diff --git a/Lib/octave/argcargv.i b/Lib/octave/argcargv.i
index 3da37a9a5..8d455e586 100644
--- a/Lib/octave/argcargv.i
+++ b/Lib/octave/argcargv.i
@@ -4,15 +4,15 @@
 
 %typemap(in) (int ARGC, char **ARGV) {
   if ($input.is_scalar_type()) {
-      $1 = 0; $2 = NULL;
-      %argument_fail(SWIG_TypeError, "'int ARGC, char **ARGV' is not a list", $symname, $argnum);
+    $1 = 0; $2 = NULL;
+    %argument_fail(SWIG_TypeError, "'int ARGC, char **ARGV' is not a list", $symname, $argnum);
   }
   octave_value_list list = $input.list_value();
   int i, len = list.length();
   $1 = ($1_ltype) len;
   $2 = (char **) malloc((len+1)*sizeof(char *));
   for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
-    if(!list(i).is_string()) {
+    if (!list(i).is_string()) {
       $1 = 0;
       %argument_fail(SWIG_TypeError, "'int ARGC, char **ARGV' use a non-string", $symname, $argnum);
     }
@@ -22,8 +22,19 @@
 }
 
 %typemap(typecheck, precedence=SWIG_TYPECHECK_STRING_ARRAY) (int ARGC, char **ARGV) {
+  $1 = 0;
   const octave_value& ov = $input;
-  $1 = !ov.is_scalar_type();
+  if (!ov.is_scalar_type()) {
+    octave_value_list list = ov.list_value();
+    int i, len = list.length();
+    $1 = 1;
+    for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+      if (!list(i).is_string()) {
+        $1 = 0;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 %typemap(freearg) (int ARGC, char **ARGV) {