diff --git a/openerp/service/__init__.py b/openerp/service/__init__.py
index c95e35d8252..b26213dd5be 100644
--- a/openerp/service/__init__.py
+++ b/openerp/service/__init__.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 #    OpenERP, Open Source Management Solution
 #    Copyright (C) 2004-2009 Tiny SPRL (<http://tiny.be>).
-#    Copyright (C) 2010-2012 OpenERP SA (<http://www.openerp.com>)
+#    Copyright (C) 2010-2013 OpenERP SA (<http://www.openerp.com>)
 #
 #    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
 #    it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import openerp.netsvc
 import openerp.osv
 from openerp.release import nt_service_name
 import openerp.tools
+from openerp.tools.misc import stripped_sys_argv
 
 #.apidoc title: RPC Services
 
@@ -132,9 +133,7 @@ def _reexec():
     if openerp.tools.osutil.is_running_as_nt_service():
         subprocess.call('net stop {0} && net start {0}'.format(nt_service_name), shell=True)
     exe = os.path.basename(sys.executable)
-    strip_args = ['-d', '-u']
-    a = sys.argv[:]
-    args = [x for i, x in enumerate(a) if x not in strip_args and a[max(i - 1, 0)] not in strip_args]
+    args = stripped_sys_argv()
     if not args or args[0] != exe:
         args.insert(0, exe)
     os.execv(sys.executable, args)
diff --git a/openerp/tools/misc.py b/openerp/tools/misc.py
index fc940681d3b..68fbe51ed9c 100644
--- a/openerp/tools/misc.py
+++ b/openerp/tools/misc.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 #    OpenERP, Open Source Management Solution
 #    Copyright (C) 2004-2009 Tiny SPRL (<http://tiny.be>).
-#    Copyright (C) 2010-2012 OpenERP s.a. (<http://openerp.com>).
+#    Copyright (C) 2010-2013 OpenERP s.a. (<http://openerp.com>).
 #
 #    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
 #    it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import time
 import zipfile
 from collections import defaultdict
 from datetime import datetime
-from itertools import islice, izip
+from itertools import islice, izip, groupby
 from lxml import etree
 from which import which
 from threading import local
@@ -1075,4 +1075,22 @@ class CountingStream(object):
             raise StopIteration()
         return val
 
+def stripped_sys_argv(*strip_args):
+    """Return sys.argv with some arguments stripped, suitable for reexecution or subprocesses"""
+    strip_args = sorted(set(strip_args) | set(['-s', '--save', '-d', '--database', '-u', '--update', '-i', '--init']))
+    assert all(config.parser.has_option(s) for s in strip_args)
+    takes_value = dict((s, config.parser.get_option(s).takes_value()) for s in strip_args)
+
+    longs, shorts = list(tuple(y) for _, y in groupby(strip_args, lambda x: x.startswith('--')))
+    longs_eq = tuple(l + '=' for l in longs if takes_value[l])
+
+    args = sys.argv[:]
+
+    def strip(args, i):
+        return args[i].startswith(shorts) \
+            or args[i].startswith(longs_eq) or (args[i] in longs) \
+            or (i >= 1 and (args[i - 1] in strip_args) and takes_value[args[i - 1]])
+
+    return [x for i, x in enumerate(args) if not strip(args, i)]
+
 # vim:expandtab:smartindent:tabstop=4:softtabstop=4:shiftwidth=4: