diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.rst b/RELEASE_NOTES.rst
index 647930883..82fd78832 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.rst
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.rst
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ ARTIQ-5
   programs.
 * On Kasli the firmware now starts with a unique default MAC address
   from EEPROM if `mac` is absent from the flash config.
+* The ``-e/--experiment`` switch of ``artiq_run`` and ``artiq_compile``
+  has been renamed ``-c/--class-name``.
 
 
 ARTIQ-4
diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_compile.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_compile.py
index c49f60b6e..cf7335474 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_compile.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_compile.py
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ def get_argparser():
     parser.add_argument("--dataset-db", default="dataset_db.pyon",
                         help="dataset file (default: '%(default)s')")
 
-    parser.add_argument("-e", "--experiment", default=None,
-                        help="experiment to compile")
+    parser.add_argument("-c", "--class-name", default=None,
+                        help="name of the class to compile")
 
     parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", default=None,
                         help="output file")
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def main():
 
     try:
         module = file_import(args.file, prefix="artiq_run_")
-        exp = get_experiment(module, args.experiment)
+        exp = get_experiment(module, args.class_name)
         arguments = parse_arguments(args.arguments)
         argument_mgr = ProcessArgumentManager(arguments)
         exp_inst = exp((device_mgr, dataset_mgr, argument_mgr, {}))
diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py
index 263b3cf08..76954e56c 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py
@@ -132,8 +132,8 @@ def get_argparser(with_file=True):
     parser.add_argument("--dataset-db", default="dataset_db.pyon",
                         help="dataset file (default: '%(default)s')")
 
-    parser.add_argument("-e", "--experiment", default=None,
-                        help="experiment to run")
+    parser.add_argument("-c", "--class-name", default=None,
+                        help="name of the class to run")
     parser.add_argument("-o", "--hdf5", default=None,
                         help="write results to specified HDF5 file"
                              " (default: print them)")
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@ def _build_experiment(device_mgr, dataset_mgr, args):
         if is_elf or is_ll or is_bc:
             if args.arguments:
                 raise ValueError("arguments not supported for precompiled kernels")
-            if args.experiment:
-                raise ValueError("experiment-by-name not supported "
+            if args.class_name:
+                raise ValueError("class-name not supported "
                                  "for precompiled kernels")
         if is_elf:
             return ELFRunner(managers, file=args.file)
@@ -175,11 +175,11 @@ def _build_experiment(device_mgr, dataset_mgr, args):
         file = getattr(module, "__file__")
     expid = {
         "file": file,
-        "experiment": args.experiment,
+        "class_name": args.class_name,
         "arguments": arguments
     }
     device_mgr.virtual_devices["scheduler"].expid = expid
-    return get_experiment(module, args.experiment)(managers)
+    return get_experiment(module, args.class_name)(managers)
 
 
 def run(with_file=False):
diff --git a/artiq/test/coredevice/test_compile.py b/artiq/test/coredevice/test_compile.py
index 0efb5eb8b..060cd1b8f 100644
--- a/artiq/test/coredevice/test_compile.py
+++ b/artiq/test/coredevice/test_compile.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class TestCompile(ExperimentCase):
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
             db_path = os.path.join(artiq_root, "device_db.py")
             subprocess.call([sys.executable, "-m", "artiq.frontend.artiq_compile", "--device-db", db_path,
-                "-e", "CheckLog", "-o", os.path.join(tmp, "check_log.elf"), __file__])
+                "-c", "CheckLog", "-o", os.path.join(tmp, "check_log.elf"), __file__])
             subprocess.call([sys.executable, "-m", "artiq.frontend.artiq_run", "--device-db", db_path,
                 os.path.join(tmp, "check_log.elf")])
         log = mgmt.get_log()
diff --git a/artiq/tools.py b/artiq/tools.py
index 30941e7a6..192658661 100644
--- a/artiq/tools.py
+++ b/artiq/tools.py
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ def file_import(filename, prefix="file_import_"):
     return module
 
 
-def get_experiment(module, experiment=None):
-    if experiment:
-        return getattr(module, experiment)
+def get_experiment(module, class_name=None):
+    if class_name:
+        return getattr(module, class_name)
 
     exps = [(k, v) for k, v in module.__dict__.items()
             if k[0] != "_" and is_experiment(v)]