diff --git a/cmd/micro/micro.go b/cmd/micro/micro.go
index 5eb62097..b3a3aa49 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/micro.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/micro.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
 	"sort"
+	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
@@ -155,18 +156,31 @@ func LoadInput() []*buffer.Buffer {
 	}
 
 	files := make([]string, 0, len(args))
-	flagStartPos := ""
-	flagr := regexp.MustCompile(`^\+\d+(:\d+)?$`)
+	flagStartPos := buffer.Loc{-1, -1}
+	flagr := regexp.MustCompile(`^\+(\d+)(?::(\d+))?$`)
 	for _, a := range args {
-		if flagr.MatchString(a) {
-			flagStartPos = a[1:]
-		} else {
-			if flagStartPos != "" {
-				files = append(files, a+":"+flagStartPos)
-				flagStartPos = ""
-			} else {
-				files = append(files, a)
+		match := flagr.FindStringSubmatch(a)
+		if len(match) == 3 && match[2] != "" {
+			line, err := strconv.Atoi(match[1])
+			if err != nil {
+				screen.TermMessage(err)
+				continue
 			}
+			col, err := strconv.Atoi(match[2])
+			if err != nil {
+				screen.TermMessage(err)
+				continue
+			}
+			flagStartPos = buffer.Loc{col, line - 1}
+		} else if len(match) == 3 && match[2] == "" {
+			line, err := strconv.Atoi(match[1])
+			if err != nil {
+				screen.TermMessage(err)
+				continue
+			}
+			flagStartPos = buffer.Loc{0, line - 1}
+		} else {
+			files = append(files, a)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -174,7 +188,7 @@ func LoadInput() []*buffer.Buffer {
 		// Option 1
 		// We go through each file and load it
 		for i := 0; i < len(files); i++ {
-			buf, err := buffer.NewBufferFromFile(files[i], btype)
+			buf, err := buffer.NewBufferFromFileAtLoc(files[i], btype, flagStartPos)
 			if err != nil {
 				screen.TermMessage(err)
 				continue
@@ -191,10 +205,10 @@ func LoadInput() []*buffer.Buffer {
 			screen.TermMessage("Error reading from stdin: ", err)
 			input = []byte{}
 		}
-		buffers = append(buffers, buffer.NewBufferFromString(string(input), filename, btype))
+		buffers = append(buffers, buffer.NewBufferFromStringAtLoc(string(input), filename, btype, flagStartPos))
 	} else {
 		// Option 3, just open an empty buffer
-		buffers = append(buffers, buffer.NewBufferFromString(string(input), filename, btype))
+		buffers = append(buffers, buffer.NewBufferFromStringAtLoc(string(input), filename, btype, flagStartPos))
 	}
 
 	return buffers
diff --git a/internal/buffer/buffer.go b/internal/buffer/buffer.go
index def60b13..1830cea5 100644
--- a/internal/buffer/buffer.go
+++ b/internal/buffer/buffer.go
@@ -191,17 +191,22 @@ type Buffer struct {
 	StartCursor Loc
 }
 
-// NewBufferFromFile opens a new buffer using the given path
-// It will also automatically handle `~`, and line/column with filename:l:c
-// It will return an empty buffer if the path does not exist
-// and an error if the file is a directory
-func NewBufferFromFile(path string, btype BufType) (*Buffer, error) {
+// NewBufferFromFileAtLoc opens a new buffer with a given cursor location
+// If cursorLoc is {-1, -1} the location does not overwrite what the cursor location
+// would otherwise be (start of file, or saved cursor position if `savecursor` is
+// enabled)
+func NewBufferFromFileAtLoc(path string, btype BufType, cursorLoc Loc) (*Buffer, error) {
 	var err error
-	var cursorPos []string
 	filename := path
-	if config.GetGlobalOption("parsecursor").(bool) {
-		filename, cursorPos = util.GetPathAndCursorPosition(path)
+	if config.GetGlobalOption("parsecursor").(bool) && cursorLoc.X == -1 && cursorLoc.Y == -1 {
+		var cursorPos []string
+		filename, cursorPos = util.GetPathAndCursorPosition(filename)
+		cursorLoc, err = ParseCursorLocation(cursorPos)
+		if err != nil {
+			cursorLoc = Loc{-1, -1}
+		}
 	}
+
 	filename, err = util.ReplaceHome(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -216,11 +221,6 @@ func NewBufferFromFile(path string, btype BufType) (*Buffer, error) {
 
 	defer file.Close()
 
-	cursorLoc, cursorerr := ParseCursorLocation(cursorPos)
-	if cursorerr != nil {
-		cursorLoc = Loc{-1, -1}
-	}
-
 	var buf *Buffer
 	if err != nil {
 		// File does not exist -- create an empty buffer with that name
@@ -232,6 +232,19 @@ func NewBufferFromFile(path string, btype BufType) (*Buffer, error) {
 	return buf, nil
 }
 
+// NewBufferFromFile opens a new buffer using the given path
+// It will also automatically handle `~`, and line/column with filename:l:c
+// It will return an empty buffer if the path does not exist
+// and an error if the file is a directory
+func NewBufferFromFile(path string, btype BufType) (*Buffer, error) {
+	return NewBufferFromFileAtLoc(path, btype, Loc{-1, -1})
+}
+
+// NewBufferFromStringAtLoc creates a new buffer containing the given string with a cursor loc
+func NewBufferFromStringAtLoc(text, path string, btype BufType, cursorLoc Loc) *Buffer {
+	return NewBuffer(strings.NewReader(text), int64(len(text)), path, cursorLoc, btype)
+}
+
 // NewBufferFromString creates a new buffer containing the given string
 func NewBufferFromString(text, path string, btype BufType) *Buffer {
 	return NewBuffer(strings.NewReader(text), int64(len(text)), path, Loc{-1, -1}, btype)