diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 1cc9b294b..b45d1e86a 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ New in spot 2.3.5.dev (not yet released)
   - The --stats=%c option of tools producing automata can now be
     restricted to count complete SCCs, using %[c]c.
 
+  - Tools producing automata have a --stats=... option, and tools
+    producing formulas have a --format=... option.  These two options
+    work similarly, the use of different names is just historical.
+    Starting with this release, all tools that recognize one of these
+    two options also accept the other one as an alias.
+
   Library:
 
   - A new library, libspotgen, gathers all functions used to generate
diff --git a/bin/common_aoutput.cc b/bin/common_aoutput.cc
index e30a41a3b..ac0a5cf4d 100644
--- a/bin/common_aoutput.cc
+++ b/bin/common_aoutput.cc
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ static const argp_option options[] =
       "(ignored with --lbtt or --spin)", 0 },
     { "stats", OPT_STATS, "FORMAT", 0,
       "output statistics about the automaton", 0 },
+    { "format", 0, nullptr, OPTION_ALIAS, nullptr, 0 },
     { "check", OPT_CHECK, "PROP", OPTION_ARG_OPTIONAL,
       "test for the additional property PROP and output the result "
       "in the HOA format (implies -H).  PROP may be any prefix of "
diff --git a/bin/common_output.cc b/bin/common_output.cc
index 674d19d20..f141c5d17 100644
--- a/bin/common_output.cc
+++ b/bin/common_output.cc
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ static const argp_option options[] =
       "quote the formula for use in a CSV file", -20 },
     { "format", OPT_FORMAT, "FORMAT", 0,
       "specify how each line should be output (default: \"%f\")", -20 },
+    { "stats", 0, nullptr, OPTION_ALIAS, nullptr, 0 },
     { "output", 'o', "FORMAT", 0,
       "send output to a file named FORMAT instead of standard output.  The"
       " first formula sent to a file truncates it unless FORMAT starts"
diff --git a/tests/core/acc2.test b/tests/core/acc2.test
index 95116bce5..8f808f1c7 100755
--- a/tests/core/acc2.test
+++ b/tests/core/acc2.test
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ set -e
 ltl2tgba -H 'GFa & GFb' > in
 grep 'Acceptance:' in > expected
 ltl2tgba -H 'GFa & GFb' --stats='Acceptance: %a %g' > out1
-autfilt -H in --stats='Acceptance: %A %G' > out2
+autfilt -H in --format='Acceptance: %A %G' > out2
 diff out1 expected
 diff out2 expected
 
diff --git a/tests/core/format.test b/tests/core/format.test
index b312496a1..7785b94ab 100644
--- a/tests/core/format.test
+++ b/tests/core/format.test
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 set -e
 
-genltl --dac=1..10 --format='%s,%b,%x,%f' > output
+genltl --dac=1..10 --stats='%s,%b,%x,%f' > output
 cat >expected <<EOF
 3,2,1,G!p0
 7,6,2,Fp0 -> (!p1 U p0)