diff --git a/httpie/cli/argparser.py b/httpie/cli/argparser.py
index 9bf09b3b73..c87b83b110 100644
--- a/httpie/cli/argparser.py
+++ b/httpie/cli/argparser.py
@@ -377,7 +377,32 @@ def _apply_no_options(self, no_options):
                 invalid.append(option)
 
         if invalid:
-            self.error(f'unrecognized arguments: {" ".join(invalid)}')
+            # When options are placed between METHOD and URL, e.g.:
+            #   http POST --auth-type bearer --auth TOKEN https://example.org
+            # argparse may fail to associate the URL with the correct
+            # positional argument.  The method string ends up in args.url,
+            # and the real URL (plus any request items) lands here.
+            if (
+                self.args.method is None
+                and re.match(r'^[a-zA-Z]+$', self.args.url)
+            ):
+                self.args.method = self.args.url.upper()
+                self.args.url = invalid.pop(0)
+                if invalid:
+                    if self.args.request_items is None:
+                        self.args.request_items = []
+                    item_type = KeyValueArgType(
+                        *SEPARATOR_GROUP_ALL_ITEMS)
+                    for arg in invalid:
+                        try:
+                            self.args.request_items.append(
+                                item_type(arg))
+                        except argparse.ArgumentTypeError:
+                            self.error(
+                                f'unrecognized arguments: {arg}')
+            else:
+                self.error(
+                    f'unrecognized arguments: {" ".join(invalid)}')
 
     def _body_from_file(self, fd):
         """Read the data from a file-like object.
@@ -412,12 +437,23 @@ def _guess_method(self):
 
         """
         if self.args.method is None:
-            # Invoked as `http URL'.
-            assert not self.args.request_items
+            if self.args.request_items:
+                # On some Python versions (3.13+), argparse may put the URL
+                # into request_items instead of no_options.  Detect and fix.
+                if re.match(r'^[a-zA-Z]+$', self.args.url):
+                    self.args.method = self.args.url.upper()
+                    self.args.url = self.args.request_items.pop(0).orig
+                else:
+                    self.error(
+                        'No valid HTTP method found but request items '
+                        'are present.  Please specify the method '
+                        'explicitly, e.g. `http GET URL` or '
+                        '`http POST URL data=value`.'
+                    )
             if self.has_input_data:
-                self.args.method = HTTP_POST
+                self.args.method = self.args.method or HTTP_POST
             else:
-                self.args.method = HTTP_GET
+                self.args.method = self.args.method or HTTP_GET
 
         # FIXME: False positive, e.g., "localhost" matches but is a valid URL.
         elif not re.match('^[a-zA-Z]+$', self.args.method):
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 2cd27574af..45a8164e2f 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -316,6 +316,37 @@ def test_guess_when_method_set_but_invalid_and_item_exists(self):
                 key='old_item', value='b', sep='=', orig='old_item=b'),
         ]
 
+    def test_guess_when_method_none_url_is_method_and_url_in_request_items(self):
+        self.parser.args = argparse.Namespace()
+        self.parser.args.method = None
+        self.parser.args.url = 'POST'
+        self.parser.args.request_items = [
+            KeyValueArg(
+                key='https', value='//example.com/', sep=':', orig='https://example.com/')
+        ]
+        self.parser.args.ignore_stdin = False
+        self.parser.env = MockEnvironment()
+        self.parser._guess_method()
+        assert self.parser.args.method == 'POST'
+        assert self.parser.args.url == 'https://example.com/'
+        assert self.parser.args.request_items == []
+
+
+class TestOptionsBeforeURL:
+
+    def test_method_with_options_before_url(self, httpbin):
+        r = http('--ignore-stdin', 'POST', '--verbose', httpbin + '/post')
+        assert 'POST /post HTTP/1.1' in r
+
+    def test_method_with_auth_options_before_url(self, httpbin):
+        r = http(
+            '--ignore-stdin', 'GET',
+            '--auth-type', 'bearer', '--auth', 'TOKEN',
+            httpbin + '/get',
+        )
+        assert HTTP_OK in r
+        assert 'Bearer TOKEN' in r
+
 
 class TestNoOptions: