diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index 96b786e489..188ddc3e50 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ static int cat_one_file(int opt, const char *exp_type, const char *obj_name,
 		return !has_object_file(&oid);
 
 	case 'w':
-		if (!path[0])
+		if (!path)
 			die("git cat-file --filters %s: <object> must be "
 			    "<sha1:path>", obj_name);
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ static int cat_one_file(int opt, const char *exp_type, const char *obj_name,
 		break;
 
 	case 'c':
-		if (!path[0])
+		if (!path)
 			die("git cat-file --textconv %s: <object> must be <sha1:path>",
 			    obj_name);
 
diff --git a/t/t8010-cat-file-filters.sh b/t/t8010-cat-file-filters.sh
index d8242e467e..0f86c19174 100755
--- a/t/t8010-cat-file-filters.sh
+++ b/t/t8010-cat-file-filters.sh
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ test_expect_success '--path=<path> complains without --textconv/--filters' '
 	grep "path.*needs.*filters" err
 '
 
+test_expect_success '--textconv/--filters complain without path' '
+	test_must_fail git cat-file --textconv HEAD &&
+	test_must_fail git cat-file --filters HEAD
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'cat-file --textconv --batch works' '
 	sha1=$(git rev-parse -q --verify HEAD:world.txt) &&
 	test_config diff.txt.textconv "tr A-Za-z N-ZA-Mn-za-m <" &&