[Bug-tar] (1.15.1) exclude-from must precede other options?

[John R]

After moving from tar 1.14 to 1.15.1, some of my scripts do not work as 
before.

If I type 'tar -czvvpPf archive.tgz --exclude-from=X.file directory', 
the exclude patterns in the X.file will be ignored by version 1.15.1.  
(This command worked in version 1.14.)

However, rearranging the command with the exclude before the other 
options (`tar --exclude-from=X.file -czvvpPf archive.tgz directory') 
appears to work properly in 1.15.1.

Do I have to specify excludes or exclude files before other options?  
(Does the order of options really matter?)

Was this changed on purpose after 1.14?