diff --git a/doc/quick_tour.rst b/doc/quick_tour.rst
index 3da27b9..8414693 100644
--- a/doc/quick_tour.rst
+++ b/doc/quick_tour.rst
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ the install trees are nested under the ``install`` directory. However, you
 don't have to use these defaults. The following command will use ``foo`` for
 building and ``bar`` for installing::
 
-    $ cmany i -c clang++,g++ --build-dir foo --install-dir bar
+    $ cmany i -c clang++,g++ --build-root foo --install-root bar
 
     $ ls -1 foo/ bar/
     bar/linux-x86_64-clang++3.9-Release/
diff --git a/src/c4/cmany/doc/quick_tour.txt b/src/c4/cmany/doc/quick_tour.txt
index 59a0b4c..b3ec8fa 100644
--- a/src/c4/cmany/doc/quick_tour.txt
+++ b/src/c4/cmany/doc/quick_tour.txt
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ directory. However, you don't have to use these defaults. The
 following command will use "foo" for building and "bar" for
 installing:
 
-   $ cmany i -c clang++,g++ --build-dir foo --install-dir bar
+   $ cmany i -c clang++,g++ --build-root foo --install-root bar
 
    $ ls -1 foo/ bar/
    bar/linux-x86_64-clang++3.9-Release/
diff --git a/test/test05cmany.py b/test/test05cmany.py
index fc059cf..ef1d90e 100644
--- a/test/test05cmany.py
+++ b/test/test05cmany.py
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ def run_projs(testobj, args, check_fn=None):
     id = '.test/0--default--install'
     for p in projs:
         with testobj.subTest(msg="default parameters", proj=p.proj):
-            p.run(args + ['--build-dir', bd, '--install-dir', id])
+            p.run(args + ['--build-root', bd, '--install-root', id])
             if check_fn:
                 tb = TestBuild(proj=p, buildroot=bd, installroot=id,
                                compiler=cmany.Compiler.default(),
@@ -194,8 +194,8 @@ def run_projs(testobj, args, check_fn=None):
     id = '.test/2.1--comps{}--types{}--variants{}--install'.format(len(compiler_set), len(build_types), len(variant_set))
     for p in projs:
         with testobj.subTest(msg="run all combinations at once", proj=p.proj):
-            p.run(args + ['--build-dir', bd,
-                          '--install-dir', id,
+            p.run(args + ['--build-root', bd,
+                          '--install-root', id,
                           '-c', ','.join([c.name if c.is_msvc else c.path for c in compiler_set]),
                           '-t', ','.join([str(b) for b in build_types]),
                           '-v', ','.join([v.full_specs for v in variant_set])
@@ -220,8 +220,8 @@ def run_projs(testobj, args, check_fn=None):
                 ','.join([v.full_specs for v in variant_set])
             )
             #util.logwarn('export CMANY_ARGS={}'.format(os.environ['CMANY_ARGS']))
-            p.run(args + ['--build-dir', bd,
-                          '--install-dir', id,
+            p.run(args + ['--build-root', bd,
+                          '--install-root', id,
             ])
             os.environ['CMANY_ARGS'] = ''
             if check_fn:
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ def run_projs(testobj, args, check_fn=None):
                                          proj=p.proj, compiler=c, build_type=t, variant=v):
                         bd = '.test/3.1--{}--{}--{}--build'.format(c, t, v.name)
                         id = '.test/3.1--{}--{}--{}--install'.format(c, t, v.name)
-                        p.run(args + ['--build-dir', bd,
-                                      '--install-dir', id,
+                        p.run(args + ['--build-root', bd,
+                                      '--install-root', id,
                                       '-c', c.name if c.is_msvc else c.path,
                                       '-t', str(t),
                                       '-v', v.full_specs,
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ def run_projs(testobj, args, check_fn=None):
                             str(t),
                             v.full_specs)
                         #util.logwarn('export CMANY_ARGS={}'.format(os.environ['CMANY_ARGS']))
-                        p.run(args + ['--build-dir', bd, '--install-dir', id])
+                        p.run(args + ['--build-root', bd, '--install-root', id])
                         os.environ['CMANY_ARGS'] = ''
                         if check_fn:
                             tb = TestBuild(proj=p, buildroot=bd, installroot=id,
diff --git a/test/test06xcompile.py b/test/test06xcompile.py
index bb5bb04..7790298 100644
--- a/test/test06xcompile.py
+++ b/test/test06xcompile.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def run_with_args(testdir, args_in):
             shutil.rmtree(idir)
         #
         args = ['--show-args', 'build']
-        args += ['--build-dir', bdir, '--install-dir', idir]
+        args += ['--build-root', bdir, '--install-root', idir]
         args += args_in
         cmany_main(args)
         #