diff --git a/src/exiv2.cpp b/src/exiv2.cpp
index beac204b..ba4169bd 100644
--- a/src/exiv2.cpp
+++ b/src/exiv2.cpp
@@ -334,16 +334,23 @@ int Params::evalRename(int opt, const std::string& optarg)
     case Action::none:
         action_ = Action::rename;
         switch (opt) {
-        case 'r': format_ = optarg; break;
+        case 'r': 
+            format_ = optarg; 
+            formatSet_ = true;
+            break;
         case 't': timestamp_ = true; break;
         case 'T': timestampOnly_ = true; break;
         }
         break;
     case Action::rename:
-        if (opt == 'r' && !format_.empty()) {
+        if (opt == 'r' && (formatSet_ || timestampOnly_)) {
             std::cerr << progname()
                       << ": " << _("Ignoring surplus option") << " -r \"" << optarg << "\"\n";
         }
+        else {
+            format_ = optarg; 
+            formatSet_ = true;
+        }
         break;
     default:
         std::cerr << progname()
diff --git a/src/exiv2.hpp b/src/exiv2.hpp
index 89ab9b86..283f950a 100644
--- a/src/exiv2.hpp
+++ b/src/exiv2.hpp
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ public:
 
     long adjustment_;                   //!< Adjustment in seconds.
     std::string format_;                //!< Filename format (-r option arg).
+    bool formatSet_;                    //!< Whether the format is set with -r
     CmdFiles cmdFiles_;                 //!< Names of the modification command files
     CmdLines cmdLines_;                 //!< Commands from the command line
     ModifyCmds modifyCmds_;             //!< Parsed modification commands
@@ -195,6 +196,7 @@ private:
                target_(ctExif|ctIptc|ctComment),
                adjustment_(0),
                format_("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S"),
+               formatSet_(false),
                first_(true) {}
 
     //! Prevent copy-construction: not implemented.