diff --git a/doc/tldr/hledger-import.md b/doc/tldr/hledger-import.md
index d1d7a82ce..f6ec991b4 100644
--- a/doc/tldr/hledger-import.md
+++ b/doc/tldr/hledger-import.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 - Import new transactions from all CSV files, using the same rules for all:
 
-`hledger import --rules-file {{common.rules}} *.csv`
+`hledger import --rules {{common.rules}} *.csv`
 
 - Show conversion errors or results while editing `bank.csv.rules`:
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
index a8fb1d2d2..c454fe347 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ rawOptsToInputOpts day rawopts =
     in definputopts{
        -- files_             = listofstringopt "file" rawopts
        mformat_           = Nothing
-      ,mrules_file_       = maybestringopt "rules-file" rawopts
+      ,mrules_file_       = maybestringopt "rules" rawopts
       ,aliases_           = listofstringopt "alias" rawopts
       ,anon_              = boolopt "obfuscate" rawopts
       ,new_               = boolopt "new" rawopts
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/RulesReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/RulesReader.hs
index 9ea09e736..5181ec7a8 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/RulesReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/RulesReader.hs
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ getDownloadDir = do
 -- file's directory. When a glob pattern matches multiple files, the alphabetically
 -- last is used. (Eg in case of multiple numbered downloads, the highest-numbered
 -- will be used.)
--- The provided text, or a --rules-file option, are ignored by this reader.
+-- The provided text, or a --rules option, are ignored by this reader.
 -- Balance assertions are not checked.
 parse :: InputOpts -> FilePath -> Text -> ExceptT String IO Journal
 parse iopts f _ = do
@@ -883,7 +883,7 @@ _CSV_READING__________________________________________ = undefined
 -- 4. Return the transactions as a Journal.
 --
 readJournalFromCsv :: Maybe (Either CsvRules FilePath) -> FilePath -> Text -> Maybe SepFormat -> ExceptT String IO Journal
-readJournalFromCsv Nothing "-" _ _ = throwError "please use --rules-file when reading CSV from stdin"
+readJournalFromCsv Nothing "-" _ _ = throwError "please use --rules when reading CSV from stdin"
 readJournalFromCsv merulesfile csvfile csvtext sep = do
     -- for now, correctness is the priority here, efficiency not so much
 
diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs
index 7266c371b..05c37a177 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ prognameandversion =
 
 
 uiflags = [
-  -- flagNone ["debug-ui"] (setboolopt "rules-file") "run with no terminal output, showing console"
    flagNone ["watch","w"] (setboolopt "watch") "watch for data and date changes and reload automatically"
   ,flagReq  ["theme"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "theme" s opts) "THEME" ("use this custom display theme ("++intercalate ", " themeNames++")")
   ,flagNone ["cash"] (setboolopt "cash") "start in the cash accounts screen"
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli.hs
index 6ab8edc14..3ebfd3597 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli.hs
@@ -141,7 +141,8 @@ mainmode addons = defMode {
     ]
      -- flags handled but not shown in the help:
     ,groupHidden =
-        [detailedversionflag]
+        detailedversionflag :
+        hiddenflags
         -- ++ inputflags -- included here so they'll not raise a confusing error if present with no COMMAND
     }
  ,modeHelpSuffix = []
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CliOptions.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CliOptions.hs
index 75f491e90..f276439bf 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CliOptions.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CliOptions.hs
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ prognameandversion =
 -- common cmdargs flags
 -- keep synced with flag docs in doc/common.m4
 
--- | Common input-related flags: --file, --rules-file, --alias...
+-- | Common input-related flags: --file, --rules, --conf, --alias...
 inputflags :: [Flag RawOpts]
 inputflags = [
    flagReq  ["file","f"]      (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "file" s opts) "[FMT:]FILE" "Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is -, inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix. Can be specified more than once. If not specified, reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal."
@@ -275,6 +275,7 @@ hiddenflags = [
   ,flagNone ["pretty-tables"]        (setopt "pretty" "always") "legacy flag that was renamed"
   ,flagNone ["anon"]                 (setboolopt "anon") "deprecated, renamed to --obfuscate"  -- #2133, handled by anonymiseByOpts
   ,flagNone ["obfuscate"]            (setboolopt "obfuscate") "slightly obfuscate hledger's output. Warning, does not give privacy. Formerly --anon."  -- #2133, handled by maybeObfuscate
+  ,flagReq  ["rules-file"]           (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "rules" s opts) "RULESFILE" "was renamed to --rules"
   ]
 
