diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevWalkTextBuiltin.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevWalkTextBuiltin.java
index d23cbd47a..8543dcb91 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevWalkTextBuiltin.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevWalkTextBuiltin.java
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ protected RevWalk createWalk() {
 			return new ObjectWalk(db);
 		if (argWalk != null)
 			return argWalk;
-		return new RevWalk(db);
+		return argWalk = new RevWalk(db);
 	}
 
 	protected int walkLoop() throws Exception {