diff --git a/common/flags.zig b/common/flags.zig
index de5304f..5188106 100644
--- a/common/flags.zig
+++ b/common/flags.zig
@@ -72,13 +72,13 @@ pub fn parser(comptime Arg: type, comptime flags: []const Flag) type {
             while (i < args.len) : (i += 1) {
                 var parsed_flag = false;
                 inline for (flags) |flag| {
-                    if (mem.eql(u8, flag.name, mem.span(args[i]))) {
+                    if (mem.eql(u8, "-" ++ flag.name, mem.span(args[i]))) {
                         switch (flag.kind) {
                             .boolean => @field(result_flags, flag.name) = true,
                             .arg => {
                                 i += 1;
                                 if (i == args.len) {
-                                    std.log.err("option '" ++ flag.name ++
+                                    std.log.err("option '-" ++ flag.name ++
                                         "' requires an argument but none was provided!", .{});
                                     return error.MissingFlagArgument;
                                 }
diff --git a/river/command/keyboard.zig b/river/command/keyboard.zig
index de1eb23..bfb7e26 100644
--- a/river/command/keyboard.zig
+++ b/river/command/keyboard.zig
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ pub fn keyboardLayout(
     _: *?[]const u8,
 ) Error!void {
     const result = flags.parser([:0]const u8, &.{
-        .{ .name = "-rules", .kind = .arg },
-        .{ .name = "-model", .kind = .arg },
-        .{ .name = "-variant", .kind = .arg },
-        .{ .name = "-options", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "rules", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "model", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "variant", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "options", .kind = .arg },
     }).parse(args[1..]) catch {
         return error.InvalidValue;
     };
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ pub fn keyboardLayout(
 
     const new_layout = xkb.RuleNames{
         .layout = try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, result.args[0]),
-        .rules = if (result.flags.@"-rules") |s| try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, s) else null,
-        .model = if (result.flags.@"-model") |s| try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, s) else null,
-        .variant = if (result.flags.@"-variant") |s| try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, s) else null,
-        .options = if (result.flags.@"-options") |s| try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, s) else null,
+        .rules = if (result.flags.rules) |s| try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, s) else null,
+        .model = if (result.flags.model) |s| try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, s) else null,
+        .variant = if (result.flags.variant) |s| try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, s) else null,
+        .options = if (result.flags.options) |s| try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, s) else null,
     };
     errdefer util.free_xkb_rule_names(new_layout);
 
diff --git a/river/command/map.zig b/river/command/map.zig
index 1d63f85..6782d12 100644
--- a/river/command/map.zig
+++ b/river/command/map.zig
@@ -43,18 +43,18 @@ pub fn map(
     out: *?[]const u8,
 ) Error!void {
     const result = flags.parser([:0]const u8, &.{
-        .{ .name = "-release", .kind = .boolean },
-        .{ .name = "-repeat", .kind = .boolean },
-        .{ .name = "-layout", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "release", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "repeat", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "layout", .kind = .arg },
     }).parse(args[1..]) catch {
         return error.InvalidValue;
     };
     if (result.args.len < 4) return Error.NotEnoughArguments;
 
-    if (result.flags.@"-release" and result.flags.@"-repeat") return Error.ConflictingOptions;
+    if (result.flags.release and result.flags.repeat) return Error.ConflictingOptions;
 
     const layout_index = blk: {
-        if (result.flags.@"-layout") |layout_raw| {
+        if (result.flags.layout) |layout_raw| {
             break :blk try fmt.parseInt(u32, layout_raw, 10);
         } else {
             break :blk null;
@@ -77,18 +77,18 @@ pub fn map(
         modifiers,
         command,
         .{
-            .release = result.flags.@"-release",
-            .repeat = result.flags.@"-repeat",
+            .release = result.flags.release,
+            .repeat = result.flags.repeat,
             .layout_index = layout_index,
         },
     );
     errdefer new.deinit();
 
-    if (mappingExists(mode_mappings, modifiers, keysym, result.flags.@"-release")) |current| {
+    if (mappingExists(mode_mappings, modifiers, keysym, result.flags.release)) |current| {
         mode_mappings.items[current].deinit();
         mode_mappings.items[current] = new;
         // Warn user if they overwrote an existing keybinding using riverctl.
-        const opts = if (result.flags.@"-release") "-release " else "";
+        const opts = if (result.flags.release) "-release " else "";
         out.* = try fmt.allocPrint(
             util.gpa,
             "overwrote an existing keybinding: {s} {s}{s} {s}",
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ fn parseSwitchState(
 /// unmap normal Mod4+Shift Return
 pub fn unmap(seat: *Seat, args: []const [:0]const u8, out: *?[]const u8) Error!void {
     const result = flags.parser([:0]const u8, &.{
-        .{ .name = "-release", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "release", .kind = .boolean },
     }).parse(args[1..]) catch {
         return error.InvalidValue;
     };
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ pub fn unmap(seat: *Seat, args: []const [:0]const u8, out: *?[]const u8) Error!v
         mode_mappings,
         modifiers,
         keysym,
-        result.flags.@"-release",
+        result.flags.release,
     ) orelse return;
 
