diff --git a/lib/args.go b/lib/args.go
index f8c8a79..fd13a71 100644
--- a/lib/args.go
+++ b/lib/args.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package moon
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"log"
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
@@ -55,22 +54,69 @@ func parseArgs(args []string, dest interface{}) (map[string]interface{}, error)
 
 			req, ok := longs[key]
 			if !ok {
-				// ignore unknown options silently?
-				log.Printf("no such long opt: %s", key)
-				continue
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unrecognized long opt: %s", key)
 			}
 			if req.t.Kind() == reflect.Bool {
-				out[key] = true
+				out[req.name] = true
 				continue
 			}
 
+			// this is horrible
 			d, err := ReadString(fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", key, val)) // :(
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse cli argument %s: %s", key, err)
 			}
-			out[key] = d.items[key]
+			out[req.name] = d.items[key]
 		} else if strings.HasPrefix(arg, "-") {
-			panic("i'm not doing short args yet")
+			arg = strings.TrimPrefix(arg, "-")
+			if strings.ContainsRune(arg, '=') {
+				runes := []rune(arg)
+				if len(runes) == 1 { // -=
+					// no clue what to do here
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse cli arguments: weird -=?")
+				}
+				if runes[1] != '=' {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("you may only use one short flag with an equals sign")
+				}
+				req, ok := shorts[string(runes[0])]
+				if !ok {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("unrecognized short opt: %c", runes[0])
+				}
+				d, err := ReadString(fmt.Sprintf("key: %s", runes[2:]))
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse cli argument %c: %s", runes[0], err)
+				}
+				out[req.name] = d.items["key"]
+			} else {
+				runes := []rune(arg)
+				for j := 0; j < len(runes); j++ {
+					r := runes[j]
+					req, ok := shorts[string(r)]
+					if !ok {
+						return nil, fmt.Errorf("unrecognized short opt: %c", r)
+					}
+					if req.t.Kind() == reflect.Bool {
+						out[req.name] = true
+						continue
+					}
+					if j != len(runes)-1 {
+						// what a totally fucking preposterous error message
+						return nil, fmt.Errorf("illegal short opt: %c: a "+
+							"non-boolean short flag may only appear as the"+
+							" terminal option in a run of short opts", r)
+					}
+					i++
+					if i >= len(args) {
+						return nil, fmt.Errorf("arg %s is missing a value", req.name)
+					}
+					val := args[i]
+					d, err := ReadString(fmt.Sprintf("key: %s", val))
+					if err != nil {
+						return nil, fmt.Errorf("error parsing cli arg %s: %s", req.name, err)
+					}
+					out[req.name] = d.items["key"]
+				}
+			}
 		} else {
 			break
 		}
diff --git a/lib/args_test.go b/lib/args_test.go
index 35658a4..c5cd614 100644
--- a/lib/args_test.go
+++ b/lib/args_test.go
@@ -8,10 +8,13 @@ func TestArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	var one struct {
 		Host     string `name: host; short: h; default: localhost`
 		Port     int    `name: port; short: p; required: true`
+		User     string `name: user; short: u`
+		ZipIt    bool   `name: zip; short: z`
+		Verbose  bool   `name: verbose; short: v`
 		UseSSL   bool   `name: ssl_enabled; long: ssl-enabled`
 		CertPath string `name: ssl_cert; long: ssl-cert`
 	}
-	args := []string{"program", "--host=example.com", "--port", "9000"}
+	args := []string{"program", "--host=example.com", "--port", "9000", "-u", "fart", "-zv"}
 	vals, err := parseArgs(args, &one)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
@@ -25,4 +28,16 @@ func TestArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	if vals["port"] != 9000 {
 		t.Errorf("expected port 9000, saw port %d", vals["port"])
 	}
+
+	if vals["user"] != "fart" {
+		t.Errorf("expected user 'fart', saw user '%s'", vals["user"])
+	}
+
+	if vals["zip"] != true {
+		t.Errorf("expected zip to be true, is false")
+	}
+
+	if vals["verbose"] != true {
+		t.Errorf("expected verbose to be true, is false")
+	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/req.go b/lib/req.go
index b3463b7..ea3f015 100644
--- a/lib/req.go
+++ b/lib/req.go
@@ -60,8 +60,9 @@ func field2req(field reflect.StructField) (*req, error) {
 		t:       field.Type,
 		long:    field.Name,
 	}
-	// it's really easy to cause infinite recursion here, since this is used by
-	// some of the higher up functions, so we're going to hack the document directly
+
+	// this is called by Fill, so we have to do Fill's work by hand, otherwise
+	// they would be mutually recursive.
 
 	errors := map[string]error{
 		"name":     doc.Get("name", &req.name),