diff --git a/git-send-email.perl b/git-send-email.perl
index d6028ec..7f9eacd 100755
--- a/git-send-email.perl
+++ b/git-send-email.perl
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@
 sub cleanup_compose_files();
 
 # Variables we fill in automatically, or via prompting:
-my (@to,$no_to,@cc,$no_cc,@initial_cc,@bcclist,$no_bcc,@xh,
+my (@to,$no_to,@initial_to,@cc,$no_cc,@initial_cc,@bcclist,$no_bcc,@xh,
 	$initial_reply_to,$initial_subject,@files,
 	$author,$sender,$smtp_authpass,$annotate,$compose,$time);
 
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
     "smtpuser" => \$smtp_authuser,
     "smtppass" => \$smtp_authpass,
 	"smtpdomain" => \$smtp_domain,
-    "to" => \@to,
+    "to" => \@initial_to,
     "cc" => \@initial_cc,
     "cccmd" => \$cc_cmd,
     "aliasfiletype" => \$aliasfiletype,
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@
 my $rc = GetOptions("sender|from=s" => \$sender,
                     "in-reply-to=s" => \$initial_reply_to,
 		    "subject=s" => \$initial_subject,
-		    "to=s" => \@to,
+		    "to=s" => \@initial_to,
 		    "no-to" => \$no_to,
 		    "cc=s" => \@initial_cc,
 		    "no-cc" => \$no_cc,
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@
 
 # Verify the user input
 
-foreach my $entry (@to) {
+foreach my $entry (@initial_to) {
 	die "Comma in --to entry: $entry'\n" unless $entry !~ m/,/;
 }
 
@@ -711,9 +711,9 @@
 	$prompting++;
 }
 
-if (!@to) {
+if (!@initial_to) {
 	my $to = ask("Who should the emails be sent to? ");
-	push @to, parse_address_line($to) if defined $to; # sanitized/validated later
+	push @initial_to, parse_address_line($to) if defined $to; # sanitized/validated later
 	$prompting++;
 }
 
@@ -731,8 +731,8 @@
 	return $aliases{$alias} ? expand_aliases(@{$aliases{$alias}}) : $alias;
 }
 
-@to = expand_aliases(@to);
-@to = (map { sanitize_address($_) } @to);
+@initial_to = expand_aliases(@initial_to);
+@initial_to = (map { sanitize_address($_) } @initial_to);
 @initial_cc = expand_aliases(@initial_cc);
 @bcclist = expand_aliases(@bcclist);
 
@@ -1136,6 +1136,7 @@
 	my $author_encoding;
 	my $has_content_type;
 	my $body_encoding;
+	@to = ();
 	@cc = ();
 	@xh = ();
 	my $input_format = undef;
@@ -1300,6 +1301,7 @@
 		($confirm =~ /^(?:auto|compose)$/ && $compose && $message_num == 1));
 	$needs_confirm = "inform" if ($needs_confirm && $confirm_unconfigured && @cc);
 
+	@to = (@initial_to, @to);
 	@cc = (@initial_cc, @cc);
 
 	my $message_was_sent = send_message();