diff --git a/README b/README
index a6b891c..f2d137a 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ libraries.  In particular, it can do the following:
 
 * Change the dynamic loader ("ELF interpreter") of executables:
 
-  $ patchelf --interpreter /lib/my-ld-linux.so.2 my-program
+  $ patchelf --set-interpreter /lib/my-ld-linux.so.2 my-program
 
 * Change the RPATH of executables and libraries:
 
diff --git a/src/patchelf.cc b/src/patchelf.cc
index 851fdbb..28c442e 100644
--- a/src/patchelf.cc
+++ b/src/patchelf.cc
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ int main(int argc, char * * argv)
 {
     if (argc <= 1) {
         fprintf(stderr, "syntax: %s\n\
-  [--interpreter FILENAME]\n\
+  [--set-interpreter FILENAME]\n\
   [--print-interpreter]\n\
   [--set-rpath RPATH]\n\
   [--shrink-rpath]\n\
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ int main(int argc, char * * argv)
     int i;
     for (i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
         string arg(argv[i]);
-        if (arg == "--interpreter") {
+        if (arg == "--set-interpreter" || arg == "--interpreter") {
             if (++i == argc) error("missing argument");
             newInterpreter = argv[i];
         }
diff --git a/tests/no-rpath.sh b/tests/no-rpath.sh
index 56c0646..4cfb55f 100755
--- a/tests/no-rpath.sh
+++ b/tests/no-rpath.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ cp no-rpath scratch/
 oldRPath=$(../src/patchelf --print-rpath scratch/no-rpath)
 if test -n "$oldRPath"; then exit 1; fi
 ../src/patchelf \
-  --interpreter "$(../src/patchelf --print-interpreter ../src/patchelf)" \
+  --set-interpreter "$(../src/patchelf --print-interpreter ../src/patchelf)" \
   --set-rpath /foo:/bar:/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx scratch/no-rpath
 
 newRPath=$(../src/patchelf --print-rpath scratch/no-rpath)
diff --git a/tests/set-interpreter-long.sh b/tests/set-interpreter-long.sh
index ab0e9bc..22bb2ea 100755
--- a/tests/set-interpreter-long.sh
+++ b/tests/set-interpreter-long.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ mkdir -p scratch
 
 newInterpreter=$(pwd)/scratch/iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
 cp simple scratch/
-../src/patchelf --interpreter "$newInterpreter" scratch/simple
+../src/patchelf --set-interpreter "$newInterpreter" scratch/simple
 
 echo "running with missing interpreter..."
 if scratch/simple; then
diff --git a/tests/set-interpreter-short.sh b/tests/set-interpreter-short.sh
index 80d3d01..62990c9 100755
--- a/tests/set-interpreter-short.sh
+++ b/tests/set-interpreter-short.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ rm -rf scratch
 mkdir -p scratch
 
 cp simple scratch/
-../src/patchelf --interpreter /oops scratch/simple
+../src/patchelf --set-interpreter /oops scratch/simple
 
 echo "running with missing interpreter..."
 if scratch/simple; then