diff --git a/py/cmdline/pysvnwcrevert.py b/py/cmdline/pysvnwcrevert.py
index 565b9533e..4080b2c76 100755
--- a/py/cmdline/pysvnwcrevert.py
+++ b/py/cmdline/pysvnwcrevert.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env python
 """\
-py.svnwcrevert WCPATH [precious...]
+py.svnwcrevert [options] WCPATH
 
 Running this script and then 'svn up' puts the working copy WCPATH in a state
 as clean as a fresh check-out.
@@ -14,12 +14,9 @@ or that svn doesn't explicitly know about, including svn:ignored files
 The goal of this script is to leave the working copy with some files and
 directories possibly missing, but - most importantly - in a state where
 the following 'svn up' won't just crash.
-
-Optionally filenames that should be left untouched can be passed as arguments
-too.
 """
 
-import py
+import sys, py
 
 def kill(p, root):
     print '<    %s' % (p.relto(root),)
@@ -43,12 +40,17 @@ def svnwcrevert(path, root=None, precious=[]):
         elif p.check(dir=1):
             svnwcrevert(p, root)
 
+# XXX add a functional test
+optparse = py.compat.optparse
 
-# XXX use optparse, and add a functional test 
+parser = optparse.OptionParser(usage=__doc__)
+parser.add_option("-p", "--precious",
+                  action="append", dest="precious", default=[],
+                  help="preserve files with this name")
 
 def main():
-    import sys
-    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
-        print __doc__
+    opts, args = parser.parse_args()
+    if len(args) != 1:
+        parser.print_help()
         sys.exit(2)
-    svnwcrevert(py.path.local(sys.argv[1]), precious=sys.argv[1:])
+    svnwcrevert(py.path.local(args[0]), precious=opts.precious)