     // Repeating mappings borrow the Mapping directly. To prevent a possible
diff --git a/river/main.zig b/river/main.zig
index ad53c2a..700b08e 100644
--- a/river/main.zig
+++ b/river/main.zig
@@ -45,15 +45,15 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
     // This line is here because of https://github.com/ziglang/zig/issues/7807
     const argv: [][*:0]const u8 = os.argv;
     const result = flags.parser([*:0]const u8, &.{
-        .{ .name = "-h", .kind = .boolean },
-        .{ .name = "-version", .kind = .boolean },
-        .{ .name = "-c", .kind = .arg },
-        .{ .name = "-log-level", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "h", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "version", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "c", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "log-level", .kind = .arg },
     }).parse(argv[1..]) catch {
         try io.getStdErr().writeAll(usage);
         os.exit(1);
     };
-    if (result.flags.@"-h") {
+    if (result.flags.h) {
         try io.getStdOut().writeAll(usage);
         os.exit(0);
     }
@@ -63,11 +63,11 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
         os.exit(1);
     }
 
-    if (result.flags.@"-version") {
+    if (result.flags.version) {
         try io.getStdOut().writeAll(build_options.version ++ "\n");
         os.exit(0);
     }
-    if (result.flags.@"-log-level") |level| {
+    if (result.flags.@"log-level") |level| {
         if (mem.eql(u8, level, std.log.Level.err.asText())) {
             runtime_log_level = .err;
         } else if (mem.eql(u8, level, std.log.Level.warn.asText())) {
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
         }
     }
     const startup_command = blk: {
-        if (result.flags.@"-c") |command| {
+        if (result.flags.c) |command| {
             break :blk try util.gpa.dupeZ(u8, command);
         } else {
             break :blk try defaultInitPath();
diff --git a/riverctl/main.zig b/riverctl/main.zig
index 4cc6717..bffd20e 100644
--- a/riverctl/main.zig
+++ b/riverctl/main.zig
@@ -66,17 +66,17 @@ fn _main() !void {
     // This line is here because of https://github.com/ziglang/zig/issues/7807
     const argv: [][*:0]const u8 = os.argv;
     const result = flags.parser([*:0]const u8, &.{
-        .{ .name = "-h", .kind = .boolean },
-        .{ .name = "-version", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "h", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "version", .kind = .boolean },
     }).parse(argv[1..]) catch {
         try io.getStdErr().writeAll(usage);
         os.exit(1);
     };
-    if (result.flags.@"-h") {
+    if (result.flags.h) {
         try io.getStdOut().writeAll(usage);
         os.exit(0);
     }
-    if (result.flags.@"-version") {
+    if (result.flags.version) {
         try io.getStdOut().writeAll(@import("build_options").version ++ "\n");
         os.exit(0);
     }
diff --git a/rivertile/main.zig b/rivertile/main.zig
index a5f4ce0..dee3892 100644
--- a/rivertile/main.zig
+++ b/rivertile/main.zig
@@ -307,44 +307,44 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     // https://github.com/ziglang/zig/issues/7807
     const argv: [][*:0]const u8 = os.argv;
     const result = flags.parser([*:0]const u8, &[_]flags.Flag{
-        .{ .name = "-h", .kind = .boolean },
-        .{ .name = "-version", .kind = .boolean },
-        .{ .name = "-view-padding", .kind = .arg },
-        .{ .name = "-outer-padding", .kind = .arg },
-        .{ .name = "-main-location", .kind = .arg },
-        .{ .name = "-main-count", .kind = .arg },
-        .{ .name = "-main-ratio", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "h", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "version", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "view-padding", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "outer-padding", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "main-location", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "main-count", .kind = .arg },
+        .{ .name = "main-ratio", .kind = .arg },
     }).parse(argv[1..]) catch {
         try std.io.getStdErr().writeAll(usage);
         os.exit(1);
     };
-    if (result.flags.@"-h") {
+    if (result.flags.h) {
         try std.io.getStdOut().writeAll(usage);
         os.exit(0);
     }
     if (result.args.len != 0) fatalPrintUsage("unknown option '{s}'", .{result.args[0]});
 
-    if (result.flags.@"-version") {
+    if (result.flags.version) {
         try std.io.getStdOut().writeAll(@import("build_options").version ++ "\n");
         os.exit(0);
     }
-    if (result.flags.@"-view-padding") |raw| {
+    if (result.flags.@"view-padding") |raw| {
         view_padding = fmt.parseUnsigned(u31, raw, 10) catch
             fatalPrintUsage("invalid value '{s}' provided to -view-padding", .{raw});
     }
-    if (result.flags.@"-outer-padding") |raw| {
+    if (result.flags.@"outer-padding") |raw| {
         outer_padding = fmt.parseUnsigned(u31, raw, 10) catch
             fatalPrintUsage("invalid value '{s}' provided to -outer-padding", .{raw});
     }
-    if (result.flags.@"-main-location") |raw| {
+    if (result.flags.@"main-location") |raw| {
         default_main_location = std.meta.stringToEnum(Location, raw) orelse
             fatalPrintUsage("invalid value '{s}' provided to -main-location", .{raw});
     }
-    if (result.flags.@"-main-count") |raw| {
+    if (result.flags.@"main-count") |raw| {
         default_main_count = fmt.parseUnsigned(u31, raw, 10) catch
             fatalPrintUsage("invalid value '{s}' provided to -main-count", .{raw});
     }
-    if (result.flags.@"-main-ratio") |raw| {
+    if (result.flags.@"main-ratio") |raw| {
         default_main_ratio = fmt.parseFloat(f64, raw) catch {
             fatalPrintUsage("invalid value '{s}' provided to -main-ratio", .{raw});
         };