_usage);
+	}
 
 	/* Now we have parsed all the information except the date format
 	   which depends on whether the clock is being set or read */
diff --git a/dmesg.c b/dmesg.c
index df2bce713..961e532b0 100644
--- a/dmesg.c
+++ b/dmesg.c
@@ -44,50 +44,36 @@ static const char dmesg_usage[] = "dmesg [-c] [-n LEVEL] [-s SIZE]\n"
 
 int dmesg_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	char *buf;
+	char *buf, c;
 	int bufsize = 8196;
 	int i;
 	int n;
 	int level = 0;
 	int lastc;
 	int cmd = 3;
-	int stopDoingThat;
 
-	argc--;
-	argv++;
-
-	/* Parse any options */
-	while (argc && **argv == '-') {
-		stopDoingThat = FALSE;
-		while (stopDoingThat == FALSE && *++(*argv)) {
-			switch (**argv) {
-			case 'c':
-				cmd = 4;
-				break;
-			case 'n':
-				cmd = 8;
-				if (--argc == 0)
-					goto end;
-				level = atoi(*(++argv));
-				if (--argc > 0)
-					++argv;
-				stopDoingThat = TRUE;
-				break;
-			case 's':
-				if (--argc == 0)
-					goto end;
-				bufsize = atoi(*(++argv));
-				if (--argc > 0)
-					++argv;
-				stopDoingThat = TRUE;
-				break;
-			default:
-				goto end;
-			}
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "cn:s:")) != EOF) {
+		switch (c) {
+		case 'c':
+			cmd = 4;
+			break;
+		case 'n':
+			cmd = 8;
+			if (optarg == NULL)
+				usage(dmesg_usage);
+			level = atoi(optarg);
+			break;
+		case 's':
+			if (optarg == NULL)
+				usage(dmesg_usage);
+			bufsize = atoi(optarg);
+			break;
+		default:
+			usage(dmesg_usage);
 		}
-	}
+	}			
 
-	if (argc > 1) {
+	if (optind < argc) {
 		goto end;
 	}
 
diff --git a/echo.c b/echo.c
index 6e279d1c6..387ea3fef 100644
--- a/echo.c
+++ b/echo.c
@@ -45,23 +45,24 @@ echo_main(int argc, char** argv)
 	int nflag = 0;
 	int eflag = 0;
 
-	ap = argv;
-	if (argc)
-		ap++;
-	while ((p = *ap) != NULL && *p == '-') {
-		if (strcmp(p, "-n")==0) {
+
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "neE")) != EOF) {
+		switch (c) {
+		case 'n': 
 			nflag = 1;
-		} else if (strcmp(p, "-e")==0) {
+			break;
+		case 'e':
 			eflag = 1;
-		} else if (strcmp(p, "-E")==0) {
+			break;
+		case 'E':
 			eflag = 0;
+			break;
+		default: 
+			usage(uname_usage);
 		}
-		else if (strncmp(p, "--", 2)==0) {
-			usage( uname_usage);
-		} 
-		else break;
-		ap++;
 	}
+
+	ap = &argv[optind];
 	while ((p = *ap++) != NULL) {
 		while ((c = *p++) != '\0') {
 			if (c == '\\' && eflag) {
diff --git a/util-linux/dmesg.c b/util-linux/dmesg.c
index df2bce713..961e532b0 100644
--- a/util-linux/dmesg.c
+++ b/util-linux/dmesg.c
@@ -44,50 +44,36 @@ static const char dmesg_usage[] = "dmesg [-c] [-n LEVEL] [-s SIZE]\n"
 
 int dmesg_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	char *buf;
+	char *buf, c;
 	int bufsize = 8196;
 	int i;
 	int n;
 	int level = 0;
 	int lastc;
 	int cmd = 3;
-	int stopDoingThat;
 
-	argc--;
-	argv++;
-
-	/* Parse any options */
-	while (argc && **argv == '-') {
-		stopDoingThat = FALSE;
-		while (stopDoingThat == FALSE && *++(*argv)) {
-			switch (**argv) {
-			case 'c':
-				cmd = 4;
-				break;
-			case 'n':
-				cmd = 8;
-				if (--argc == 0)
-					goto end;
-				level = atoi(*(++argv));
-				if (--argc > 0)
-					++argv;
-				stopDoingThat = TRUE;
-				break;
-			case 's':
-				if (--argc == 0)
-					goto end;
-				bufsize = atoi(*(++argv));
-				if (--argc > 0)
-					++argv;
-				stopDoingThat = TRUE;
-				break;
-			default:
-				goto end;
-			}
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "cn:s:")) != EOF) {
+		switch (c) {
+		case 'c':
+			cmd = 4;
+			break;
+		case 'n':
+			cmd = 8;
+			if (optarg == NULL)
+				usage(dmesg_usage);
+			level = atoi(optarg);
+			break;
+		case 's':
+			if (optarg == NULL)
+				usage(dmesg_usage);
+			bufsize = atoi(optarg);
+			break;
+		default:
+			usage(dmesg_usage);
 		}
-	}
+	}			
 
-	if (argc > 1) {
+	if (optind < argc) {
 		goto end;
 	}