diff --git a/doc/manual/nix-instantiate.xml b/doc/manual/nix-instantiate.xml
index a780302e19..b388560a11 100644
--- a/doc/manual/nix-instantiate.xml
+++ b/doc/manual/nix-instantiate.xml
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@
   <cmdsynopsis>
     <command>nix-instantiate</command>
     <group>
-      <arg choice='plain'><option>--parse-only</option></arg>
+      <arg choice='plain'><option>--parse</option></arg>
       <arg choice='plain'>
-        <option>--eval-only</option>
+        <option>--eval</option>
         <arg><option>--strict</option></arg>
         <arg><option>--xml</option></arg>
       </arg>
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ input.</para>
 
   </varlistentry>
 
-  <varlistentry><term><option>--parse-only</option></term>
+  <varlistentry><term><option>--parse</option></term>
 
     <listitem><para>Just parse the input files, and print their
     abstract syntax trees on standard output in ATerm
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ input.</para>
 
   </varlistentry>
 
-  <varlistentry><term><option>--eval-only</option></term>
+  <varlistentry><term><option>--eval</option></term>
 
     <listitem><para>Just parse and evaluate the input files, and print
     the resulting values on standard output.  No instantiation of
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ input.</para>
 
   <varlistentry><term><option>--xml</option></term>
 
-    <listitem><para>When used with <option>--parse-only</option> and
-    <option>--eval-only</option>, print the resulting expression as an
+    <listitem><para>When used with <option>--parse</option> and
+    <option>--eval</option>, print the resulting expression as an
     XML representation of the abstract syntax tree rather than as an
     ATerm.  The schema is the same as that used by the <link
     linkend="builtin-toXML"><function>toXML</function>
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ input.</para>
 
   <varlistentry><term><option>--strict</option></term>
 
-    <listitem><para>When used with <option>--eval-only</option>,
+    <listitem><para>When used with <option>--eval</option>,
     recursively evaluate list elements and attributes.  Normally, such
     sub-expressions are left unevaluated (since the Nix expression
     language is lazy).</para>
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ input.</para>
 
   <varlistentry><term><option>--read-write-mode</option></term>
 
-    <listitem><para>When used with <option>--eval-only</option>,
-    perform evaluation in read/write mode so nix language features
-    that require it will still work (at the cost of needing to do
+    <listitem><para>When used with <option>--eval</option>, perform
+    evaluation in read/write mode so nix language features that
+    require it will still work (at the cost of needing to do
     instantiation of every evaluated derivation).</para>
 
     </listitem>
@@ -195,13 +195,13 @@ $ nix-instantiate '&lt;nixpkgs>' -A hello
 <para>Parsing and evaluating Nix expressions:
 
 <screen>
-$ nix-instantiate --parse-only -E '1 + 2'
+$ nix-instantiate --parse -E '1 + 2'
 1 + 2
 
-$ nix-instantiate --eval-only -E '1 + 2'
+$ nix-instantiate --eval -E '1 + 2'
 3
 
-$ nix-instantiate --eval-only --xml -E '1 + 2'
+$ nix-instantiate --eval --xml -E '1 + 2'
 <![CDATA[<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
 <expr>
   <int value="3" />
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ $ nix-instantiate --eval-only --xml -E '1 + 2'
 <para>The difference between non-strict and strict evaluation:
 
 <screen>
-$ nix-instantiate --eval-only --xml -E 'rec { x = "foo"; y = x; }'
+$ nix-instantiate --eval --xml -E 'rec { x = "foo"; y = x; }'
 <replaceable>...</replaceable><![CDATA[
   <attr name="x">
     <string value="foo" />
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ Note that <varname>y</varname> is left unevaluated (the XML
 representation doesn’t attempt to show non-normal forms).
 
 <screen>
-$ nix-instantiate --eval-only --xml --strict -E 'rec { x = "foo"; y = x; }'
+$ nix-instantiate --eval --xml --strict -E 'rec { x = "foo"; y = x; }'
 <replaceable>...</replaceable><![CDATA[
   <attr name="x">
     <string value="foo" />
diff --git a/src/nix-instantiate/nix-instantiate.cc b/src/nix-instantiate/nix-instantiate.cc
index 9417286988..762b52ae1d 100644
--- a/src/nix-instantiate/nix-instantiate.cc
+++ b/src/nix-instantiate/nix-instantiate.cc
@@ -107,11 +107,11 @@ void run(Strings args)
             readStdin = true;
         else if (arg == "--expr" || arg == "-E")
             fromArgs = true;
-        else if (arg == "--eval-only")
+        else if (arg == "--eval" || arg == "--eval-only")
             evalOnly = true;
         else if (arg == "--read-write-mode")
             wantsReadWrite = true;
-        else if (arg == "--parse-only")
+        else if (arg == "--parse" || arg == "--parse-only")
             parseOnly = evalOnly = true;
         else if (arg == "--find-file")
             findFile = true;
diff --git a/tests/lang.sh b/tests/lang.sh
index 0d93b9215c..7324806522 100644
--- a/tests/lang.sh
+++ b/tests/lang.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ fail=0
 for i in lang/parse-fail-*.nix; do
     echo "parsing $i (should fail)";
     i=$(basename $i .nix)
-    if nix-instantiate --parse-only - < lang/$i.nix; then
+    if nix-instantiate --parse - < lang/$i.nix; then
         echo "FAIL: $i shouldn't parse"
         fail=1
     fi
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ done
 for i in lang/parse-okay-*.nix; do
     echo "parsing $i (should succeed)";
     i=$(basename $i .nix)
-    if ! nix-instantiate --parse-only - < lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out; then
+    if ! nix-instantiate --parse - < lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out; then
         echo "FAIL: $i should parse"
         fail=1
     fi
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ done
 for i in lang/eval-fail-*.nix; do
     echo "evaluating $i (should fail)";
     i=$(basename $i .nix)
-    if nix-instantiate --eval-only lang/$i.nix; then
+    if nix-instantiate --eval lang/$i.nix; then
         echo "FAIL: $i shouldn't evaluate"
         fail=1
     fi
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ for i in lang/eval-okay-*.nix; do
         if test -e lang/$i.flags; then
             flags=$(cat lang/$i.flags)
         fi
-        if ! NIX_PATH=lang/dir3:lang/dir4_PATH nix-instantiate $flags --eval-only --strict lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out; then
+        if ! NIX_PATH=lang/dir3:lang/dir4_PATH nix-instantiate $flags --eval --strict lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out; then
             echo "FAIL: $i should evaluate"
             fail=1
         elif ! diff lang/$i.out lang/$i.exp; then
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ for i in lang/eval-okay-*.nix; do
     fi
     
     if test -e lang/$i.exp.xml; then
-        if ! nix-instantiate --eval-only --xml --no-location --strict \
+        if ! nix-instantiate --eval --xml --no-location --strict \
                 lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out.xml; then
             echo "FAIL: $i should evaluate"
             fail=1
diff --git a/tests/misc.sh b/tests/misc.sh
index 42aa82c8d4..1b4d8f2cfc 100644
--- a/tests/misc.sh
+++ b/tests/misc.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ source common.sh
 # Do all commands have help?
 #nix-env --help | grep -q install
 #nix-store --help | grep -q realise
-#nix-instantiate --help | grep -q eval-only
+#nix-instantiate --help | grep -q eval
 #nix-hash --help | grep -q base32
 
 # Can we ask for the version number?