diff --git a/doc/cmdline.md b/doc/cmdline.md
index 18f8033e..960f440b 100644
--- a/doc/cmdline.md
+++ b/doc/cmdline.md
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ The `bool` setting is one of `on, off, true false, 1, 0`.
 * `finit.debug[=bool]`: Enable finit debug.  This is operated
 	independently of the kernel debug setting.  New as of Finit v4.
 
-* `finit.show_status[=bool]`: Control finit boot progress, including
-  banner.
+* `finit.status[=bool]`: Control finit boot progress, including banner.
+  (Used to be `finit.show_status`, which works but is deprecated.)
 
 * `finit.status_style=<classic,modern>`: Set Finit boot progress style,
   when enabled.
diff --git a/man/finit.8 b/man/finit.8
index d6381dd7..436b716f 100644
--- a/man/finit.8
+++ b/man/finit.8
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@
 .Nd Fast init for Linux systems
 .Sh SYNOPSIS
 .Nm /sbin/finit
-.Op finit.status_style=classic
-.Op finit.show_status=[on,off]
+.Op --
+.Op finit.status=[on,off]
+.Op finit.status_style=[classic,modern]
 .Op finit.debug
 .Op rescue | recover
 .Op single | S
diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index ccd9b30e..eda7d3e2 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ fallback:
 }
 
 /*
- * finit.debug = [on,off]
- * finit.show_status = [on,off]
+ * finit.debug  = [on,off]
+ * finit.status = [on,off]     (compat finit.show_status)
  * finit.status_style = [old,classic,modern]
  */
 static void parse_finit_opts(char *opt)
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ static void parse_finit_opts(char *opt)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (string_compare(opt, "show_status")) {
+	if (string_compare(opt, "status") || string_compare(opt, "show_status")) {
 		show_progress(get_bool(arg, 1) ? PROGRESS_DEFAULT : PROGRESS_SILENT);
 		return;
 	}