diff --git a/bin/git-forgit b/bin/git-forgit
index 072aafba..e0374f6f 100755
--- a/bin/git-forgit
+++ b/bin/git-forgit
@@ -100,8 +100,11 @@ _forgit_yank_stash_name() {
 _forgit_parse_array() {
     ${IFS+"false"} && unset old_IFS || old_IFS="$IFS"
     # read the value of the second argument
-    # into an array that has the name of the first argument
-    IFS=" " read -r -a "$1" <<<"$2"
+    # into an array that has the name of the first argument.
+    # Split on any whitespace (spaces, tabs, newlines) and use an empty
+    # delimiter so the whole value is consumed instead of stopping at the
+    # first line; leading/trailing whitespace is ignored.
+    IFS=$' \t\n' read -r -d '' -a "$1" <<<"$2"
     ${old_IFS+"false"} && unset IFS || IFS="$old_IFS"
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/parse-array.test.sh b/tests/parse-array.test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2f23f39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parse-array.test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+function set_up_before_script() {
+    source bin/git-forgit
+}
+
+# Asserts that _forgit_parse_array splits the given input string into exactly
+# the expected elements.
+#
+# Usage: assert_parsed_array <input> [expected_element...]
+#   <input>             the raw string passed to _forgit_parse_array
+#   [expected_element]  zero or more elements the input should split into,
+#                       typically passed by expanding an array: "${expected[@]}"
+function assert_parsed_array() {
+    local -r input="$1"
+    shift
+    local -r expected=("$@")
+    local -a actual=()
+    _forgit_parse_array actual "$input"
+
+    assert_same "${#expected[@]}" "${#actual[@]}"
+
+    local i
+    for i in "${!expected[@]}"; do
+        assert_same "${expected[i]}" "${actual[i]}"
+    done
+}
+
+function test_forgit_parse_array_splits_space_separated_values() {
+    local -r input="--foo --bar"
+    local -r expected=("--foo" "--bar")
+    assert_parsed_array "$input" "${expected[@]}"
+}
+
+function test_forgit_parse_array_keeps_single_value() {
+    local -r input="--force"
+    local -r expected=("--force")
+    assert_parsed_array "$input" "${expected[@]}"
+}
+
+function test_forgit_parse_array_empty_string_yields_no_elements() {
+    local -r input=""
+    local -r expected=()
+    assert_parsed_array "$input" "${expected[@]}"
+}
+
+function test_forgit_parse_array_ignores_surrounding_newlines() {
+    local -r input="
+    --force
+"
+    local -r expected=("--force")
+    assert_parsed_array "$input" "${expected[@]}"
+}
+
+function test_forgit_parse_array_splits_values_across_indented_lines() {
+    local -r input="
+    --foo
+    --bar
+"
+    local -r expected=("--foo" "--bar")
+    assert_parsed_array "$input" "${expected[@]}"
+}
+
+function test_forgit_parse_array_splits_on_tabs() {
+    local -r input=$'\t--foo\t\t--bar\t'
+    local -r expected=("--foo" "--bar")
+    assert_parsed_array "$input" "${expected[@]}"
+}
+
+function test_forgit_parse_array_whitespace_only_yields_no_elements() {
+    local -r input="
+    "
+    local -r expected=()
+    assert_parsed_array "$input" "${expected[@]}"
+}