diff -urN coreutils-8.1-orig/src/tail.c coreutils-8.1/src/tail.c
--- coreutils-8.1-orig/src/tail.c	2009-11-17 05:26:01 +0900
+++ coreutils-8.1/src/tail.c	2009-11-20 12:27:13 +0900
@@ -1685,14 +1685,12 @@
   bool t_count_lines = true;
   bool t_forever = false;
 
-  /* With the obsolete form, there is one option string and at most
-     one file argument.  Watch out for "-" and "--", though.  */
-  if (! (argc == 2
-         || (argc == 3 && ! (argv[2][0] == '-' && argv[2][1]))
-         || (3 <= argc && argc <= 4 && STREQ (argv[2], "--"))))
+  /* With the obsolete form, there is one option string and zero or
+     more file arguments. */
+  if (! (argc >= 2))
     return false;
 
-  obsolete_usage = (posix2_version () < 200112);
+  obsolete_usage = 1;
   p = argv[1];
 
   switch (*p++)