diff --git a/core/commands/add.go b/core/commands/add.go
index 8f1dd9764352..5a47af0354ac 100644
--- a/core/commands/add.go
+++ b/core/commands/add.go
@@ -30,9 +30,15 @@ const (
 
 var AddCmd = &cmds.Command{
 	Helptext: cmds.HelpText{
-		Tagline: "Add a file or directory to ipfs.",
+		Tagline: "Add a file to ipfs.",
+		Synopsis: `ipfs add <path> [--quiet | -q] [--silent] [--progress | -p]
+[--trickle |-t] [--wrap-with-directory | -w] [--hidden | -H]
+[--only-hash | -n] [--chunker | -s] [--pin] [--recursive | -r]
+`,
 		ShortDescription: `
-Adds contents of <path> to ipfs. Use -r to add directories (recursively).
+Adds contents of <path> to ipfs. Use -r to add directories.
+Note that directories are added recursively, to form the ipfs
+MerkleDAG.
 `,
 		LongDescription: `
 Adds contents of <path> to ipfs. Use -r to add directories.
@@ -61,29 +67,21 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 	},
 	Options: []cmds.Option{
 		cmds.OptionRecursivePath, // a builtin option that allows recursive paths (-r, --recursive)
-		cmds.BoolOption(quietOptionName, "q", "Write minimal output."),
-		cmds.BoolOption(silentOptionName, "Write no output."),
-		cmds.BoolOption(progressOptionName, "p", "Stream progress data."),
-		cmds.BoolOption(trickleOptionName, "t", "Use trickle-dag format for dag generation."),
-		cmds.BoolOption(onlyHashOptionName, "n", "Only chunk and hash - do not write to disk."),
-		cmds.BoolOption(wrapOptionName, "w", "Wrap files with a directory object."),
-		cmds.BoolOption(hiddenOptionName, "H", "Include files that are hidden. Only takes effect on recursive add."),
+		cmds.BoolOption(quietOptionName, "q", "Write minimal output.").Default(false),
+		cmds.BoolOption(silentOptionName, "Write no output.").Default(false),
+		cmds.BoolOption(progressOptionName, "p", "Stream progress data.").Default(true),
+		cmds.BoolOption(trickleOptionName, "t", "Use trickle-dag format for dag generation.").Default(false),
+		cmds.BoolOption(onlyHashOptionName, "n", "Only chunk and hash - do not write to disk.").Default(false),
+		cmds.BoolOption(wrapOptionName, "w", "Wrap files with a directory object.").Default(false),
+		cmds.BoolOption(hiddenOptionName, "H", "Include files that are hidden. Only takes effect on recursive add.").Default(false),
 		cmds.StringOption(chunkerOptionName, "s", "Chunking algorithm to use."),
-		cmds.BoolOption(pinOptionName, "Pin this object when adding.  Default: true."),
+		cmds.BoolOption(pinOptionName, "Pin this object when adding.").Default(true),
 	},
 	PreRun: func(req cmds.Request) error {
 		if quiet, _, _ := req.Option(quietOptionName).Bool(); quiet {
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		// ipfs cli progress bar defaults to true
-		progress, found, _ := req.Option(progressOptionName).Bool()
-		if !found {
-			progress = true
-		}
-
-		req.SetOption(progressOptionName, progress)
-
 		sizeFile, ok := req.Files().(files.SizeFile)
 		if !ok {
 			// we don't need to error, the progress bar just won't know how big the files are
@@ -129,11 +127,7 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 		hidden, _, _ := req.Option(hiddenOptionName).Bool()
 		silent, _, _ := req.Option(silentOptionName).Bool()
 		chunker, _, _ := req.Option(chunkerOptionName).String()
-		dopin, pin_found, _ := req.Option(pinOptionName).Bool()
-
-		if !pin_found { // default
-			dopin = true
-		}
+		dopin, _, _ := req.Option(pinOptionName).Bool()
 
 		if hash {
 			nilnode, err := core.NewNode(n.Context(), &core.BuildCfg{
@@ -220,7 +214,7 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 			return
 		}
 
-		progress, prgFound, err := req.Option(progressOptionName).Bool()
+		progress, _, err := req.Option(progressOptionName).Bool()
 		if err != nil {
 			res.SetError(u.ErrCast(), cmds.ErrNormal)
 			return
@@ -233,9 +227,7 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 		}
 
 		var showProgressBar bool
-		if prgFound {
-			showProgressBar = progress
-		} else if !quiet && !silent {
+		if !progress && !quiet && !silent {
 			showProgressBar = true
 		}
 
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0040-add-and-cat.sh b/test/sharness/t0040-add-and-cat.sh
index a37c605e7528..91f8070c15c2 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0040-add-and-cat.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0040-add-and-cat.sh
@@ -11,9 +11,15 @@ test_description="Test add and cat commands"
 client_err_add() {
     printf "$@\n\n"
     echo 'USAGE
-  ipfs add <path>... - Add a file or directory to ipfs.
+  ipfs add <path>... - Add a file to ipfs.
 
-  Adds contents of <path> to ipfs. Use -r to add directories (recursively).
+  ipfs add <path> [--quiet | -q] [--silent] [--progress | -p]
+  [--trickle |-t] [--wrap-with-directory | -w] [--hidden | -H]
+  [--only-hash | -n] [--chunker | -s] [--pin] [--recursive | -r]
+
+  Adds contents of <path> to ipfs. Use -r to add directories.
+  Note that directories are added recursively, to form the ipfs
+  MerkleDAG.
 
 Use '"'"'ipfs add --help'"'"' for more information about this command.
 '
@@ -360,7 +366,7 @@ test_add_cat_5MB
 
 test_add_cat_expensive
 
-test_add_named_pipe " Post http://$API_ADDR/api/v0/add?encoding=json&progress=true&r=true&stream-channels=true:"
+test_add_named_pipe " Post http://$API_ADDR/api/v0/add?encoding=json&r=true&stream-channels=true:"
 
 test_kill_ipfs_daemon