diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 3fb4c4adb7..550453ab70 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -2480,10 +2480,12 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 			die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"),
 			    "--left-only", "--right-only/--cherry");
 		revs->left_only = 1;
+		revs->limited = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--right-only")) {
 		if (revs->left_only)
 			die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--right-only", "--left-only");
 		revs->right_only = 1;
+		revs->limited = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--cherry")) {
 		if (revs->left_only)
 			die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--cherry", "--left-only");
diff --git a/t/t6000-rev-list-misc.sh b/t/t6000-rev-list-misc.sh
index 33881274a4..fec16448cf 100755
--- a/t/t6000-rev-list-misc.sh
+++ b/t/t6000-rev-list-misc.sh
@@ -182,6 +182,21 @@ test_expect_success 'rev-list --unpacked' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'rev-list one-sided unrelated symmetric diff' '
+	test_tick &&
+	git commit --allow-empty -m xyz &&
+	git branch cmp &&
+	git rebase --force-rebase --root &&
+
+	git rev-list --left-only  HEAD...cmp >head &&
+	git rev-list --right-only HEAD...cmp >cmp  &&
+
+	sort head >head.sorted &&
+	sort cmp >cmp.sorted &&
+	comm -12 head.sorted cmp.sorted >actual &&
+	test_line_count = 0 actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'rev-list -z' '
 	test_when_finished rm -rf repo &&