diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Mdoc.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Mdoc.hs
index 01008f6a7d03..6141bd7054ef 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Mdoc.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Mdoc.hs
@@ -802,18 +802,19 @@ parseBd = do
   emptyMacro "Ed"
   return blk
 
-skipListArguments :: PandocMonad m => MdocParser m ()
-skipListArguments = do
-  optional (literal "-width" *> lit)
-  optional (literal "-offset" *> lit)
-  optional (literal "-compact")
-  return ()
+skipListArgument :: (PandocMonad m) => MdocParser m ()
+skipListArgument =
+  void $ choice
+    [ literal "-width" *> lit,
+      literal "-offset" *> lit,
+      literal "-compact"
+    ]
 
 parseItemList :: PandocMonad m => MdocParser m Blocks
 parseItemList = do
   f <- (choice (map literal ["-bullet", "-dash", "-hyphen", "-item"]) $> B.bulletList)
        <|> literal "-enum" $> B.orderedList
-  skipListArguments
+  many skipListArgument
   eol
   items <- many bulletItem
   return $ f items
@@ -825,7 +826,7 @@ parseItemList = do
 parseDefinitionList :: PandocMonad m => MdocParser m Blocks
 parseDefinitionList = do
   choice $ map literal ["-hang", "-inset", "-ohang", "-tag"]
-  skipListArguments
+  many skipListArgument
   eol
   items <- many dlItem
   return $ B.definitionList items
@@ -846,7 +847,7 @@ parseDefinitionList = do
 parseColumnList :: PandocMonad m => MdocParser m Blocks
 parseColumnList = do
   literal "-column"
-  skipListArguments
+  many skipListArgument
   _ <- litsToText -- XXX use the column widths?
   eol
   rows <- many listRow