diff --git a/src/argparse.lua b/src/argparse.lua
index f45e68f..0906d5a 100644
--- a/src/argparse.lua
+++ b/src/argparse.lua
@@ -208,11 +208,36 @@ function Parser:make_command_names()
    end
 end
 
+function Parser:make_types()
+   for _, elements in ipairs{self.arguments, self.options} do
+      for _, element in ipairs(elements) do
+         if element.maxcount == 1 then
+            if element.maxargs == 0 then
+               element.type = "flag"
+            elseif element.maxargs == 1 and element.minargs == 1 then
+               element.type = "arg"
+            else
+               element.type = "multi-arg"
+            end
+         else
+            if element.maxargs == 0 then
+               element.type = "counter"
+            elseif element.maxargs == 1 and element.minargs == 1 then
+               element.type = "multi-count"
+            else
+               element.type = "multi-count multi-arg"
+            end
+         end
+      end
+   end
+end
+
 function Parser:prepare()
    self:make_charset()
    self:make_targets()
    self:make_boundaries()
    self:make_command_names()
+   self:make_types()
    return self
 end
 
@@ -228,18 +253,86 @@ function Parser:parse(args)
    local opt_context = {}
    local com_context
    local result = {}
+   local invocations = {}
+   local passed = {}
    local cur_option
    local cur_arg_i = 1
    local cur_arg
 
-   local function close(element)
-      local invocations = result[element.target]
-      local passed = invocations[#invocations]
+   local function convert(element, data)
+      if element.convert then
+         local ok, err = element.convert(data)
 
-      if #passed < element.minargs then
+         return parser:assert(ok, "%s", err or "malformed argument " .. data)
+      else
+         return data
+      end
+   end
+
+   local invoke, pass, close
+
+   function invoke(element)
+      local overwrite = false
+
+      if invocations[element] == element.maxcount then
+         if element.overwrite then
+            overwrite = true
+         else
+            parser:error("option %s must be used at most %d times", element.name, element.maxcount)
+         end
+      else
+         invocations[element] = invocations[element]+1
+      end
+
+      passed[element] = 0
+
+      if element.type == "flag" then
+         result[element.target] = true
+      elseif element.type == "multi-arg" then
+         result[element.target] = {}
+      elseif element.type == "counter" then
+         if not overwrite then
+            result[element.target] = result[element.target]+1
+         end
+      elseif element.type == "multi-count" then
+         if overwrite then
+            table.remove(result[element.target], 1)
+         end
+      elseif element.type == "multi-count multi-arg" then
+         table.insert(result[element.target], {})
+
+         if overwrite then
+            table.remove(result[element.target], 1)
+         end
+      end
+
+      if element.maxargs == 0 then
+         close(element)
+      end
+   end
+
+   function pass(element, data)
+      passed[element] = passed[element]+1
+      data = convert(element, data)
+
+      if element.type == "arg" then
+         result[element.target] = data
+      elseif element.type == "multi-arg" or element.type == "multi-count" then
+         table.insert(result[element.target], data)
+      elseif element.type == "multi-count multi-arg" then
+         table.insert(result[element.target][#result[element.target]], data)
+      end
+
+      if passed[element] == element.maxargs then
+         close(element)
+      end
+   end
+
+   function close(element)
+      if passed[element] < element.minargs then
          if element.default then
-            while #passed < element.minargs do
-               table.insert(passed, element.default)
+            while passed[element] < element.minargs do
+               pass(element, element.default)
             end
          else
             parser:error("too few arguments")
@@ -254,34 +347,6 @@ function Parser:parse(args)
       end
    end
 
-   local function invoke(element)
-      local invocations = result[element.target]
-
-      if #invocations == element.maxcount then
-         if element.overwrite then
-            table.remove(invocations, 1)
-         else
-            parser:error("option %s must be used at most %d times", element.name, element.maxcount)
-         end
-      end
-
-      table.insert(result[element.target], {})
-
-      if element.maxargs == 0 then
-         close(element)
-      end
-   end
-
-   local function pass(element, data)
-      local invocations = result[element.target]
-      local passed = invocations[#invocations]
-      table.insert(passed, data)
-
-      if #passed == element.maxargs then
-         close(element)
-      end
-   end
-
    local function switch(p)
       parser = p:prepare()
       charset = p.charset
@@ -293,12 +358,18 @@ function Parser:parse(args)
             opt_context[alias] = option
          end
 
-         result[option.target] = {}
+         if option.type == "counter" then
+            result[option.target] = 0
+         elseif option.type == "multi-count" or option.type == "multi-count multi-arg" then
+            result[option.target] = {}
+         end
+
+         invocations[option] = 0
       end
 
       for _, argument in ipairs(p.arguments) do
          table.insert(arguments, argument)
-         result[argument.target] = {}
+         invocations[argument] = 0
          invoke(argument)
       end
 
@@ -398,67 +469,6 @@ function Parser:parse(args)
       end
    end
 
-   local function convert(element, data)
-      if element.convert then
-         local ok, err = element.convert(data)
-
-         return parser:assert(ok, "%s", err or "malformed argument " .. data)
-      else
-         return data
-      end
-   end
-
-   local function format()
-      local invocations
-
-      for _, elements in ipairs{options, arguments} do
-         for _, element in ipairs(elements) do
-            invocations = result[element.target]
-
-            parser:assert(#invocations >= element.mincount,
-               "option %s must be used at least %d times", element.name, element.mincount)
-
-            if element.maxcount == 1 then
-               if element.maxargs == 0 then
-                  if #invocations > 0 then
-                     result[element.target] = true
-                  else
-                     result[element.target] = nil
-                  end
-               elseif element.maxargs == 1 and element.minargs == 1 then
-                  if #invocations > 0 then
-                     result[element.target] = convert(element, invocations[1][1])
-                  else
-                     result[element.target] = nil
-                  end
-               else
-                  result[element.target] = invocations[1]
-
-                  if #invocations > 0 and element.convert then
-                     for i=1, #result[element.target] do
-                        result[element.target][i] = convert(element, result[element.target][i])
-                     end
-                  end
-               end
-            else
-               if element.maxargs == 0 then
-                  result[element.target] = #invocations
-               elseif element.maxargs == 1 and element.minargs == 1 then
-                  for i=1, #invocations do
-                     invocations[i] = convert(element, invocations[i][1])
-                  end
-               elseif element.convert then
-                  for _, invocation in ipairs(invocations) do
-                     for i=1, #invocation do
-                        invocation[i] = convert(element, invocation[i])
-                     end
-                  end
-               end
-            end
-         end
-      end
-   end
-
    switch(self)
    mainloop()
 
@@ -474,7 +484,11 @@ function Parser:parse(args)
       parser:error("command is required")
    end
 
-   format()
+   for _, option in ipairs(options) do
+      parser:assert(invocations[option] >= option.mincount,
+         "option %s must be used at least %d times", option.name, option.mincount
+      )
+   end
 
    return result
 end