diff --git a/bin/semver.js b/bin/semver.js
index 95db3aa7..d71b1bf3 100755
--- a/bin/semver.js
+++ b/bin/semver.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ let identifier
 let identifierBase
 
 const semver = require('../')
+const parseOptions = require('../internal/parse-options')
 
 let reverse = false
 
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ const main = () => {
     }
   }
 
-  options = { loose: loose, includePrerelease: includePrerelease, rtl: rtl }
+  options = parseOptions({ loose, includePrerelease, rtl })
 
   versions = versions.map((v) => {
     return coerce ? (semver.coerce(v, options) || { version: v }).version : v
diff --git a/classes/comparator.js b/classes/comparator.js
index 62cd204d..54ce1394 100644
--- a/classes/comparator.js
+++ b/classes/comparator.js
@@ -78,13 +78,6 @@ class Comparator {
       throw new TypeError('a Comparator is required')
     }
 
-    if (!options || typeof options !== 'object') {
-      options = {
-        loose: !!options,
-        includePrerelease: false,
-      }
-    }
-
     if (this.operator === '') {
       if (this.value === '') {
         return true
diff --git a/internal/parse-options.js b/internal/parse-options.js
index bbd9ec77..10d64ce0 100644
--- a/internal/parse-options.js
+++ b/internal/parse-options.js
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
-// parse out just the options we care about so we always get a consistent
-// obj with keys in a consistent order.
-const opts = ['includePrerelease', 'loose', 'rtl']
-const parseOptions = options =>
-  !options ? {}
-  : typeof options !== 'object' ? { loose: true }
-  : opts.filter(k => options[k]).reduce((o, k) => {
-    o[k] = true
-    return o
-  }, {})
+// parse out just the options we care about
+const looseOption = Object.freeze({ loose: true })
+const emptyOpts = Object.freeze({ })
+const parseOptions = options => {
+  if (!options) {
+    return emptyOpts
+  }
+
+  if (typeof options !== 'object') {
+    return looseOption
+  }
+
+  return options
+}
 module.exports = parseOptions
diff --git a/test/internal/parse-options.js b/test/internal/parse-options.js
index 6213423d..2400537d 100644
--- a/test/internal/parse-options.js
+++ b/test/internal/parse-options.js
@@ -18,12 +18,24 @@ t.test('truthy non-objects always loose mode, for backwards comp', t => {
   t.end()
 })
 
-t.test('objects only include truthy flags we know about, set to true', t => {
-  t.strictSame(parseOptions(/asdf/), {})
-  t.strictSame(parseOptions(new Error('hello')), {})
-  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: true, a: 1, rtl: false }), { loose: true })
+t.test('any object passed is returned', t => {
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions(/asdf/), /asdf/)
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions(new Error('hello')), new Error('hello'))
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: true, a: 1, rtl: false }), { loose: true, a: 1, rtl: false })
   t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: 1, rtl: 2, includePrerelease: 10 }), {
+    loose: 1,
+    rtl: 2,
+    includePrerelease: 10,
+  })
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: true }), { loose: true })
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ rtl: true }), { rtl: true })
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ includePrerelease: true }), { includePrerelease: true })
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: true, rtl: true }), { loose: true, rtl: true })
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: true, includePrerelease: true }), {
     loose: true,
+    includePrerelease: true,
+  })
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ rtl: true, includePrerelease: true }), {
     rtl: true,
     includePrerelease: true,
   })