diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 91566e9a9..beed9e982 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -18,18 +18,19 @@ import (
 	"github.com/zmap/zlint/zlint/ringbuff"
 )
 
-const CHUNKSIZE int = 10000 //number of certs per work unit, must be >=1
-const THREADS int = 4       //number of processing threads for --threads mode, must be >=1
+const CHUNKSIZE int = 10000    //number of certs per work unit, must be >=1
+const DEFAULT_THREADS uint = 4 //default number of processing threads for -threads mode, must be >=1
 
 var ( //flags
-	inPath   string
-	outPath  string
-	outStat  string
-	multi    bool
-	threaded bool
+	inPath     string
+	outPath    string
+	outStat    string
+	multi      bool
+	threaded   bool
+	numThreads uint
 )
 
-var ( //sync values for --threads
+var ( //sync values for -threads
 	inBuffer      ringbuff.RingBuffer
 	outBuffer     ringbuff.RingBuffer
 	poisonBarrier sync.WaitGroup //used prevent outBuffer from being poisoned before Enqueueing is complete
@@ -44,7 +45,8 @@ func init() {
 	flag.StringVar(&outPath, "out-file", "-", "File path for the output JSON.")
 	flag.StringVar(&outStat, "out-stat", "-", "File path for the output stats.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&multi, "multi", false, "Use this flag to specify inserting many certs at once. Certs in this mode must be Base64 encoded DER strings, one per line.")
-	flag.BoolVar(&threaded, "threads", false, "Use this flag to specify that --multi mode runs multi-threaded. This has no effect otherwise.")
+	flag.BoolVar(&threaded, "threads", false, "Use this flag to specify that -multi mode runs multi-threaded. This has no effect otherwise.")
+	flag.UintVar(&numThreads, "num-threads", DEFAULT_THREADS, "Use this flag to specify the number of threads in -threads mode.  This has no effect otherwise.")
 	flag.Parse()
 }
 
@@ -170,13 +172,13 @@ func threadMode() {
 	inBuffer.Init(30)
 	outBuffer.Init(40)
 	mainWait = sync.NewCond(&exittex)
-	poisonBarrier.Add(1 + THREADS) //requires all processing threads AND the reader to Done()
+	poisonBarrier.Add(1 + int(numThreads)) //requires all processing threads AND the reader to Done()
 
 	//initiate reader
 	go readChunks()
 
 	//initiate processing
-	for i := 1; i <= THREADS; i++ {
+	for i := 1; i <= int(numThreads); i++ {
 		go processChunks()
 	}