diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3f66ec27..8e675d6a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -117,10 +117,12 @@ Debian package is not used are recorded in
 
 ```sh
 gcb gh pr view 12 --repo owner/name
-gcb gh pr create --repo owner/name --head feat/x --title "A title" --body "A body"
+gcb gh pr create -R owner/name --head feat/x --title "A title" --body "A body"
 gcb gh run view 123456 --log --repo owner/name
 ```
 
+`-R` is the short form of `--repo`, as in `gh` itself.
+
 Inside a checkout, `--repo` can be omitted only when `origin` names a usable GitHub repository whose
 host matches `--host`; otherwise pass `--repo`, or the matching `--host`.
 
diff --git a/packages/client/src/commands/gh.ts b/packages/client/src/commands/gh.ts
index d8ebe440..d5bc76e2 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/commands/gh.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/commands/gh.ts
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ export const GH_USAGE = `Usage: gcb gh <domain> <command> [options]
 Run a catalogued GitHub action through the broker.
 
 Common
-  --repo <owner/name>  Repository the action belongs to (default: origin remote)
-  --host <host>        Host as configured, e.g. github.com (default: github.com)
-  --socket <path>      Broker socket (default: GIT_BROKER_SOCKET)
-  -h, --help           Show this help
+  -R, --repo <owner/name>  Repository the action belongs to (default: origin remote)
+  --host <host>            Host as configured, e.g. github.com (default: github.com)
+  --socket <path>          Broker socket (default: GIT_BROKER_SOCKET)
+  -h, --help               Show this help
 
 Commands, from the action catalog
 ${ACTION_LINES}`;
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export async function runGh(argv: readonly string[]): Promise<number> {
   const booleans = action.flags.filter((flag) => flag.type === 'boolean').map((flag) => flag.name);
   const args = parseArgs(rest, { booleans });
   const host = args.value('host') ?? 'github.com';
-  let repo = args.value('repo');
+  let repo = args.value('repo') ?? args.value('R');
   if (repo === undefined) {
     const found = repoFromCheckout(process.cwd());
     if (found === undefined) fail('--repo is required when the checkout has no usable origin remote');
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ export async function runGh(argv: readonly string[]): Promise<number> {
   const allowed = new Set([
     ...action.flags.map((flag) => flag.name),
     'repo',
+    'R',
     'host',
     'socket',
   ]);
diff --git a/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts b/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts
index a7edf1f4..651068b7 100644
--- a/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ describe('gcb gh', () => {
     };
     const broker = await startBroker({ config, audit, providers: new Map([['github.com', provider]]) });
     try {
-      const result = await runGhCli(['pr', 'view', '7', '--repo', 'acme/widget', '--socket', socketPath]);
+      const result = await runGhCli(['pr', 'view', '7', '-R', 'acme/widget', '--socket', socketPath]);
       assert.equal(result.status, 1);
       assert.match(result.stderr, /expires on its own/);
       assert.match(result.stderr, /refused/);