 -- | Common output-related flags: --output-file, --output-format...
diff --git a/hledger/hledger.m4.md b/hledger/hledger.m4.md
index 7717f9b02..1fb15098c 100644
--- a/hledger/hledger.m4.md
+++ b/hledger/hledger.m4.md
@@ -2908,7 +2908,7 @@ attributes.
 By default, hledger expects this rules file to be named like the CSV file, 
 with an extra `.rules` extension added, in the same directory. 
 Eg when asked to read `foo/FILE.csv`, hledger looks for `foo/FILE.csv.rules`. 
-You can specify a different rules file with the `--rules-file` option. 
+You can specify a different rules file with the `--rules` option.
 
 At minimum, the rules file must identify the date and amount fields,
 and often it also specifies the date format and how many header lines
@@ -3634,9 +3634,8 @@ $ cat foo.dat | hledger -f ssv:- print
 ### Reading multiple CSV files
 
 If you use multiple `-f` options to read multiple CSV files at once,
-hledger will look for a correspondingly-named rules file for each CSV
-file. But if you use the `--rules-file` option, that rules file will
-be used for all the CSV files.
+hledger will look for a correspondingly-named rules file for each CSV file.
+But if you specify a rules file with `--rules`, that rules file will be used for all the CSV files.
 
 ### Reading files specified by rule
 
diff --git a/hledger/test/cli/cli.test b/hledger/test/cli/cli.test
index 12b815ae0..5fa7399d8 100644
--- a/hledger/test/cli/cli.test
+++ b/hledger/test/cli/cli.test
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@
 # - an unrecognised command shows an error and gives non-zero exit status
 #
 # - usually the command must come first, followed by options and arguments in any order
-# - a few options may also go before the command: -f, --rules-file, --alias, --help, --version, --debug.
-# - option flags may be written in full or as a unique prefix, eg --rules for --rules-file
+# - a few options may also go before the command: -f, --rules, --alias, --help, --version, --debug.
+# - option flags may be written in full or as a unique prefix
 # - if the command is external, options and arguments after the command are handled by that executable, not hledger
 #
 # - the --help flag has highest priority
diff --git a/hledger/test/errors/README.md b/hledger/test/errors/README.md
index 8d7272f99..4df0f3c78 100644
--- a/hledger/test/errors/README.md
+++ b/hledger/test/errors/README.md
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ expecting '!', '*', or end of input
 
 ### csvstdinrules
 ```
-hledger: Error: please use --rules-file when reading CSV from stdin
+hledger: Error: please use --rules when reading CSV from stdin
 ```
 
 
@@ -535,6 +535,6 @@ hledger: Error: CSV record ["b"] has less than two fields
 
 ### csvstdinrules
 ```
-hledger: Error: please use --rules-file when reading CSV from stdin
+hledger: Error: please use --rules when reading CSV from stdin
 ```
 
diff --git a/hledger/test/errors/csvstdinrules.test b/hledger/test/errors/csvstdinrules.test
index bb598c777..81a3371eb 100644
--- a/hledger/test/errors/csvstdinrules.test
+++ b/hledger/test/errors/csvstdinrules.test
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 $$$  sh csvstdinrules.sh
->>>2 /hledger: Error: please use --rules-file when reading CSV from stdin
+>>>2 /hledger: Error: please use --rules when reading CSV from stdin
 /
 >>>= 1
diff --git a/hledger/test/import/match.test b/hledger/test/import/match.test
index 728c9b982..5be198609 100644
--- a/hledger/test/import/match.test
+++ b/hledger/test/import/match.test
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Various match group interpolation tests. See the comments
 # in match.rules for specifics.
-$ hledger -f a.j import --rules-file match.rules --dry-run match.csv
+$ hledger -f a.j import --rules match.rules --dry-run match.csv
 ; would import 1 new transactions from match.csv:
 
 2022-12-15 Zettle_*Robert W. Bell