diff --git a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/D8Command.java b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/D8Command.java
index 5b12cf1..6e99513 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/D8Command.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/D8Command.java
@@ -80,8 +80,10 @@
     Path outputPath = null;
     Builder builder = builder();
     for (int i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
-      String arg = args[i];
-      if (arg.equals("--help")) {
+      String arg = args[i].trim();
+      if (arg.length() == 0) {
+        continue;
+      } else if (arg.equals("--help")) {
         builder.setPrintHelp(true);
       } else if (arg.equals("--version")) {
         builder.setPrintVersion(true);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/R8Command.java b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/R8Command.java
index 7343fba..17f26d7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/R8Command.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/R8Command.java
@@ -170,8 +170,10 @@
   private static ParseState parse(String[] args, Builder builder, ParseState state)
       throws CompilationException, IOException {
     for (int i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
-      String arg = args[i];
-      if (arg.equals("--help")) {
+      String arg = args[i].trim();
+      if (arg.length() == 0) {
+        continue;
+      } else if (arg.equals("--help")) {
         builder.setPrintHelp(true);
       } else if (arg.equals("--version")) {
         builder.setPrintVersion(true);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/utils/D8CommandTest.java b/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/utils/D8CommandTest.java
index a203323..be72756 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/utils/D8CommandTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/utils/D8CommandTest.java
@@ -33,7 +33,13 @@
   @Test
   public void emptyCommand() throws Throwable {
     verifyEmptyCommand(D8Command.builder().build());
-    verifyEmptyCommand(D8Command.parse(new String[]{}).build());
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse());
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse(""));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse("", ""));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse(" "));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse(" ", " "));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse("\t"));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse("\t", "\t"));
   }
 
   private void verifyEmptyCommand(D8Command command) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/utils/R8CommandTest.java b/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/utils/R8CommandTest.java
index a6e10a8..935275a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/utils/R8CommandTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/utils/R8CommandTest.java
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@
   public void emptyCommand() throws Throwable {
     verifyEmptyCommand(R8Command.builder().build());
     verifyEmptyCommand(parse());
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse(""));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse("", ""));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse(" "));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse(" ", " "));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse("\t"));
+    verifyEmptyCommand(parse("\t", "\t"));
   }
 
   private void verifyEmptyCommand(R8Command command) {