--- a/libinterp/octave.cc	Wed Dec 11 20:58:30 2013 -0500
+++ b/libinterp/octave.cc	Wed Dec 11 22:22:28 2013 -0500
@@ -497,6 +497,9 @@
   disable_warning ("Octave:function-name-clash");
   disable_warning ("Octave:load-file-in-path");
   disable_warning ("Octave:possible-matlab-short-circuit-operator");
+
+  // Initialized to "error" by default.
+  set_warning_state ("Octave:noninteger-range-as-index", "on");
 }
 
 // EMBEDDED is declared int instead of bool because this function is
@@ -719,6 +722,11 @@
 
   set_default_prompts ();
 
+  // Initialize default warning state before --traditional option may
+  // reset them.
+
+  initialize_default_warning_state ();
+
   if (traditional)
     maximum_braindamage ();
 
@@ -736,8 +744,6 @@
 
   initialize_error_handlers ();
 
-  initialize_default_warning_state ();
-
   if (! embedded)
     install_signal_handlers ();
   else