diff --git a/docs/global_options.rst b/docs/global_options.rst
index 975eabf5..e3bf6f01 100644
--- a/docs/global_options.rst
+++ b/docs/global_options.rst
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ Run poe from anywhere
 
 By default poe will detect when you're inside a project with a pyproject.toml in the
 root. However if you want to run it from elsewhere then that is supported by using the
-:bash:`--root` option to specify an alternate location for the toml file. The task will
+:bash:`-C` option to specify an alternate location for the toml file. The task will
 run with the given location as the current working directory.
 
 In all cases the path to project root (where the pyproject.toml resides) will be
diff --git a/docs/guides/help_guide.rst b/docs/guides/help_guide.rst
index a2e99f30..9743f5a5 100644
--- a/docs/guides/help_guide.rst
+++ b/docs/guides/help_guide.rst
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ This help text will be displayed alongside the task name in the list of configur
   version 0.19.0
 
   USAGE
-    poe [-h] [-v | -q] [--root PATH] [--ansi | --no-ansi] task [task arguments]
+    poe [-h] [-v | -q] [-C PATH] [--ansi | --no-ansi] task [task arguments]
 
   GLOBAL OPTIONS
     -h, --help     Show this help page and exit
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ This help text will be displayed alongside the task name in the list of configur
     -v, --verbose  Increase command output (repeatable)
     -q, --quiet    Decrease command output (repeatable)
     -d, --dry-run  Print the task contents but don't actually run it
-    --root PATH    Specify where to find the pyproject.toml
+    -C PATH, --directory PATH
+                        Specify where to find the pyproject.toml
     --ansi         Force enable ANSI output
     --no-ansi      Force disable ANSI output
 
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index 0b1db16f..0c0b2eea 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ If no virtualenv is found then poe will run tasks without any special environmen
 Run poe from anywhere
 =====================
 
-By default poe will detect when you're inside a project with a pyproject.toml in the root. However if you want to run it from elsewhere then that is supported by using the :sh:`--root` option to specify an alternate location for the toml file. The task will run with the given location as the current working directory.
+By default poe will detect when you're inside a project with a pyproject.toml in the root. However if you want to run it from elsewhere then that is supported by using the :sh:`-C` option to specify an alternate location for the toml file. The task will run with the given location as the current working directory.
 
 In all cases the path to project root (where the pyproject.toml resides) will be available as :sh:`$POE_ROOT` within the command line and process. The variable :sh:`$POE_PWD` contains the original working directory from which poe was run.
 
diff --git a/poethepoet/ui.py b/poethepoet/ui.py
index 8c38333d..ea1c9808 100644
--- a/poethepoet/ui.py
+++ b/poethepoet/ui.py
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ def build_parser(self) -> "ArgumentParser":
         )
 
         parser.add_argument(
-            "--root",
+            "-C",
+            "--directory",
             dest="project_root",
             metavar="PATH",
             type=str,
@@ -116,6 +117,16 @@ def build_parser(self) -> "ArgumentParser":
             help="Specify where to find the pyproject.toml",
         )
 
+        # legacy --root parameter, keep for backwards compatability but help output is suppressed
+        parser.add_argument(
+            "--root",
+            dest="project_root",
+            metavar="PATH",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help=argparse.SUPPRESS,
+        )
+
         ansi_group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
         ansi_group.add_argument(
             "--ansi",
@@ -182,7 +193,7 @@ def print_help(
                 (
                     "<h2>USAGE</h2>",
                     f"  <u>{self.program_name}</u>"
-                    " [-h] [-v | -q] [--root PATH] [--ansi | --no-ansi]"
+                    " [-h] [-v | -q] [--C PATH] [--ansi | --no-ansi]"
                     " task [task arguments]",
                 )
             )
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 8180a0ad..e34a782d 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def test_customize_config_name_with_json(run_poe, projects, capsys):
     assert result.stderr == ""
 
     result = run_poe(
-        "--root",
+        "-C",
         str(projects["custom_config"]),
         "hello",
         config_name="tasks.json",
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 2d0636a1..347fe33c 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -15,6 +15,22 @@ def test_call_no_args(run_poe):
     assert "CONFIGURED TASKS\n  echo" in result.capture, "echo task should be in help"
 
