diff -up ./lib/ipmi_main.c.passarg ./lib/ipmi_main.c
--- ./lib/ipmi_main.c.passarg	2012-12-13 16:47:34.585182645 +0100
+++ ./lib/ipmi_main.c	2012-12-13 16:57:12.023739444 +0100
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ ipmi_main(int argc, char ** argv,
 	int argflag, i, found;
 	int rc = -1;
 	char sol_escape_char = SOL_ESCAPE_CHARACTER_DEFAULT;
+	int querrypass = 0;
 
 	/* save program name */
 	progname = strrchr(argv[0], '/');
@@ -501,6 +502,7 @@ ipmi_main(int argc, char ** argv,
 			}
 			break;
 		case 'f':
+			querrypass = 0;
 			if (password)
 				free(password);
 			password = ipmi_password_file_read(optarg);
@@ -509,22 +511,7 @@ ipmi_main(int argc, char ** argv,
 						"from file %s", optarg);
 			break;
 		case 'a':
-			if (tmp)
-				free(tmp);
-#ifdef HAVE_GETPASSPHRASE
-			tmp = getpassphrase("Password: ");
-#else
-			tmp = getpass("Password: ");
-#endif
-			if (tmp != NULL) {
-				if (password)
-					free(password);
-				password = strdup(tmp);
-				if (password == NULL) {
-					lprintf(LOG_ERR, "%s: malloc failure", progname);
-					goto out_free;
-				}
-			}
+			querrypass = 1;
 			break;
 		case 'k':
 			if (kgkey)
@@ -623,6 +610,7 @@ ipmi_main(int argc, char ** argv,
 			oemtype = strdup("supermicro");
 			break;
 		case 'P':
+			querrypass = 0;
 			if (password)
 				free(password);
 			password = strdup(optarg);
@@ -636,6 +624,7 @@ ipmi_main(int argc, char ** argv,
 			memset(optarg, 'X', i);
 			break;
 		case 'E':
+			querrypass = 0;
 			if ((tmpe = getenv("IPMITOOL_PASSWORD"))) {
 				if (password)
 					free(password);
@@ -755,6 +744,26 @@ ipmi_main(int argc, char ** argv,
 		}
 	}
 
+	/* ask for password once and only if going to use it */
+	if (querrypass) {
+		if (tmp)
+			free(tmp);
+#ifdef HAVE_GETPASSPHRASE
+		tmp = getpassphrase("Password: ");
+#else
+		tmp = getpass("Password: ");
+#endif
+		if (tmp != NULL) {
+			if (password)
+				free(password);
+			password = strdup(tmp);
+			if (password == NULL) {
+				lprintf(LOG_ERR, "%s: malloc failure", progname);
+				goto out_free;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	/* check for command before doing anything */
 	if (argc-optind > 0 &&
 			strncmp(argv[optind], "help", 4) == 0) {