diff --git a/DOCS/man/en/options.rst b/DOCS/man/en/options.rst
index 9ff664a565..271978786d 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/en/options.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/en/options.rst
@@ -1089,7 +1089,8 @@
 
 --loop=<number|inf|no>
     Loops playback <number> times. ``inf`` means forever and ``no`` disables
-    looping.
+    looping. If several files are specified on command line, the whole playlist
+    is looped.
 
 --mc=<seconds/frame>
     Maximum A-V sync correction per frame (in seconds)
diff --git a/core/cfg-mplayer.h b/core/cfg-mplayer.h
index 9121359b02..cbe705ebc4 100644
--- a/core/cfg-mplayer.h
+++ b/core/cfg-mplayer.h
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ const m_option_t mplayer_opts[]={
     {"leak-report", "", CONF_TYPE_PRINT, 0, 0, 0, (void*)1},
 
     OPT_FLAG_CONSTANTS("no-loop", loop_times, 0, 0, -1),
-    OPT_CHOICE_OR_INT("loop", loop_times, M_OPT_LOCAL, 1, 10000,
+    OPT_CHOICE_OR_INT("loop", loop_times, CONF_GLOBAL, 1, 10000,
                       ({"no", -1}, {"0", -1},
                        {"inf", 0})),
 
diff --git a/core/mplayer.c b/core/mplayer.c
index 99fdd128d1..17b5404537 100644
--- a/core/mplayer.c
+++ b/core/mplayer.c
@@ -3511,32 +3511,6 @@ static void run_playloop(struct MPContext *mpctx)
         }
     }
 
-    /* Looping. */
-    if (opts->loop_times >= 0 && (mpctx->stop_play == AT_END_OF_FILE ||
-                                  mpctx->stop_play == PT_NEXT_ENTRY)) {
-        mp_msg(MSGT_CPLAYER, MSGL_V, "loop_times = %d\n", opts->loop_times);
-
-        int stop_reason = mpctx->stop_play;
-
-        if (opts->loop_times > 1)
-            opts->loop_times--;
-        else if (opts->loop_times == 1)
-            opts->loop_times = -1;
-        play_n_frames = play_n_frames_mf;
-        mpctx->stop_play = 0;
-        mpctx->seek = (struct seek_params) {0};
-        struct seek_params sp = {
-            .type = MPSEEK_ABSOLUTE,
-            .amount = rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->play_start, 0),
-            .exact = 1,
-        };
-        if (seek(mpctx, sp, false) != 0) {
-            mp_msg(MSGT_CPLAYER, MSGL_ERR, "Can't loop an unseekable file.\n");
-            opts->loop_times = -1;
-            mpctx->stop_play = stop_reason;
-        }
-    }
-
     if (mpctx->seek.type) {
         seek(mpctx, mpctx->seek, false);
         mpctx->seek = (struct seek_params){ 0 };
@@ -4097,11 +4071,6 @@ goto_enable_cache: ;
 
     //==================== START PLAYING =======================
 
-    if (opts->loop_times > 1)
-        opts->loop_times--;
-    else if (opts->loop_times == 1)
-        opts->loop_times = -1;
-
     mp_tmsg(MSGT_CPLAYER, MSGL_V, "Starting playback...\n");
 
     drop_frame_cnt = 0;          // fix for multifile fps benchmark
@@ -4216,6 +4185,14 @@ static void play_files(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 
         if (mpctx->stop_play == PT_NEXT_ENTRY) {
             new_entry = playlist_get_next(mpctx->playlist, +1);
+            if (!new_entry && mpctx->opts.loop_times >= 0) {
+                new_entry = mpctx->playlist->first;
+                if (mpctx->opts.loop_times > 0) {
+                    mpctx->opts.loop_times--;
+                    if (mpctx->opts.loop_times == 0)
+                        mpctx->opts.loop_times = -1;
+                }
+            }
         } else if (mpctx->stop_play == PT_CURRENT_ENTRY) {
             new_entry = mpctx->playlist->current;
         } else if (mpctx->stop_play == PT_RESTART) {