diff --git a/cli/parse.go b/cli/parse.go
index 14823a63a2bc91c9d7481bb5b24cbc1518dd14a3..499f99bfefd62b9937adbde9d7e1fab3144f95a6 100644
--- a/cli/parse.go
+++ b/cli/parse.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func Parse(ctx context.Context, input []string, stdin *os.File, root *cmds.Comma
 }
 
 func isHidden(req *cmds.Request) bool {
-	h, ok := req.Options["hidden"].(bool)
+	h, ok := req.Options[cmds.Hidden].(bool)
 	return h && ok
 }
 
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ func isRecursive(req *cmds.Request) bool {
 	return rec && ok
 }
 
+func stdinName(req *cmds.Request) string {
+	name, _ := req.Options[cmds.StdinName].(string)
+	return name
+}
+
 type parseState struct {
 	cmdline []string
 	i       int
@@ -265,7 +270,7 @@ func parseArgs(req *cmds.Request, root *cmds.Command, stdin *os.File) error {
 						return err
 					}
 
-					fpath = ""
+					fpath = stdinName(req)
 					file, err = files.NewReaderPathFile(stdin.Name(), r, nil)
 					if err != nil {
 						return err
@@ -308,7 +313,7 @@ func parseArgs(req *cmds.Request, root *cmds.Command, stdin *os.File) error {
 					return err
 				}
 
-				fileArgs[""], err = files.NewReaderPathFile(stdin.Name(), r, nil)
+				fileArgs[stdinName(req)], err = files.NewReaderPathFile(stdin.Name(), r, nil)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
diff --git a/opts.go b/opts.go
index 0dda19ba3ae3d83b3144130f2bd53ebd88f528ea..19691b48d8e32daf434890d35ac86b9f11873ba9 100644
--- a/opts.go
+++ b/opts.go
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ const (
 	OptShortHelp = "h"
 	OptLongHelp  = "help"
 	DerefLong    = "dereference-args"
+	StdinName    = "stdin-name"
+	Hidden       = "hidden"
+	HiddenShort  = "H"
 )
 
 // options that are used by this package
@@ -23,3 +26,5 @@ var OptionRecursivePath = cmdkit.BoolOption(RecLong, RecShort, "Add directory pa
 var OptionStreamChannels = cmdkit.BoolOption(ChanOpt, "Stream channel output")
 var OptionTimeout = cmdkit.StringOption(TimeoutOpt, "Set a global timeout on the command")
 var OptionDerefArgs = cmdkit.BoolOption(DerefLong, "Symlinks supplied in arguments are dereferenced")
+var OptionStdinName = cmdkit.StringOption(StdinName, "Assign a name if the file source is stdin.")
+var OptionHidden = cmdkit.BoolOption(Hidden, HiddenShort, "Include files that are hidden. Only takes effect on recursive add.")