diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -804,11 +804,19 @@
         definitions overriding user aliases, set ``localalias`` to
         ``{name: definitionstring}``.
         '''
+
+        if not specs:
+            return revset.emptymatcher(self)
+        if not all(specs):
+            raise error.ParseError(_("empty query"))
+
         if user:
-            m = revset.matchany(self.ui, specs, repo=self,
+            tree = revset.buildtree(specs, self)
+            m = revset.matchany(self.ui, tree, repo=self,
                                 localalias=localalias)
         else:
-            m = revset.matchany(None, specs, localalias=localalias)
+            tree = revset.buildtree(specs)
+            m = revset.matchany(None, tree, localalias=localalias)
         return m(self)
 
     def url(self):
diff --git a/mercurial/revset.py b/mercurial/revset.py
--- a/mercurial/revset.py
+++ b/mercurial/revset.py
@@ -2163,26 +2163,25 @@
 
 def match(ui, spec, repo=None):
     """Create a matcher for a single revision spec"""
-    return matchany(ui, [spec], repo=repo)
+
+    if not specs:
+        return emptymatcher
+    if not all(specs):
+        raise error.ParseError(_("empty query"))
+
+    tree = buildtree([spec], repo)
+    return matchany(ui, tree, repo=repo)
 
 def emptymatcher(repo, subset=None):
     """ Matcher for empty specs """
     return baseset()
 
-def matchany(ui, specs, repo=None, localalias=None):
-    """Create a matcher that will include any revisions matching one of the
-    given specs
+def matchany(ui, tree, repo=None, localalias=None):
+    """Create a matcher for the tree
 
     If localalias is not None, it is a dict {name: definitionstring}. It takes
     precedence over [revsetalias] config section.
     """
-    if not specs:
-        return emptymatcher
-    if not all(specs):
-        raise error.ParseError(_("empty query"))
-
-    tree = buildtree(specs, repo)
-
     aliases = []
     warn = None
     if ui: