diff --git a/src/mu-config.c b/src/mu-config.c
index 2bda5f72..de911108 100644
--- a/src/mu-config.c
+++ b/src/mu-config.c
@@ -29,14 +29,14 @@ mu_config_options_group_mu (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 {
 	GOptionGroup *og;
 	GOptionEntry entries[] = {
-		{ "debug", 'g', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opts->debug,
+		{ "debug", 'd', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opts->debug,
 		  "print debug output to standard error", NULL },
 		{ "quiet", 'q', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opts->quiet,
 		  "don't give any progress information", NULL },
 		{"version", 'v', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opts->version,
 		 "display version and copyright information", NULL},
-		{"muhome", 'h', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_FILENAME, &opts->muhome,
-		 "mu directory", NULL},
+		{"muhome", 'a', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_FILENAME, &opts->muhome,
+		 "specify an alternative mu directory ", NULL},
 		{"log-stderr", 'e', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opts->log_stderr,
 		 "log to standard error", NULL},
 		{ G_OPTION_REMAINING, 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING_ARRAY,
@@ -87,9 +87,9 @@ mu_config_options_group_query (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 		 "fields to display in the output", NULL},
 		{"sortfield", 's', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opts->sortfield,
 		 "field to sort on", NULL},
-		{"descending", 'd', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opts->descending,
-		 "sort descending", NULL},
-		{"linksdir", 't', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opts->linksdir,
+		{"descending", 'z', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opts->descending,
+		 "sort in descending order (z -> a)", NULL},
+		{"linksdir", 'l', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opts->linksdir,
 		 "output as symbolic links to a target maildir", NULL },
 		{"clearlinks", 'c', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opts->clearlinks,
 		 "clear old links before filling a linksdir", NULL},