diff --git a/src/nvim/api/command.c b/src/nvim/api/command.c
index 325de4c53d..4b334d3e3b 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/command.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/command.c
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ Dict(cmd) nvim_parse_cmd(String str, Dict(empty) *opts, Arena *arena, Error *err
   char *cmdline = arena_memdupz(arena, str.data, str.size);
   const char *errormsg = NULL;
 
-  if (!parse_cmdline(cmdline, &ea, &cmdinfo, &errormsg)) {
+  if (!parse_cmdline(&cmdline, &ea, &cmdinfo, &errormsg)) {
     if (errormsg != NULL) {
       api_set_error(err, kErrorTypeException, "Parsing command-line: %s", errormsg);
     } else {
diff --git a/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c b/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c
index 3f49252c95..ce09fc6bfd 100644
--- a/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c
+++ b/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c
@@ -1489,7 +1489,7 @@ bool is_cmd_ni(cmdidx_T cmdidx)
 /// @param[out] errormsg Error message, if any
 ///
 /// @return Success or failure
-bool parse_cmdline(char *cmdline, exarg_T *eap, CmdParseInfo *cmdinfo, const char **errormsg)
+bool parse_cmdline(char **cmdline, exarg_T *eap, CmdParseInfo *cmdinfo, const char **errormsg)
 {
   char *after_modifier = NULL;
   bool retval = false;
@@ -1507,8 +1507,8 @@ bool parse_cmdline(char *cmdline, exarg_T *eap, CmdParseInfo *cmdinfo, const cha
   *eap = (exarg_T){
     .line1 = 1,
     .line2 = 1,
-    .cmd = cmdline,
-    .cmdlinep = &cmdline,
+    .cmd = *cmdline,
+    .cmdlinep = cmdline,
     .ea_getline = NULL,
     .cookie = NULL,
   };
@@ -1549,7 +1549,7 @@ bool parse_cmdline(char *cmdline, exarg_T *eap, CmdParseInfo *cmdinfo, const cha
   if (eap->cmdidx == CMD_SIZE) {
     xstrlcpy(IObuff, _(e_not_an_editor_command), IOSIZE);
     // If the modifier was parsed OK the error must be in the following command
-    char *cmdname = after_modifier ? after_modifier : cmdline;
+    char *cmdname = after_modifier ? after_modifier : *cmdline;
     append_command(cmdname);
     *errormsg = IObuff;
     goto end;
diff --git a/src/nvim/ex_getln.c b/src/nvim/ex_getln.c
index 56e34cb485..707dec43e9 100644
--- a/src/nvim/ex_getln.c
+++ b/src/nvim/ex_getln.c
@@ -2678,7 +2678,7 @@ static bool cmdpreview_may_show(CommandLineState *s)
   char *cmdline = xstrdup(ccline.cmdbuff);
   const char *errormsg = NULL;
   emsg_off++;  // Block errors when parsing the command line, and don't update v:errmsg
-  if (!parse_cmdline(cmdline, &ea, &cmdinfo, &errormsg)) {
+  if (!parse_cmdline(&cmdline, &ea, &cmdinfo, &errormsg)) {
     emsg_off--;
     goto end;
   }
diff --git a/test/functional/ui/inccommand_user_spec.lua b/test/functional/ui/inccommand_user_spec.lua
index 0bdb37c369..167c879ad9 100644
--- a/test/functional/ui/inccommand_user_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/ui/inccommand_user_spec.lua
@@ -615,6 +615,25 @@ describe("'inccommand' for user commands", function()
       :Repro abc^                              |
     ]])
   end)
+
+  it('no crash with % + preview + file completion #28851', function()
+    exec_lua([[
+      local function callback() end
+      local function preview()
+        return 0
+      end
+
+      vim.api.nvim_create_user_command('TestCommand', callback, {
+        nargs = '?',
+        complete = 'file',
+        preview = preview,
+      })
+
+      vim.cmd.edit('Xtestscript')
+    ]])
+    feed(':TestCommand %')
+    assert_alive()
+  end)
 end)
 
 describe("'inccommand' with multiple buffers", function()