diff --git a/doc/openocd.texi b/doc/openocd.texi
index 127887365..06b4f05fc 100644
--- a/doc/openocd.texi
+++ b/doc/openocd.texi
@@ -2198,6 +2198,9 @@ disables the gdb server.
 When using "pipe", also use log_output to redirect the log
 output to a file so as not to flood the stdin/out pipes.
 
+The -p/--pipe option is deprecated and a warning is printed
+as it is equivalent to passing in -c "gdb_port pipe; log_output openocd.log".
+
 Any other string is interpreted as named pipe to listen to.
 Output pipe is the same name as input pipe, but with 'o' appended,
 e.g. /var/gdb, /var/gdbo.
diff --git a/src/helper/options.c b/src/helper/options.c
index 61a101469..c33fcad2f 100644
--- a/src/helper/options.c
+++ b/src/helper/options.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ static const struct option long_options[] = {
 	{"search",		required_argument,		NULL,			's'},
 	{"log_output",	required_argument,		NULL,			'l'},
 	{"command",		required_argument,		NULL,			'c'},
+	{"pipe",		no_argument,			NULL,			'p'},
 	{NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
 };
 
@@ -270,7 +271,7 @@ int parse_cmdline_args(struct command_context *cmd_ctx, int argc, char *argv[])
 		/* getopt_long stores the option index here. */
 		int option_index = 0;
 
-		c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hvd::l:f:s:c:", long_options, &option_index);
+		c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hvd::l:f:s:c:p", long_options, &option_index);
 
 		/* Detect the end of the options. */
 		if (c == -1)
@@ -310,6 +311,13 @@ int parse_cmdline_args(struct command_context *cmd_ctx, int argc, char *argv[])
 				if (optarg)
 				    add_config_command(optarg);
 				break;
+			case 'p':
+				/* to replicate the old syntax this needs to be synchronous
+				 * otherwise the gdb stdin will overflow with the warning message */
+				command_run_line(cmd_ctx, "gdb_port pipe; log_output openocd.log");
+				LOG_WARNING("deprecated option: -p/--pipe. Use '-c \"gdb_port pipe; "
+						"log_output openocd.log\"' instead.");
+				break;
 			default:  /* '?' */
 				/* getopt will emit an error message, all we have to do is bail. */
 				return ERROR_FAIL;