diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index 8fcc64cd9..6b3b27116 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -334,7 +334,8 @@ add cheese type mozzarella
 ```
 
 Options with an optional option-argument are not greedy and will ignore arguments starting with a dash.
-So `id` behaves as a boolean option for `--id -5`, but you can use a combined form if needed like `--id=-5`.
+So `id` behaves as a boolean option for `--id -ABCD`, but you can use a combined form if needed like `--id=-ABCD`.
+Negative numbers are special and are accepted as an option-argument.
 
 For information about possible ambiguous cases, see [options taking varying arguments](./docs/options-in-depth.md).
 
diff --git a/lib/command.js b/lib/command.js
index efbb8f614..afc5360f2 100644
--- a/lib/command.js
+++ b/lib/command.js
@@ -1737,6 +1737,17 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
       return arg.length > 1 && arg[0] === '-';
     }
 
+    const negativeNumberArg = (arg) => {
+      // return false if not a negative number
+      if (!/^-\d*\.?\d+(e[+-]?\d+)?$/.test(arg)) return false;
+      // negative number is ok unless digit used as an option in command hierarchy
+      return !this._getCommandAndAncestors().some((cmd) =>
+        cmd.options
+          .map((opt) => opt.short)
+          .some((short) => /^-\d$/.test(short)),
+      );
+    };
+
     // parse options
     let activeVariadicOption = null;
     while (args.length) {
@@ -1749,7 +1760,10 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
         break;
       }
 
-      if (activeVariadicOption && !maybeOption(arg)) {
+      if (
+        activeVariadicOption &&
+        (!maybeOption(arg) || negativeNumberArg(arg))
+      ) {
         this.emit(`option:${activeVariadicOption.name()}`, arg);
         continue;
       }
@@ -1766,7 +1780,10 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
           } else if (option.optional) {
             let value = null;
             // historical behaviour is optional value is following arg unless an option
-            if (args.length > 0 && !maybeOption(args[0])) {
+            if (
+              args.length > 0 &&
+              (!maybeOption(args[0]) || negativeNumberArg(args[0]))
+            ) {
               value = args.shift();
             }
             this.emit(`option:${option.name()}`, value);
@@ -1812,7 +1829,12 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
       // Might be a command-argument, or subcommand option, or unknown option, or help command or option.
 
       // An unknown option means further arguments also classified as unknown so can be reprocessed by subcommands.
-      if (maybeOption(arg)) {
+      // A negative number in a leaf command is not an unknown option.
+      if (
+        dest === operands &&
+        maybeOption(arg) &&
+        !(this.commands.length === 0 && negativeNumberArg(arg))
+      ) {
         dest = unknown;
       }
 
diff --git a/tests/negatives.test.js b/tests/negatives.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..74e6b4c2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/negatives.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,267 @@
+const { Command } = require('../');
+
+// boolean is whether is a consumable argument when negative numbers allowed
+const negativeNumbers = [
+  ['-.1', true],
+  ['-123', true],
+  ['-123.45', true],
+  ['-1e3', true],
+  ['-1e+3', true],
+  ['-1e-3', true],
+  ['-1.2e3', true],
+  ['-1.2e+3', true],
+  ['-1.2e-3', true],
+  ['-1e-3.0', false], // invalid number format
+  ['--1 ', false], // invalid number format
+  ['-0', true],
+  ['1', true],
+  ['-1x', false], // whole string is not a number
+  ['-x-1 ', false], // whole string is not a number
+  ['', true],
+  ['-0x1234', false], // not a plain number
+];
+
+test.each(negativeNumbers)(
+  `when option-argument for short optional is %s then consumed=%s`,
+  (value, consume) => {
+    const program = new Command();
+    program.exitOverride().configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} });
+    program.option('-o, --optional [value]', 'optional option');
+    const args = ['-o', value];
+    let thrown = '';
+    try {
+      program.parse(args, { from: 'user' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      thrown = err.code;
+    }
+
+    expect(thrown).toEqual(consume ? '' : 'commander.unknownOption');
+    // throws after setting optional to true
+    expect(program.opts()['optional']).toBe(consume ? value : true);
+  },
+);
+
+test.each(negativeNumbers)(
+  `when option-argument for long optional is %s then consumed=%s`,
+  (value, consume) => {
+    const program = new Command();
+    program.exitOverride().configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} });
+    program.option('-o, --optional [value]', 'optional option');
+    const args = ['--optional', value];
+    let thrown = '';
+    try {
+      program.parse(args, { from: 'user' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      thrown = err.code;
+    }
+
+    expect(thrown).toEqual(consume ? '' : 'commander.unknownOption');
+    // throws after setting optional to true
+    expect(program.opts()['optional']).toBe(consume ? value : true);
+  },
+);
+
+test.each(negativeNumbers)(
+  `when option-argument for short optional... is %s then consumed=%s`,
+  (value, consume) => {
+    const program = new Command();
+    program
+      .exitOverride()
+      .configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} })
+      .option('-o, --optional [value...]', 'optional option');
+    const args = ['-o', 'first', value];
+    let thrown = '';
+    try {
+      program.parse(args, { from: 'user' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      thrown = err.code;
+    }
