diff --git a/getopt-generics.cabal b/getopt-generics.cabal
--- a/getopt-generics.cabal
+++ b/getopt-generics.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -- This file has been generated from package.yaml by Cabalize.
 name: getopt-generics
-version: 0.2
+version: 0.3
 synopsis: Simple command line argument parsing
 description:
   "getopt-generics" tries to make it very simple to create command line argument parsers. An introductory example can be found in the <https://github.com/zalora/getopt-generics#getopt-generics README>.
diff --git a/src/System/Console/GetOpt/Generics.hs b/src/System/Console/GetOpt/Generics.hs
--- a/src/System/Console/GetOpt/Generics.hs
+++ b/src/System/Console/GetOpt/Generics.hs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables   #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeFamilies          #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeSynonymInstances  #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE ViewPatterns          #-}
 
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -fno-warn-unrecognised-pragmas #-}
 
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
 module System.Console.GetOpt.Generics (
   -- * IO API
   getArguments,
+  modifiedGetArguments,
   -- * Pure API
   parseArguments,
   Result(..),
@@ -57,10 +59,15 @@
 --     with exit-code @0@.) Help output is written to @stdout@.
 getArguments :: forall a . (Generic a, HasDatatypeInfo a, All2 Option (Code a)) =>
   IO a
-getArguments = do
+getArguments = modifiedGetArguments []
+
+-- | Like 'getArguments` but allows you to pass in 'Modifier's.
+modifiedGetArguments :: forall a . (Generic a, HasDatatypeInfo a, All2 Option (Code a)) =>
+  [Modifier] -> IO a
+modifiedGetArguments modifiers = do
   args <- getArgs
   progName <- getProgName
-  case parseArguments progName [] args of
+  case parseArguments progName modifiers args of
     Success a -> return a
     OutputAndExit message -> do
       putStrLn message
@@ -91,7 +98,7 @@
 --   Does not throw any exceptions.
 parseArguments :: forall a . (Generic a, HasDatatypeInfo a, All2 Option (Code a)) =>
   String -> [Modifier] -> [String] -> Result a
-parseArguments header modifiers args = case normalizedDatatypeInfo (Proxy :: Proxy a) of
+parseArguments header (mkModifiers -> modifiers) args = case normalizedDatatypeInfo (Proxy :: Proxy a) of
     ADT typeName _ (constructorInfo :* Nil) ->
       case constructorInfo of
         (Record _ fields) -> processFields header modifiers args fields
@@ -112,7 +119,7 @@
       Errors ["getopt-generics doesn't support " ++ message ++ " (" ++ typeName ++ ")."]
 
 processFields :: forall a xs . (Generic a, Code a ~ '[xs], SingI xs, All Option xs) =>
-  String -> [Modifier] -> [String] -> NP FieldInfo xs -> Result a
+  String -> Modifiers -> [String] -> NP FieldInfo xs -> Result a
 processFields header modifiers args fields =
   helpWrapper header modifiers args fields $
   fmap (to . SOP . Z) $
@@ -135,17 +142,17 @@
     ignoreRight = either id (const mempty)
 
 mkOptDescrs :: forall xs . All Option xs =>
-  [Modifier] -> NP FieldInfo xs -> [OptDescr (NS FieldState xs)]
+  Modifiers -> NP FieldInfo xs -> [OptDescr (NS FieldState xs)]
 mkOptDescrs modifiers fields =
   map toOptDescr $ sumList $ npMap (mkOptDescr modifiers) fields
 
 newtype OptDescrE a = OptDescrE (OptDescr (FieldState a))
 
-mkOptDescr :: forall a . Option a => [Modifier] -> FieldInfo a -> OptDescrE a
+mkOptDescr :: forall a . Option a => Modifiers -> FieldInfo a -> OptDescrE a
 mkOptDescr modifiers (FieldInfo name) = OptDescrE $
   Option
     (mkShortOptions modifiers name)
-    (mkLongOptions modifiers name)
+    [mkLongOption modifiers name]
     _toOption
     ""
 
