diff --git a/docs/content/manual/dev/manual.yml b/docs/content/manual/dev/manual.yml
index 60debde5e5..08e7c811fe 100644
--- a/docs/content/manual/dev/manual.yml
+++ b/docs/content/manual/dev/manual.yml
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ sections:
         Read filter from the file rather than from a command line, like
         awk's -f option.
 
-      * `-L directory`:
+      * `-L directory` / `--library-dir directory`:
 
         Prepend `directory` to the search list for modules.  If this
         option is used then no builtin search list is used.  See the
diff --git a/jq.1.prebuilt b/jq.1.prebuilt
index d3e44cfbd1..960eba268e 100644
--- a/jq.1.prebuilt
+++ b/jq.1.prebuilt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 .
-.TH "JQ" "1" "September 2024" "" ""
+.TH "JQ" "1" "October 2024" "" ""
 .
 .SH "NAME"
 \fBjq\fR \- Command\-line JSON processor
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ Use the \fBapplication/json\-seq\fR MIME type scheme for separating JSON texts i
 Read filter from the file rather than from a command line, like awk\'s \-f option\.
 .
 .TP
-\fB\-L directory\fR:
+\fB\-L directory\fR / \fB\-\-library\-dir directory\fR:
 .
 .IP
 Prepend \fBdirectory\fR to the search list for modules\. If this option is used then no builtin search list is used\. See the section on modules below\.
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index d04d9747d7..b47868c3af 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ static void usage(int code, int keep_it_short) {
       "                            an array;\n"
       "      --seq                 parse input/output as application/json-seq;\n"
       "  -f, --from-file file      load filter from the file;\n"
-      "  -L directory              search modules from the directory;\n"
+      "  -L, --library-dir dir     search modules from the directory;\n"
       "      --arg name value      set $name to the string value;\n"
       "      --argjson name value  set $name to the JSON value;\n"
       "      --slurpfile name file set $name to an array of JSON values read\n"
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ static int isoption(const char** text, char shortopt, const char* longopt, int i
       return 1;
     }
   } else {
-    if (longopt != NULL && !strcmp(*text, longopt)) {
+    if (!strcmp(*text, longopt)) {
       *text = NULL;
       return 1;
     }
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
           options |= PROVIDE_NULL;
         } else if (isoption(&text, 'f', "from-file", is_short)) {
           options |= FROM_FILE;
-        } else if (isoption(&text, 'L', NULL, is_short)) {
+        } else if (isoption(&text, 'L', "library-dir", is_short)) {
           if (jv_get_kind(lib_search_paths) == JV_KIND_NULL)
             lib_search_paths = jv_array();
           if (text != NULL) { // -Lname