diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index c5d1cec..e46ae3b 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ sudo: required
 
 install: |
   cd "$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR"
-  bash -x ./configure -t
+  bash -x ./configure --travis
 
 script: |
   cd "$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR"
diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index ebf6852..fa7df50 100644
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ See <<gem5-vs-qemu,like QEMU>> for a more thorough comparison.
 For the most part, if you just add the `--gem5` option or `*-gem5` suffix to all commands and everything should magically work:
 
 ....
-./configure -g && \
+./configure --gem5 && \
   ./build-gem5 && \
   ./build-buildroot --gem5 && \
   ./run --gem5 &&\
@@ -8285,7 +8285,7 @@ There are two ways to run PARSEC with this repo:
 ====== PARSEC benchmark without parsecmgmt
 
 ....
-./configure -gp && \
+./configure --gem5 --parsec-benchmark && \
 ./build-buildroot --arch arm --buildroot-config 'BR2_PACKAGE_PARSEC_BENCHMARK=y' --gem5 && \
 ./run --arch arm --gem5 && \
 :;
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index b8c12fd..14e55fa 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -8,24 +8,29 @@ qemu_given=false
 submodules_dir=submodules
 submodules=buildroot
 y=
-while getopts gpqt OPT; do
-  case "$OPT" in
-    g)
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --gem5)
       gem5_given=true
-      ;;
-    p)
+      shift
+    ;;
+    --parsec-benchmark)
       submodules="${submodules} parsec-benchmark"
-      ;;
-    q)
+    ;;
+    --qemu)
       qemu_given=true
-      ;;
-    t)
+      shift
+    ;;
+    --travis)
       interactive_pkgs=
       y=-y
-      ;;
+    ;;
+    *)
+      echo 'unknown option' 1>&2
+      exit 2
+    ;;
   esac
 done
-shift $(($OPTIND - 1))
 if "$gem5_given" && ! "$qemu_given"; then
   qemu=false
 fi