diff --git a/osbuild b/osbuild
index 3c0c2d2f..85d4ee8b 100755
--- a/osbuild
+++ b/osbuild
@@ -44,10 +44,11 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Build operating system images")
     parser.add_argument("pipeline_path", metavar="PIPELINE",
                         help="json file containing the pipeline that should be built")
-    parser.add_argument("--input", dest="input_dir", metavar="DIRECTORY", type=os.path.abspath,
-                        help="provide the contents of DIRECTORY to the first stage")
-    parser.add_argument("--output", dest="output_dir", metavar="DIRECTORY", type=os.path.abspath,
-                        help="provide the empty DIRECTORY as output argument to the last stage")
+    requiredNamed = parser.add_argument_group('required named arguments')
+    requiredNamed.add_argument("-i", "--input", dest="input_dir", metavar="DIRECTORY", type=os.path.abspath,
+                        help="provide the contents of DIRECTORY to the first stage", required=True)
+    requiredNamed.add_argument("-o", "--output", dest="output_dir", metavar="DIRECTORY", type=os.path.abspath,
+                        help="provide the empty DIRECTORY as output argument to the last stage", required=True)
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     os.makedirs("/run/osbuild", exist_ok=True)