diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c860ee0..6807a87 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -159,14 +159,29 @@ type Config struct {
 
 The `flags` backend allows to load individual configuration keys from the command line. The default values are extracted from the struct fields values.
 
+A `short` option is also supported.
+
+```go
+type Config struct {
+  Host        string        `config:"host,short=h"`
+  Port        uint32        `config:"port,short=p"`
+  Timeout     time.Duration `config:"timeout"`
+}
+```
+
+
 ```sh
 ./bin -h
 
 Usage of ./bin:
   -host string
        (default "127.0.0.1")
+  -h string
+       (default "127.0.0.1")
   -port int
        (default 5656)
+  -p int
+       (default 5656)
   -timeout duration
        (default 10s)
 ```
diff --git a/backend/flags/flags.go b/backend/flags/flags.go
index 1dfe27c..0cbe135 100644
--- a/backend/flags/flags.go
+++ b/backend/flags/flags.go
@@ -32,48 +32,63 @@ func (b *Backend) LoadStruct(ctx context.Context, cfg *confita.StructConfig) err
 		k := f.Value.Kind()
 		switch {
 		case f.Value.Type().String() == "time.Duration":
-			// define the flag and its default value
-			v := flag.Duration(f.Key, time.Duration(f.Default.Int()), "")
+			var val time.Duration
+			flag.DurationVar(&val, f.Key, time.Duration(f.Default.Int()), "")
+			if f.Short != "" {
+				flag.DurationVar(&val, f.Short, time.Duration(f.Default.Int()), "")
+			}
 			// this function must be executed after the flag.Parse call.
 			defer func() {
 				// if the user has set the flag, save the value in the field.
-				if isFlagSet(f.Key) {
-					f.Value.SetInt(int64(*v))
+				if isFlagSet(f) {
+					f.Value.SetInt(int64(val))
 				}
 			}()
 		case k == reflect.Bool:
-			v := flag.Bool(f.Key, f.Default.Bool(), "")
+			var val bool
+			flag.BoolVar(&val, f.Key, f.Default.Bool(), "")
+			if f.Short != "" {
+				flag.BoolVar(&val, f.Short, f.Default.Bool(), "")
+			}
 			defer func() {
-				if isFlagSet(f.Key) {
-					f.Value.SetBool(*v)
+				if isFlagSet(f) {
+					f.Value.SetBool(val)
 				}
 			}()
 		case k >= reflect.Int && k <= reflect.Int64:
-			v := flag.Int(f.Key, int(f.Default.Int()), "")
+			var val int
+			flag.IntVar(&val, f.Key, int(f.Default.Int()), "")
+			if f.Short != "" {
+				flag.IntVar(&val, f.Short, int(f.Default.Int()), "")
+			}
 			defer func() {
-				if isFlagSet(f.Key) {
-					f.Value.SetInt(int64(*v))
+				if isFlagSet(f) {
+					f.Value.SetInt(int64(val))
 				}
 			}()
 		case k >= reflect.Uint && k <= reflect.Uint64:
 			v := flag.Uint(f.Key, uint(f.Default.Uint()), "")
 			defer func() {
-				if isFlagSet(f.Key) {
+				if isFlagSet(f) {
 					f.Value.SetUint(uint64(*v))
 				}
 			}()
 		case k >= reflect.Float32 && k <= reflect.Float64:
 			v := flag.Float64(f.Key, f.Default.Float(), "")
 			defer func() {
-				if isFlagSet(f.Key) {
+				if isFlagSet(f) {
 					f.Value.SetFloat(*v)
 				}
 			}()
 		case k == reflect.String:
-			v := flag.String(f.Key, f.Default.String(), "")
+			var val string
+			flag.StringVar(&val, f.Key, f.Default.String(), "")
+			if f.Short != "" {
+				flag.StringVar(&val, f.Short, f.Default.String(), "")
+			}
 			defer func() {
-				if isFlagSet(f.Key) {
-					f.Value.SetString(*v)
+				if isFlagSet(f) {
+					f.Value.SetString(val)
 				}
 			}()
 		default:
@@ -112,10 +127,10 @@ func (b *Backend) Name() string {
 	return "flags"
 }
 
-func isFlagSet(name string) bool {
-	flagset := make(map[string]bool)
-	flag.Visit(func(f *flag.Flag) { flagset[f.Name] = true })
+func isFlagSet(config *confita.FieldConfig) bool {
+	flagset := make(map[*confita.FieldConfig]bool)
+	flag.Visit(func(f *flag.Flag) { flagset[config] = true })
 
-	_, ok := flagset[name]
+	_, ok := flagset[config]
 	return ok
 }
diff --git a/backend/flags/flags_test.go b/backend/flags/flags_test.go
index 82cb981..bf5be35 100644
--- a/backend/flags/flags_test.go
+++ b/backend/flags/flags_test.go
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ import (
 
 type Config struct {
 	A    string        `config:"a"`
-	Adef string        `config:"a-def"`
+	Adef string        `config:"a-def,short=ad"`
 	B    bool          `config:"b"`
-	Bdef bool          `config:"b-def"`
+	Bdef bool          `config:"b-def,short=bd"`
 	C    time.Duration `config:"c"`
-	Cdef time.Duration `config:"c-def"`
+	Cdef time.Duration `config:"c-def,short=cd"`
 	D    int           `config:"d"`
-	Ddef int           `config:"d-def"`
+	Ddef int           `config:"d-def,short=dd"`
 }
 
 func runHelper(t *testing.T, args ...string) *Config {
@@ -65,6 +65,22 @@ func TestFlags(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestFlagsShort(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := runHelper(t, "-ad=hello", "-bd=true", "-cd=20s", "-dd=500")
+	require.Equal(t, "hello", cfg.Adef)
+	require.Equal(t, true, cfg.Bdef)
+	require.Equal(t, 20*time.Second, cfg.Cdef)
+	require.Equal(t, 500, cfg.Ddef)
+}
+
+func TestFlagsMixed(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := runHelper(t, "-ad=hello", "-b-def=true", "-cd=20s", "-d-def=500")
+	require.Equal(t, "hello", cfg.Adef)
+	require.Equal(t, true, cfg.Bdef)
+	require.Equal(t, 20*time.Second, cfg.Cdef)
+	require.Equal(t, 500, cfg.Ddef)
+}
+
 func TestHelperProcess(t *testing.T) {
 	if os.Getenv("GO_HELPER_PROCESS") != "1" {
 		return
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 5b6f70e..0f9651c 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ func (l *Loader) parseStruct(ref reflect.Value) *StructConfig {
 			for _, opt := range opts {
 				if opt == "required" {
 					f.Required = true
+					continue
+				}
+
+				if strings.HasPrefix(opt, "short=") {
+					f.Short = opt[len("short="):]
+					continue
 				}
 
 				if strings.HasPrefix(opt, "backend=") {
@@ -169,6 +175,10 @@ func (l *Loader) resolve(ctx context.Context, s *StructConfig) error {
 		default:
 		}
 
+		if len(foundFields) == len(s.Fields) {
+			break
+		}
+
 		if u, ok := b.(Unmarshaler); ok {
 			err := u.Unmarshal(ctx, s.S)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -233,6 +243,7 @@ type StructConfig struct {
 // FieldConfig holds informations about a struct field.
 type FieldConfig struct {
 	Name     string
+	Short    string
 	Key      string
 	Value    reflect.Value
 	Default  reflect.Value