diff --git a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
index e1aba14ee..fc2fc7ec6 100644
--- a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
@@ -320,10 +320,18 @@ bool fgInitFGAircraft ( int argc, char **argv ) {
     // First parse command line options looking for --aircraft=, this
     // will override anything specified in a config file
     aircraft = fgScanForOption( "--aircraft=", argc, argv );
+    if ( aircraft.empty() ) {
+        // check synonym option
+        aircraft = fgScanForOption( "--vehicle=", argc, argv );
+    }
 
     // Check in one of the user configuration files.
-    if ( aircraft.empty() )
+    if ( aircraft.empty() ) {
         aircraft = fgScanForOption( "--aircraft=" );
+    }
+    if ( aircraft.empty() ) {
+        aircraft = fgScanForOption( "--vehicle=" );
+    }
 
     // if an aircraft was specified, set the property name
     if ( !aircraft.empty() ) {
diff --git a/src/Main/options.cxx b/src/Main/options.cxx
index f2d2ba286..73af0ebc5 100644
--- a/src/Main/options.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/options.cxx
@@ -1384,6 +1384,7 @@ struct OptionDesc {
     {"flight-plan",                  true,  OPTION_FUNC,   "", false, "", fgOptFlightPlan },
     {"config",                       true,  OPTION_FUNC,   "", false, "", fgOptConfig },
     {"aircraft",                     true,  OPTION_STRING, "/sim/aircraft", false, "", 0 },
+    {"vehicle",                      true,  OPTION_STRING, "/sim/aircraft", false, "", 0 },
     {"failure",                      true,  OPTION_FUNC,   "", false, "", fgOptFailure },
     {"com1",                         true,  OPTION_DOUBLE, "/instrumentation/comm[0]/frequencies/selected-mhz", false, "", 0 },
     {"com2",                         true,  OPTION_DOUBLE, "/instrumentation/comm[1]/frequencies/selected-mhz", false, "", 0 },