--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py	Mon Feb 16 17:37:23 2009 -0600
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py	Mon Feb 16 17:37:23 2009 -0600
@@ -990,7 +990,7 @@
         defrange = '-1:0'
     revs = revrange(repo, opts['rev'] or [defrange])
     wanted = {}
-    slowpath = m.anypats() or opts.get('removed')
+    slowpath = m.anypats() or (m.files() and opts.get('removed'))
     fncache = {}
 
     if not slowpath and not m.files():