@@ -167,7 +174,7 @@
 data HelpFlag = HelpFlag
 
 helpWrapper :: (All Option xs) =>
-  String -> [Modifier] -> [String] -> NP FieldInfo xs -> Either [String] a -> Result a
+  String -> Modifiers -> [String] -> NP FieldInfo xs -> Either [String] a -> Result a
 helpWrapper header modifiers args fields result =
     case getOpt Permute [helpOption] args of
       ([], _, _) -> case result of
diff --git a/src/System/Console/GetOpt/Generics/Modifier.hs b/src/System/Console/GetOpt/Generics/Modifier.hs
--- a/src/System/Console/GetOpt/Generics/Modifier.hs
+++ b/src/System/Console/GetOpt/Generics/Modifier.hs
@@ -3,12 +3,18 @@
 
 module System.Console.GetOpt.Generics.Modifier (
   Modifier(..),
-  deriveShortOptions,
+  Modifiers,
+  mkModifiers,
   mkShortOptions,
-  mkLongOptions,
+  mkLongOption,
+
+  deriveShortOptions,
+
+  -- exported for testing
+  insertWith,
  ) where
 
-import           Data.List
+import           Data.List                               (foldl', isPrefixOf)
 import           Data.Maybe
 import           Generics.SOP
 
@@ -24,6 +30,32 @@
     --   through the @fieldName@ by @customName@.
   deriving (Show, Eq, Ord)
 
+data Modifiers = Modifiers {
+  _shortOptions :: [(String, [Char])],
+  _renamings :: [(String, String)]
+ }
+
+mkModifiers :: [Modifier] -> Modifiers
+mkModifiers = foldl' inner (Modifiers [] [])
+  where
+    inner :: Modifiers -> Modifier -> Modifiers
+    inner (Modifiers shorts renamings) (AddShortOption option short) =
+      Modifiers
+        (insertWith (++) (slugify option) [short] shorts)
+        renamings
+    inner (Modifiers shorts renamings) (RenameOption from to) =
+      Modifiers shorts (insert (slugify from) to renamings)
+
+mkShortOptions :: Modifiers -> String -> [Char]
+mkShortOptions (Modifiers shortMap _) option =
+    fromMaybe [] (lookup option shortMap)
+
+mkLongOption :: Modifiers -> String -> String
+mkLongOption (Modifiers _ renamings) option =
+  fromMaybe option (lookup option renamings)
+
+-- * deriving Modifiers
+
 -- | Derives 'AddShortOption's for all fields of the datatype that start with a
 --   unique character.
 deriveShortOptions :: (HasDatatypeInfo a, SingI (Code a)) =>
@@ -63,27 +95,18 @@
         _ -> Nothing
     inner [] = Nothing
 
-mkShortOptions :: [Modifier] -> String -> [Char]
-mkShortOptions modifiers option =
-    mapMaybe inner modifiers
-  where
-    inner :: Modifier -> Maybe Char
-    inner (AddShortOption modifierOption short)
-      | matchesField modifierOption option
-        = Just short
-      | otherwise
-        = Nothing
-    inner _ = Nothing
+-- * list utils to replace Data.Map
 
-mkLongOptions :: [Modifier] -> String -> [String]
-mkLongOptions modifiers option =
-    inner (reverse modifiers)
-  where
-    inner (RenameOption renameOption newName : _)
-      | renameOption `matchesField` option = [newName]
-    inner [] = [option]
-    inner (_ : r) = inner r
+insertWith :: Eq a => (b -> b -> b) -> a -> b -> [(a, b)] -> [(a, b)]
+insertWith _ key value [] = [(key, value)]
+insertWith combine key value ((a, b) : r) =
+  if a == key
+    then (key, b `combine` value) : r
+    else (a, b) : insertWith combine key value r
 
-matchesField :: String -> String -> Bool
-matchesField modifierOption option =
-  modifierOption == option || slugify modifierOption == option
+insert :: Eq a => a -> b -> [(a, b)] -> [(a, b)]
+insert key value [] = [(key, value)]
+insert key value ((a, b) : r) =
+  if a == key
+    then (key, value) : r
+    else (a, b) : insert key value r