diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index eea2492..008ed8f 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ static void help(char *execname, int (*cmds) (interface_defn *))
     printf("\t--no-loopback\t\tdon't act specially on the loopback device\n");
     if (!(cmds == iface_list)
         && !(cmds == iface_query)) {
-        printf("\t--force\t\t\tforce de/configuration\n");
+        printf("\t-f,--force\t\t\tforce de/configuration\n");
         printf("\t--ignore-errors\t\t\tignore errors\n");
     }
     if ((cmds == iface_list)
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         {"no-mappings", no_argument, NULL, 1},
         {"no-scripts", no_argument, NULL, 4},
         {"no-loopback", no_argument, NULL, 5},
-        {"force", no_argument, NULL, 2},
+        {"force", no_argument, NULL, 'f'},
         {"ignore-errors", no_argument, NULL, 7},
         {"option", required_argument, NULL, 'o'},
         {"list", no_argument, NULL, 'l'},
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
     for (;;) {
         int c;
-        c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "X:s:i:o:hVvnal", long_opts, NULL);
+        c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "X:s:i:o:hVvnalf", long_opts, NULL);
         if (c == EOF)
             break;
 
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             case 5:
                 no_loopback = true;
                 break;
-            case 2:
+            case 'f':
                 if ((cmds == iface_list) || (cmds == iface_query))
                     usage(argv[0]);
                 force = 1;