 
+def test_call_with_C(run_poe, projects):
+    result = run_poe("-C", str(projects["example"]), cwd=".")
+    assert result.code == 1, "Expected non-zero result"
+    assert result.capture.startswith(
+        "Poe the Poet - A task runner that works well with poetry."
+    ), "Output should start with poe header line"
+    assert (
+            "\nResult: No task specified.\n" in result.capture
+    ), "Output should include status message"
+    assert (
+            "CONFIGURED TASKS\n  echo                 It says what you say"
+            in result.capture
+    ), "echo task should be in help"
+
+
+# Test legacy --root parameter (replaced by -C, --directory)
 def test_call_with_root(run_poe, projects):
     result = run_poe("--root", str(projects["example"]), cwd=".")
     assert result.code == 1, "Expected non-zero result"
diff --git a/tests/test_cmd_tasks.py b/tests/test_cmd_tasks.py
index 1965dee2..db30fe81 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmd_tasks.py
+++ b/tests/test_cmd_tasks.py
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ def test_cmd_task_with_with_glob_arg_and_cwd(
 
 def test_cmd_with_capture_stdout(run_poe_subproc, projects, poe_project_path):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        "--root",
+        "-C",
         str(projects["cmds"]),
         "meeseeks",
         project="cmds",
diff --git a/tests/test_envfile.py b/tests/test_envfile.py
index 5bb32be5..9be3c62e 100644
--- a/tests/test_envfile.py
+++ b/tests/test_envfile.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ def test_task_envfile_and_default(run_poe_subproc):
 
 def test_multiple_envfiles(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["envfile/multiple_envfiles"]}', "show_me_the_vals"
+        f'-C={projects["envfile/multiple_envfiles"]}', "show_me_the_vals"
     )
 
     assert (
diff --git a/tests/test_includes.py b/tests/test_includes.py
index 15990f9b..4c86525b 100644
--- a/tests/test_includes.py
+++ b/tests/test_includes.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def test_run_task_not_included_from_toml_file(run_poe_subproc):
 
 def test_docs_for_multiple_includes(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}',
+        f'-C={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}',
     )
     assert (
         "CONFIGURED TASKS\n"
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def test_docs_for_multiple_includes(run_poe_subproc, projects):
 
 def test_running_from_multiple_includes(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}',
+        f'-C={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}',
         "echo",
         "Whirl!",
         project="includes",
@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ def test_running_from_multiple_includes(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     assert result.stderr == ""
 
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}', "greet", "Whirl!"
+        f'-C={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}', "greet", "Whirl!"
     )
     assert result.capture == "Poe => poe_test_echo Hello 'Whirl!'\n"
     assert result.stdout == "Hello Whirl!\n"
     assert result.stderr == ""
 
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}', "laugh"
+        f'-C={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}', "laugh"
     )
     assert result.capture == "Poe => poe_test_echo $ONE_LAUGH | tr a-z A-Z\n"
     assert result.stdout == "LOL\n"
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def test_running_from_multiple_includes(run_poe_subproc, projects):
 
 def test_reference_peer_include(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}', "reference_peer_include"
+        f'-C={projects["includes/multiple_includes"]}', "reference_peer_include"
     )
     assert (
         result.capture
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def test_reference_peer_include(run_poe_subproc, projects):
 
 def test_docs_for_only_includes(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["includes/only_includes"]}',
+        f'-C={projects["includes/only_includes"]}',
     )
     assert (
         "CONFIGURED TASKS\n"
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def test_monorepo_runs_each_task_with_expected_cwd(
     assert result.stderr == ""
 
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        "--root",
+        "-C",
         str(projects["monorepo/subproject_3"]),
         "get_cwd_3",
         cwd=projects["example"],
diff --git a/tests/test_script_tasks.py b/tests/test_script_tasks.py
index 35f74c14..028434c8 100644
--- a/tests/test_script_tasks.py
+++ b/tests/test_script_tasks.py
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def test_required_args(run_poe_subproc):
 
 def test_script_task_bad_type(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["scripts/bad_type"]}',
+        f'-C={projects["scripts/bad_type"]}',
         "bad-type",
         "--greeting=hello",
     )
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ def test_script_task_bad_type(run_poe_subproc, projects):
 
 def test_script_task_bad_content(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["scripts/bad_content"]}',
+        f'-C={projects["scripts/bad_content"]}',
         "bad-content",
         "--greeting=hello",
     )
diff --git a/tests/test_shell_task.py b/tests/test_shell_task.py
index 37fe6fa7..7c239b5c 100644
--- a/tests/test_shell_task.py
+++ b/tests/test_shell_task.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def test_interpreter_python(run_poe_subproc):
 
 def test_bad_interpreter_config(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["shells/bad_interpreter"]}',
+        f'-C={projects["shells/bad_interpreter"]}',
         "bad-interpreter",
     )
     assert (
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def test_bad_interpreter_config(run_poe_subproc, projects):
 
 def test_global_interpreter_config(run_poe_subproc, projects):
     result = run_poe_subproc(
-        f'--root={projects["shells/shell_interpreter_config"]}',
+        f'-C={projects["shells/shell_interpreter_config"]}',
         "echo_python",
     )
     assert result.capture == "Poe => import sys\nprint(sys.version_info)\n"