diff --git a/java/TJComp.java b/java/TJComp.java
index 393174b3..31aa0a2b 100644
--- a/java/TJComp.java
+++ b/java/TJComp.java
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ final class TJComp {
       int i;
       int arithmetic = -1, colorspace = -1, fastDCT = -1, losslessPSV = -1,
         losslessPt = -1, maxMemory = -1, optimize = -1,
-        pixelFormat = TJ.PF_UNKNOWN, precision = -1, progressive = -1,
+        pixelFormat = TJ.PF_UNKNOWN, precision = 8, progressive = -1,
         quality = DEFAULT_QUALITY, restartIntervalBlocks = -1,
         restartIntervalRows = -1, subsamp = DEFAULT_SUBSAMP;
       String iccFilename = null;
@@ -247,16 +247,14 @@ final class TJComp {
 
       if (i != argv.length - 2)
         usage();
-      if (losslessPSV == -1 && precision != -1 && precision != 8 &&
-          precision != 12)
+      if (losslessPSV == -1 && precision != 8 && precision != 12)
         usage();
 
       tjc = new TJCompressor();
 
       tjc.set(TJ.PARAM_QUALITY, quality);
       tjc.set(TJ.PARAM_SUBSAMP, subsamp);
-      if (precision >= 0)
-        tjc.set(TJ.PARAM_PRECISION, precision);
+      tjc.set(TJ.PARAM_PRECISION, precision);
       if (fastDCT >= 0)
         tjc.set(TJ.PARAM_FASTDCT, fastDCT);
       if (optimize >= 0)
diff --git a/src/tjcomp.c b/src/tjcomp.c
index a7136876..2c1c48ce 100644
--- a/src/tjcomp.c
+++ b/src/tjcomp.c
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
   int i, retval = 0;
   int arithmetic = -1, colorspace = -1, fastDCT = -1, losslessPSV = -1,
     losslessPt = -1, maxMemory = -1, optimize = -1, pixelFormat = TJPF_UNKNOWN,
-    precision = -1, progressive = -1, quality = DEFAULT_QUALITY,
+    precision = 8, progressive = -1, quality = DEFAULT_QUALITY,
     restartIntervalBlocks = -1, restartIntervalRows = -1,
     subsamp = DEFAULT_SUBSAMP;
   char *iccFilename = NULL;
@@ -238,8 +238,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
   if (i != argc - 2)
     usage(argv[0]);
-  if (losslessPSV == -1 && precision != -1 && precision != 8 &&
-      precision != 12)
+  if (losslessPSV == -1 && precision != 8 && precision != 12)
     usage(argv[0]);
 
   if ((tjInstance = tj3Init(TJINIT_COMPRESS)) == NULL)
@@ -249,7 +248,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     THROW_TJ("setting TJPARAM_QUALITY");
   if (tj3Set(tjInstance, TJPARAM_SUBSAMP, subsamp) < 0)
     THROW_TJ("setting TJPARAM_SUBSAMP");
-  if (precision >= 0 && tj3Set(tjInstance, TJPARAM_PRECISION, precision) < 0)
+  if (tj3Set(tjInstance, TJPARAM_PRECISION, precision) < 0)
     THROW_TJ("setting TJPARAM_PRECISION");
   if (fastDCT >= 0 && tj3Set(tjInstance, TJPARAM_FASTDCT, fastDCT) < 0)
     THROW_TJ("setting TJPARAM_FASTDCT");
diff --git a/test/tjcomptest.in b/test/tjcomptest.in
index 3b063da4..3ad9cda8 100755
--- a/test/tjcomptest.in
+++ b/test/tjcomptest.in
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ for precision in 8 12; do
 		RGBIMG=$IMGDIR/monkey16.ppm
 		GRAYIMG=$IMGDIR/monkey16.pgm
 	fi
+	if [ $precision -eq 8 ]; then
+		prearg=
+	else
+		prearg="-pre $precision"
+	fi
 	for restartarg in "" "-r 1 -icc $IMGDIR/test3.icc" "-r 1b"; do
 		for ariarg in "" "-a"; do
 			for dctarg in "" "-dc fa"; do
@@ -81,12 +86,11 @@ for precision in 8 12; do
 							fi
 							for sampi in {0..5}; do
 								basename=`basename $RGBIMG .ppm`
-								runme $TJCOMP -pre $precision $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
+								runme $TJCOMP $prearg $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
 									$optarg $progarg $qualarg -s ${SUBSAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
 									$RGBIMG $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg
-								runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg -pre $precision $restartarg $ariarg \
-									$dctarg $optarg $progarg $qualarg $blarg \
-									-sa ${SAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
+								runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg $prearg $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
+									$optarg $progarg $qualarg $blarg -sa ${SAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
 									-outf $OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg $RGBIMG
 								$EXEDIR/test/md5sum $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg \
 									$OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg | sed "s@$OUTDIR@\$OUTDIR@g"
@@ -95,12 +99,11 @@ for precision in 8 12; do
 								rm $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg $OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg
 								echo
 