+
+    expect(thrown).toEqual(consume ? '' : 'commander.unknownOption');
+    // throws after consuming 'first'
+    expect(program.opts()['optional']).toEqual(
+      consume ? ['first', value] : ['first'],
+    );
+  },
+);
+
+test.each(negativeNumbers)(
+  `when option-argument for long optional... is %s then consumed=%s`,
+  (value, consume) => {
+    const program = new Command();
+    program
+      .exitOverride()
+      .configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} })
+      .option('-o, --optional [value...]', 'optional option');
+    const args = ['--optional', 'first', value];
+    let thrown = '';
+    try {
+      program.parse(args, { from: 'user' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      thrown = err.code;
+    }
+
+    expect(thrown).toEqual(consume ? '' : 'commander.unknownOption');
+    // throws after consuming 'first'
+    expect(program.opts()['optional']).toEqual(
+      consume ? ['first', value] : ['first'],
+    );
+  },
+);
+
+test.each(negativeNumbers)(
+  `when command-argument is %s then consumed=%s`,
+  (value, consume) => {
+    const program = new Command();
+    program
+      .exitOverride()
+      .configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} })
+      .argument('<value>', 'argument');
+    const args = [value];
+    let thrown = '';
+    try {
+      program.parse(args, { from: 'user' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      thrown = err.code;
+    }
+
+    expect(thrown).toEqual(consume ? '' : 'commander.unknownOption');
+    expect(consume ? program.args : undefined).toEqual(
+      consume ? [value] : undefined,
+    );
+  },
+);
+
+test.each(negativeNumbers)(
+  `when digit option defined and option-argument is %s then negative not consumed`,
+  (value, _ignore) => {
+    const program = new Command();
+    program
+      .exitOverride()
+      .configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} })
+      .option('-o, --optional [value]', 'optional option')
+      .option('-9', 'register option using digit');
+    const args = ['-o', value];
+    let thrown = '';
+    try {
+      program.parse(args, { from: 'user' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      thrown = err.code;
+    }
+
+    let consume = value[0] !== '-';
+    expect(thrown).toEqual(consume ? '' : 'commander.unknownOption');
+    expect(program.opts()['optional']).toBe(consume ? value : true);
+  },
+);
+
+test.each(negativeNumbers)(
+  `when digit option defined and command-argument is %s then negative not consumed`,
+  (value, _ignore) => {
+    const program = new Command();
+    program
+      .exitOverride()
+      .configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} })
+      .argument('[value]')
+      .option('-9', 'register option using digit');
+    const args = [value];
+    let thrown = '';
+    try {
+      program.parse(args, { from: 'user' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      thrown = err.code;
+    }
+
+    let consume = value[0] !== '-';
+    expect(thrown).toEqual(consume ? '' : 'commander.unknownOption');
+    expect(consume ? program.args : undefined).toEqual(
+      consume ? [value] : undefined,
+    );
+  },
+);
+
+test('when complex example with negative numbers then all consumed', () => {
+  const program = new Command();
+  program
+    .option('-o [value]', 'optional')
+    .option('-m <value>', 'required option-argument')
+    .option('-O [value...]', 'optional')
+    .option('-M <value...>', 'required option-argument')
+    .argument('[value...]', 'argument');
+  const args = [
+    '-10',
+    '-O',
+    '-40',
+    '-41',
+    '-M',
+    '-50',
+    '-51',
+    '-o',
+    '-20',
+    '-m',
+    '-30',
+    '-11',
+  ];
+  program.parse(args, { from: 'user' });
+  expect(program.opts()).toEqual({
+    o: '-20',
+    m: '-30',
+    O: ['-40', '-41'],
+    M: ['-50', '-51'],
+  });
+  expect(program.args).toEqual(['-10', '-11']);
+});
+
+test('when program has digit option then negatives not allowed in leaf command', () => {
+  const program = new Command();
+  program
+    .exitOverride()
+    .configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} })
+    .option('-2', 'double option');
+  let leafArgs;
+  program
+    .command('leaf')
+    .argument('[value...]')
+    .action((args) => {
+      leafArgs = args;
+    });
+  const args = ['leaf', '-1'];
+  expect(() => program.parse(args, { from: 'user' })).toThrow();
+});
+
+test('when default command without digit option then negatives accepted', () => {
+  const program = new Command();
+  let leafArgs;
+  program
+    .command('leaf', { isDefault: true })
+    .argument('[value...]')
+    .action((args) => {
+      leafArgs = args;
+    });
+  program.parse(['-1'], { from: 'user' });
+  expect(leafArgs).toEqual(['-1']);
+});
+
+test('when default command with digit option then negative throws', () => {
+  const program = new Command();
+  program.exitOverride().configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} });
+  program
+    .command('leaf', { isDefault: true })
+    .option('-2')
+    .argument('[value...]')
+    .action(() => {});
+  expect(() => program.parse(['-1'], { from: 'user' })).toThrow();
+});
+
+test('when program has subcommand and action handler then negative command-argument unsupported', () => {
+  // Known limitation in parsing. Only allowed negative command-arguments in leaf commands
+  // to minimise changes to parsing when added support for negative numbers.
+  const program = new Command();
+  program
+    .exitOverride()
+    .configureOutput({ writeErr: () => {} })
+    .argument('[value...]')
+    .action(() => {});
+  program.command('leaf').action(() => {});
+  expect(() => program.parse(['-1'], { from: 'user' })).toThrow();
+});