diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 49a6a60..326049e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -87,6 +87,16 @@ Call live grep args:
 If the prompt value does not begin with `'`, `"` or `-` the entire prompt is treated as a single argument.
 This behaviour can be turned off by setting the `auto_quoting` option to `false`.
 
+Setting the `auto_quoting` option to `smart` allows using `--` as a seperator before flags.
+The part before the seperator is taken as a single argument, and the part after is split.
+Again, if the prompt begins with `'`, `"` or `-`, this is disabled and control is manual.
+
+| prompt | args (smart mode) |
+| --- | --- |
+| `foo bar` | `foo bar` |
+| `foo bar -- --flag` | `foo bar`, `--flag` |
+| `"foo bar" baz --flag` | `foo bar`, `baz`, `--flag` |
+
 
 ## Configuration
 
diff --git a/lua/telescope-live-grep-args/prompt_parser.lua b/lua/telescope-live-grep-args/prompt_parser.lua
index 768c032..3c3de70 100644
--- a/lua/telescope-live-grep-args/prompt_parser.lua
+++ b/lua/telescope-live-grep-args/prompt_parser.lua
@@ -84,12 +84,16 @@ local non_autoquote_chars = {
 
 --- Parses prompt shell like and returns a table containing the arguments
 --- If autoquote is true (default) and promt does not start with ', " or - then { prompt } will be returned.
+--- If autoquote is "smart", only the part before "--" will be autoquoted.
 M.parse = function(prompt, autoquote)
   if string.len(prompt) == 0 then return {} end
 
-  autoquote = autoquote or autoquote == nil
+  autoquote = autoquote or true
   local first_char = string.sub(prompt, 1, 1)
-  if autoquote and non_autoquote_chars[first_char] == nil then return { prompt } end
+  if non_autoquote_chars[first_char] ~= nil then
+    autoquote = false;
+  end
+  if autoquote == true then return { prompt } end
 
   local str = {
     chars = prompt,
@@ -100,6 +104,27 @@ M.parse = function(prompt, autoquote)
   local parts = {}
   local current_arg = nil
 
+  if autoquote == "smart" then
+    local sep_begin, sep_end = string.find(prompt, "%-%-");
+
+    -- potentially ignore one space before seperator
+    if sep_begin and sep_begin > 1 and string.sub(prompt, sep_begin - 1, sep_begin - 1) == " " then
+      sep_begin = sep_begin - 1
+    end
+
+    sep_begin = sep_begin or string.len(prompt) + 1
+    sep_end = sep_end or string.len(prompt) + 1
+
+    local before = string.sub(prompt, 1, sep_begin - 1)
+    local after = string.sub(prompt, sep_end + 1)
+    parts = { before }
+    str = {
+      chars = after,
+      pos = 1,
+      len = string.len(after)
+    }
+  end
+
   while str["pos"] <= str["len"] do
     local safeguard = str["pos"]