diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt
index f6a4a361bd56e1..acf17607dfced8 100644
--- a/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt
@@ -135,9 +135,14 @@ There are some macros to easily define options:
 	describes the group or an empty string.
 	Start the description with an upper-case letter.
 
-`OPT_BOOLEAN(short, long, &int_var, description)`::
-	Introduce a boolean option.
-	`int_var` is incremented on each use.
+`OPT_BOOL(short, long, &int_var, description)`::
+	Introduce a boolean option. `int_var` is set to one with
+	`--option` and set to zero with `--no-option`.
+
+`OPT_COUNTUP(short, long, &int_var, description)`::
+	Introduce a count-up option.
+	`int_var` is incremented on each use of `--option`, and
+	reset to zero with `--no-option`.
 
 `OPT_BIT(short, long, &int_var, description, mask)`::
 	Introduce a boolean option.
@@ -148,8 +153,9 @@ There are some macros to easily define options:
 	If used, `int_var` is bitwise-anded with the inverted `mask`.
 
 `OPT_SET_INT(short, long, &int_var, description, integer)`::
-	Introduce a boolean option.
-	If used, set `int_var` to `integer`.
+	Introduce an integer option.
+	`int_var` is set to `integer` with `--option`, and
+	reset to zero with `--no-option`.
 
 `OPT_SET_PTR(short, long, &ptr_var, description, ptr)`::
 	Introduce a boolean option.
diff --git a/parse-options.c b/parse-options.c
index 503ab5d500c8ca..f0098eb8ea7eed 100644
--- a/parse-options.c
+++ b/parse-options.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ static int get_value(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *p,
 			*(int *)opt->value &= ~opt->defval;
 		return 0;
 
-	case OPTION_BOOLEAN:
+	case OPTION_COUNTUP:
 		*(int *)opt->value = unset ? 0 : *(int *)opt->value + 1;
 		return 0;
 
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ static void parse_options_check(const struct option *opts)
 			err |= optbug(opts, "uses feature "
 					"not supported for dashless options");
 		switch (opts->type) {
-		case OPTION_BOOLEAN:
+		case OPTION_COUNTUP:
 		case OPTION_BIT:
 		case OPTION_NEGBIT:
 		case OPTION_SET_INT:
diff --git a/parse-options.h b/parse-options.h
index 59e0b524bdcbe1..22c0273052c93b 100644
--- a/parse-options.h
+++ b/parse-options.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ enum parse_opt_type {
 	/* options with no arguments */
 	OPTION_BIT,
 	OPTION_NEGBIT,
-	OPTION_BOOLEAN, /* _INCR would have been a better name */
+	OPTION_COUNTUP,
 	OPTION_SET_INT,
 	OPTION_SET_PTR,
 	/* options with arguments (usually) */
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ enum parse_opt_type {
 	OPTION_FILENAME
 };
 
+/* Deprecated synonym */
+#define OPTION_BOOLEAN OPTION_COUNTUP
+
 enum parse_opt_flags {
 	PARSE_OPT_KEEP_DASHDASH = 1,
 	PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION = 2,
@@ -122,10 +125,11 @@ struct option {
 				      PARSE_OPT_NOARG, NULL, (b) }
 #define OPT_NEGBIT(s, l, v, h, b)   { OPTION_NEGBIT, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG, NULL, (b) }
-#define OPT_BOOLEAN(s, l, v, h)     { OPTION_BOOLEAN, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
+#define OPT_COUNTUP(s, l, v, h)     { OPTION_COUNTUP, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG }
 #define OPT_SET_INT(s, l, v, h, i)  { OPTION_SET_INT, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG, NULL, (i) }
+#define OPT_BOOL(s, l, v, h)        OPT_SET_INT(s, l, v, h, 1)
 #define OPT_SET_PTR(s, l, v, h, p)  { OPTION_SET_PTR, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG, NULL, (p) }
 #define OPT_INTEGER(s, l, v, h)     { OPTION_INTEGER, (s), (l), (v), "n", (h) }
@@ -149,6 +153,8 @@ struct option {
 	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), (v), "when", (h), PARSE_OPT_OPTARG, \
 		parse_opt_color_flag_cb, (intptr_t)"always" }
 
+/* Deprecated synonym */
+#define OPT_BOOLEAN OPT_COUNTUP
 
 /* parse_options() will filter out the processed options and leave the
  * non-option arguments in argv[].