-								runme $TJCOMP -pre $precision $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
+								runme $TJCOMP $prearg $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
 									$optarg $progarg $qualarg -s ${SUBSAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
 									-g $RGBIMG $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg
-								runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg -pre $precision $restartarg $ariarg \
-									$dctarg $optarg $progarg $qualarg $blarg \
-									-sa ${SAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
+								runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg $prearg $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
+									$optarg $progarg $qualarg $blarg -sa ${SAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
 									-gr -outf $OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg $RGBIMG
 								$EXEDIR/test/md5sum $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg \
 									$OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg | sed "s@$OUTDIR@\$OUTDIR@g"
@@ -109,12 +112,11 @@ for precision in 8 12; do
 								rm $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg $OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg
 								echo
 
-								runme $TJCOMP -pre $precision $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
+								runme $TJCOMP $prearg $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
 									$optarg $progarg $qualarg -s ${SUBSAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
 									-rg $RGBIMG $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg
-								runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg -pre $precision $restartarg $ariarg \
-									$dctarg $optarg $progarg $qualarg $blarg \
-									-sa ${SAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
+								runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg $prearg $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
+									$optarg $progarg $qualarg $blarg -sa ${SAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
 									-rgb -outf $OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg $RGBIMG
 								$EXEDIR/test/md5sum $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg \
 									$OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg | sed "s@$OUTDIR@\$OUTDIR@g"
@@ -124,12 +126,11 @@ for precision in 8 12; do
 								echo
 
 								basename=`basename $GRAYIMG .pgm`
-								runme $TJCOMP -pre $precision $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
+								runme $TJCOMP $prearg $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
 									$optarg $progarg $qualarg -s ${SUBSAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
 									$GRAYIMG $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg
-								runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg -pre $precision $restartarg $ariarg \
-									$dctarg $optarg $progarg $qualarg $blarg \
-									-sa ${SAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
+								runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg $prearg $restartarg $ariarg $dctarg \
+									$optarg $progarg $qualarg $blarg -sa ${SAMPOPT[$sampi]} \
 									-outf $OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg $GRAYIMG
 								$EXEDIR/test/md5sum $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg \
 									$OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg | sed "s@$OUTDIR@\$OUTDIR@g"
@@ -154,6 +155,11 @@ for precision in {2..16}; do
 		RGBIMG=$IMGDIR/monkey16.ppm
 		GRAYIMG=$IMGDIR/monkey16.pgm
 	fi
+	if [ $precision -eq 8 ]; then
+		prearg=
+	else
+		prearg="-pre $precision"
+	fi
 	for psv in {1..7}; do
 		for pt in {0..15}; do
 			if [ $pt -ge $precision ]; then
@@ -161,9 +167,9 @@ for precision in {2..16}; do
 			fi
 			for restartarg in "" "-r 1 -icc $IMGDIR/test3.icc"; do
 				basename=`basename $RGBIMG .ppm`
-				runme $TJCOMP -pre $precision -l $psv,$pt $restartarg \
+				runme $TJCOMP $prearg -l $psv,$pt $restartarg \
 					$RGBIMG $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg
-				runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg -pre $precision -l $psv,$pt $restartarg \
+				runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg $prearg -l $psv,$pt $restartarg \
 					-outf $OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg $RGBIMG
 				$EXEDIR/test/md5sum $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg \
 					$OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg | sed "s@$OUTDIR@\$OUTDIR@g"
@@ -172,9 +178,9 @@ for precision in {2..16}; do
 				echo
 
 				basename=`basename $GRAYIMG .pgm`
-				runme $TJCOMP -pre $precision -l $psv,$pt $restartarg \
+				runme $TJCOMP $prearg -l $psv,$pt $restartarg \
 					$GRAYIMG $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg
-				runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg -pre $precision -l $psv,$pt $restartarg \
+				runme $EXEDIR/cjpeg $prearg -l $psv,$pt $restartarg \
 					-outf $OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg $GRAYIMG
 				$EXEDIR/test/md5sum $OUTDIR/${basename}-tjcomp.jpg \
 					$OUTDIR/${basename}-cjpeg.jpg | sed "s@$OUTDIR@\$OUTDIR@g"