diff --git a/fixture.js b/fixture.js
index bde9c75..7ea1c82 100755
--- a/fixture.js
+++ b/fixture.js
@@ -7,14 +7,11 @@ const cli = meow({
 	help: `
 		Usage
 		  foo <input>
-	`
-}, {
-	alias: {
-		u: 'unicorn'
-	},
-	default: {
-		meow: 'dog',
-		camelCaseOption: 'foo'
+	`,
+	flags: {
+		unicorn: {alias: 'u'},
+		meow: {default: 'dog'},
+		camelCaseOption: {default: 'foo'}
 	}
 });
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 9bd5908..d7b4f88 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 const path = require('path');
+const buildMinimistOptions = require('minimist-options');
 const minimist = require('minimist');
 const camelcaseKeys = require('camelcase-keys');
 const decamelizeKeys = require('decamelize-keys');
@@ -13,13 +14,12 @@ const normalizePackageData = require('normalize-package-data');
 delete require.cache[__filename];
 const parentDir = path.dirname(module.parent.filename);
 
-module.exports = (opts, minimistOpts) => {
+module.exports = (helpMessage, opts) => {
 	loudRejection();
 
-	if (Array.isArray(opts) || typeof opts === 'string') {
-		opts = {
-			help: opts
-		};
+	if (typeof helpMessage === 'object' && !Array.isArray(helpMessage)) {
+		opts = helpMessage;
+		helpMessage = '';
 	}
 
 	opts = Object.assign({
@@ -28,23 +28,23 @@ module.exports = (opts, minimistOpts) => {
 			normalize: false
 		}).pkg,
 		argv: process.argv.slice(2),
-		inferType: false
+		inferType: false,
+		input: 'string',
+		help: helpMessage
 	}, opts);
 
-	minimistOpts = Object.assign({
-		string: ['_']
-	}, minimistOpts);
+	let minimistOpts = Object.assign({
+		arguments: opts.input
+	}, opts.flags);
 
-	minimistOpts.default = decamelizeKeys(minimistOpts.default || {}, '-');
+	minimistOpts = decamelizeKeys(minimistOpts, '-', {exclude: ['stopEarly', '--']});
 
-	const index = minimistOpts.string.indexOf('_');
-
-	if (opts.inferType === false && index === -1) {
-		minimistOpts.string.push('_');
-	} else if (opts.inferType === true && index !== -1) {
-		minimistOpts.string.splice(index, 1);
+	if (opts.inferType) {
+		delete minimistOpts.arguments;
 	}
 
+	minimistOpts = buildMinimistOptions(minimistOpts);
+
 	const pkg = opts.pkg;
 	const argv = minimist(opts.argv, minimistOpts);
 	let help = redent(trimNewlines((opts.help || '').replace(/\t+\n*$/, '')), 2);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f5b3d8a..40a0e8f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
     "decamelize-keys": "^1.0.0",
     "loud-rejection": "^1.0.0",
     "minimist": "^1.1.3",
+    "minimist-options": "^3.0.1",
     "normalize-package-data": "^2.3.4",
     "read-pkg-up": "^2.0.0",
     "redent": "^2.0.0",
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 3999bdc..73d5397 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -45,8 +45,11 @@ const cli = meow(`
 	  $ foo unicorns --rainbow
 	  🌈 unicorns 🌈
 `, {
-	alias: {
-		r: 'rainbow'
+	flags: {
+		rainbow: {
+			type: 'boolean',
+			alias: 'r'
+		}
 	}
 });
 /*
@@ -134,15 +137,6 @@ Infer the argument type.
 
 By default, the argument `5` in `$ foo 5` becomes a string. Enabling this would infer it as a number.
 
-#### minimistOptions
-
-Type: `Object`<br>
-Default: `{}`
-
-Minimist [options](https://github.com/substack/minimist#var-argv--parseargsargs-opts).
-
-Keys passed to the minimist `default` option are [decamelized](https://github.com/sindresorhus/decamelize), so you can for example pass in `fooBar: 'baz'` and have it be the default for the `--foo-bar` flag.
-
 
 ## Promises
 
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 8371504..d146226 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -10,11 +10,12 @@ test('return object', t => {
 		help: `
 			Usage
 			  foo <input>
-		`
-	}, {
-		alias: {u: 'unicorn'},
-		default: {meow: 'dog'},
-		'--': true
+		`,
+		flags: {
+			unicorn: {alias: 'u'},
+			meow: {default: 'dog'},
+			'--': true
+		}
 	});
 
 	t.is(cli.input[0], 'foo');
@@ -72,17 +73,40 @@ test('single character flag casing should be preserved', t => {
 
 test('type inference', t => {
 	t.is(m({argv: ['5']}).input[0], '5');
-	t.is(m({argv: ['5']}, {string: ['_']}).input[0], '5');
+	t.is(m({argv: ['5']}, {input: 'string'}).input[0], '5');
 	t.is(m({
 		argv: ['5'],
 		inferType: true
 	}).input[0], 5);
 	t.is(m({
 		argv: ['5'],
-		inferType: true
-	}, {string: ['foo']}).input[0], 5);
+		inferType: true,
+		flags: {foo: 'string'}
+	}).input[0], 5);
 	t.is(m({
 		argv: ['5'],
-		inferType: true
-	}, {string: ['_', 'foo']}).input[0], 5);
+		inferType: true,
+		flags: {
+			foo: 'string'
+		}
+	}).input[0], 5);
+	t.is(m({
+		argv: ['5'],
+		input: 'number'
+	}).input[0], 5);
+});
+
+test('accept help and options', t => {
+	t.deepEqual(m('help', {
+		argv: ['-f'],
+		flags: {
+			foo: {
+				type: 'boolean',
+				alias: 'f'
+			}
+		}
+	}).flags, {
+		foo: true,
+		f: true
+	});
 });