diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/msys2_path_conv.cc b/winsup/cygwin/msys2_path_conv.cc
index 4c0cc82cf2..0902dff3fd 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/msys2_path_conv.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/msys2_path_conv.cc
@@ -358,6 +358,18 @@ path_type find_path_start_and_type(const char** src, int recurse, const char* en
         return NONE;
     }
 
+    /*
+     * Discern between Git's `<rev>:<path>`, SCP's `<host>:<path>` pattern
+     * (which is not a path list but may naïvely look like one) on the one
+     * hand, and path lists starting with `/<path>`, `./<path>` or `../<path>`
+     * on the other hand.
+     */
+    bool potential_path_list = *it == '/' ||
+	    (*it == '.' &&
+		(it[1] == ':' || it[1] == '/' ||
+		 (it[1] == '.' &&
+			(it[2] == ':' || it[2] == '/'))));
+
     /*
      * Prevent Git's :file.txt and :/message syntax from beeing modified.
      */
@@ -383,7 +395,7 @@ path_type find_path_start_and_type(const char** src, int recurse, const char* en
                 goto skip_p2w;
 
             // Leave Git's <rev>:./name syntax alone
-            if (it + 1 < end && it[1] == '.') {
+            if (!potential_path_list && it + 1 < end && it[1] == '.') {
                 if (it + 2 < end && it[2] == '/')
                     goto skip_p2w;
                 if (it + 3 < end && it[2] == '.' && it[3] == '/')