diff --git a/commands.go b/commands.go
index b581590bc2..ac1c88055f 100644
--- a/commands.go
+++ b/commands.go
@@ -1249,10 +1249,22 @@ func (opts PathOpts) String() string {
 }
 
 func (opts PathOpts) Set(val string) error {
-	if !filepath.IsAbs(val) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s is not an absolute path", val)
+	var containerPath string
+
+	splited := strings.SplitN(val, ":", 2)
+	if len(splited) == 1 {
+		containerPath = splited[0]
+		val = filepath.Clean(splited[0])
+	} else {
+		containerPath = splited[1]
+		val = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", splited[0], filepath.Clean(splited[1]))
 	}
-	opts[filepath.Clean(val)] = struct{}{}
+
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(containerPath) {
+		utils.Debugf("%s is not an absolute path", containerPath)
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s is not an absolute path", containerPath)
+	}
+	opts[val] = struct{}{}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/container.go b/container.go
index c714e9f0e1..3772cf29d2 100644
--- a/container.go
+++ b/container.go
@@ -121,14 +121,11 @@ func ParseRun(args []string, capabilities *Capabilities) (*Config, *HostConfig,
 	cmd.Var(&flDns, "dns", "Set custom dns servers")
 
 	flVolumes := NewPathOpts()
-	cmd.Var(flVolumes, "v", "Attach a data volume")
+	cmd.Var(flVolumes, "v", "Bind mount a volume (e.g. from the host: -v /host:/container, from docker: -v /container)")
 
 	flVolumesFrom := cmd.String("volumes-from", "", "Mount volumes from the specified container")
 	flEntrypoint := cmd.String("entrypoint", "", "Overwrite the default entrypoint of the image")
 
-	var flBinds ListOpts
-	cmd.Var(&flBinds, "b", "Bind mount a volume from the host (e.g. -b /host:/container)")
-
 	if err := cmd.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, cmd, err
 	}
@@ -146,11 +143,17 @@ func ParseRun(args []string, capabilities *Capabilities) (*Config, *HostConfig,
 		}
 	}
 
+	var binds []string
+
 	// add any bind targets to the list of container volumes
-	for _, bind := range flBinds {
+	for bind := range flVolumes {
 		arr := strings.Split(bind, ":")
-		dstDir := arr[1]
-		flVolumes[dstDir] = struct{}{}
+		if len(arr) > 1 {
+			dstDir := arr[1]
+			flVolumes[dstDir] = struct{}{}
+			binds = append(binds, bind)
+			delete(flVolumes, bind)
+		}
 	}
 
 	parsedArgs := cmd.Args()
@@ -187,7 +190,7 @@ func ParseRun(args []string, capabilities *Capabilities) (*Config, *HostConfig,
 		Entrypoint:   entrypoint,
 	}
 	hostConfig := &HostConfig{
-		Binds: flBinds,
+		Binds: binds,
 	}
 
 	if capabilities != nil && *flMemory > 0 && !capabilities.SwapLimit {
@@ -493,6 +496,7 @@ func (container *Container) Attach(stdin io.ReadCloser, stdinCloser io.Closer, s
 func (container *Container) Start(hostConfig *HostConfig) error {
 	container.State.Lock()
 	defer container.State.Unlock()
+
 	if len(hostConfig.Binds) == 0 {
 		hostConfig, _ = container.ReadHostConfig()
 	}
diff --git a/container_test.go b/container_test.go
index f431c7dc9a..6e82dd5ebd 100644
--- a/container_test.go
+++ b/container_test.go
@@ -1231,19 +1231,18 @@ func TestBindMounts(t *testing.T) {
 	writeFile(path.Join(tmpDir, "touch-me"), "", t)
 
 	// Test reading from a read-only bind mount
-	stdout, _ := runContainer(r, []string{"-b", fmt.Sprintf("%s:/tmp:ro", tmpDir), "_", "ls", "/tmp"}, t)
+	stdout, _ := runContainer(r, []string{"-v", fmt.Sprintf("%s:/tmp:ro", tmpDir), "_", "ls", "/tmp"}, t)
 	if !strings.Contains(stdout, "touch-me") {
 		t.Fatal("Container failed to read from bind mount")
 	}
 
 	// test writing to bind mount
-	runContainer(r, []string{"-b", fmt.Sprintf("%s:/tmp:rw", tmpDir), "_", "touch", "/tmp/holla"}, t)
+	runContainer(r, []string{"-v", fmt.Sprintf("%s:/tmp:rw", tmpDir), "_", "touch", "/tmp/holla"}, t)
 	readFile(path.Join(tmpDir, "holla"), t) // Will fail if the file doesn't exist
 
 	// test mounting to an illegal destination directory
-	if _, err := runContainer(r, []string{"-b", fmt.Sprintf("%s:.", tmpDir), "ls", "."}, nil); err == nil {
+	if _, err := runContainer(r, []string{"-v", fmt.Sprintf("%s:.", tmpDir), "ls", "."}, nil); err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("Container bind mounted illegal directory")
-
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/utils_test.go b/utils_test.go
index 4951d3a02d..afa6a3a1a1 100644
--- a/utils_test.go
+++ b/utils_test.go
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 package docker
 
 import (
+	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/utils"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
-	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/utils"
 )
 
 // This file contains utility functions for docker's unit test suite.
@@ -87,17 +87,18 @@ func readFile(src string, t *testing.T) (content string) {
 // The image name (eg. the XXX in []string{"-i", "-t", "XXX", "bash"}, is dynamically replaced by the current test image.
 // The caller is responsible for destroying the container.
 // Call t.Fatal() at the first error.
-func mkContainer(r *Runtime, args []string, t *testing.T) (*Container, *HostConfig) {
+func mkContainer(r *Runtime, args []string, t *testing.T) (*Container, *HostConfig, error) {
 	config, hostConfig, _, err := ParseRun(args, nil)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	config.Image = GetTestImage(r).ID
 	c, err := NewBuilder(r).Create(config)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	return c, hostConfig
+	return c, hostConfig, nil
 }
 
 // Create a test container, start it, wait for it to complete, destroy it,
@@ -110,7 +111,10 @@ func runContainer(r *Runtime, args []string, t *testing.T) (output string, err e
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	}()
-	container, hostConfig := mkContainer(r, args, t)
+	container, hostConfig, err := mkContainer(r, args, t)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
 	defer r.Destroy(container)
 	stdout, err := container.StdoutPipe()
 	if err != nil {