--- a/src/load-save.cc
+++ b/src/load-save.cc
@@ -557,9 +557,6 @@
 load data\n\
 @end example\n\
 \n\
-Octave will refuse to overwrite existing variables unless you use the\n\
-option @samp{-force}.\n\
-\n\
 If a variable that is not marked as global is loaded from a file when a\n\
 global symbol with the same name already exists, it is loaded in the\n\
 global symbol table.  Also, if a variable is marked as global in a file\n\
@@ -584,8 +581,9 @@
 \n\
 @table @code\n\
 @item -force\n\
-Force variables currently in memory to be overwritten by variables with\n\
-the same name found in the file.\n\
+The @samp{-force} option is accepted but ignored for backward\n\
+compatiability. Octave now overwrites variables currently in memeory with\n\
+the same name as those found in the file.\n\
 \n\
 @item -ascii\n\
 Force Octave to assume the file is in Octave's text format.\n\
@@ -593,7 +591,8 @@
 @item -binary\n\
 Force Octave to assume the file is in Octave's binary format.\n\
 \n\
-@item -mat-binary\n\
+@item -mat\n\
+@itemx -mat-binary\n\
 Force Octave to assume the file is in @sc{Matlab}'s binary format.\n\
 \n\
 @item -mat4-binary\n\
@@ -611,9 +610,9 @@
 
 "\n\
 @item -import\n\
-The @samp{-import} is acceptted but ignored for backward compatiability.\n\
-Octave can now support multi-dimensional HDF data and automatically modifies\n\
-variable names if they are invalid Octave identifiers.\n\
+The @samp{-import} is accepted but ignored for backward compatiability.\n\
+Octave can now support multi-dimensional HDF data and automatically\n\
+modifies variable names if they are invalid Octave identifiers.\n\
 \n\
 @end table\n\
 @end deffn")
@@ -642,7 +641,8 @@
     {
       if (argv[i] == "-force" || argv[i] == "-f")
 	{
-	  force = true;
+	  // Silently ignore this
+	  // warning ("load: -force ignored");
 	}
       else if (argv[i] == "-list" || argv[i] == "-l")
 	{
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@
 	{
 	  format = LS_BINARY;
 	}
-      else if (argv[i] == "-mat-binary" || argv[i] == "-m")
+      else if (argv[i] == "-mat-binary" || argv[i] == "-mat" || argv[i] == "-m")
 	{
 	  format = LS_MAT5_BINARY;
 	}
@@ -1213,7 +1213,8 @@
 precision.  You should use this format only if you know that all the\n\
 values to be saved can be represented in single precision.\n\
 \n\
-@item -mat-binary\n\
+@item -mat\n\
+@itemx -mat-binary\n\
 Save the data in @sc{Matlab}'s binary data format.\n\
 \n\
 @item -mat4-binary\n\
@@ -1313,7 +1314,7 @@
 	  return retval;
 #endif /* ! HAVE_HDF5 */
 	}
-      else if (argv[i] == "-mat-binary" || argv[i] == "-m")
+      else if (argv[i] == "-mat-binary" || argv[i] == "-mat" || argv[i] == "-m")
 	{
 	  format = LS_MAT5_BINARY;
 	}