diff --git a/core/commands/add.go b/core/commands/add.go
index a5bf084d333..b75577ffb1d 100644
--- a/core/commands/add.go
+++ b/core/commands/add.go
@@ -36,16 +36,17 @@ const (
 
 var AddCmd = &cmds.Command{
 	Helptext: cmds.HelpText{
-		Tagline: "Add a file to ipfs.",
+		Tagline: "Add a file or directory to ipfs.",
 		ShortDescription: `
-Adds contents of <path> to ipfs. Use -r to add directories.
-Note that directories are added recursively, to form the ipfs
-MerkleDAG.
+Adds contents of <path> to ipfs. Use -r to add directories, recursively.
 `,
 		LongDescription: `
-Adds contents of <path> to ipfs. Use -r to add directories.
-Note that directories are added recursively, to form the ipfs
-MerkleDAG.
+Adds contents of <path> to ipfs. Use -r to add directories, recursively.
+
+Files and directories will be chunked and imported into ipfs. File chunks
+and directory entries will be linked with cryptographic hashes, forming
+an ipfs merkledag. For more information about how file importing works
+and the merkledag data structures, see <link>.
 
 The wrap option, '-w', wraps the file (or files, if using the
 recursive option) in a directory. This directory contains only
@@ -69,13 +70,13 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 	},
 	Options: []cmds.Option{
 		cmds.OptionRecursivePath, // a builtin option that allows recursive paths (-r, --recursive)
-		cmds.BoolOption(quietOptionName, "q", "Write minimal output.").Default(false),
-		cmds.BoolOption(silentOptionName, "Write no output.").Default(false),
+		cmds.BoolOption(quietOptionName, "q", "Write minimal output."),
+		cmds.BoolOption(silentOptionName, "Write no output."),
 		cmds.BoolOption(progressOptionName, "p", "Stream progress data."),
-		cmds.BoolOption(trickleOptionName, "t", "Use trickle-dag format for dag generation.").Default(false),
-		cmds.BoolOption(onlyHashOptionName, "n", "Only chunk and hash - do not write to disk.").Default(false),
-		cmds.BoolOption(wrapOptionName, "w", "Wrap files with a directory object.").Default(false),
-		cmds.BoolOption(hiddenOptionName, "H", "Include files that are hidden. Only takes effect on recursive add.").Default(false),
+		cmds.BoolOption(trickleOptionName, "t", "Use trickle-dag format for dag generation."),
+		cmds.BoolOption(onlyHashOptionName, "n", "Only chunk and hash - do not write to disk."),
+		cmds.BoolOption(wrapOptionName, "w", "Wrap files with a directory object."),
+		cmds.BoolOption(hiddenOptionName, "H", "Include files that are hidden. Only takes effect on recursive add."),
 		cmds.StringOption(chunkerOptionName, "s", "Chunking algorithm to use."),
 		cmds.BoolOption(pinOptionName, "Pin this object when adding.").Default(true),
 	},
@@ -242,7 +243,7 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 			return
 		}
 
-		progress, _, err := req.Option(progressOptionName).Bool()
+		progress, prgFound, err := req.Option(progressOptionName).Bool()
 		if err != nil {
 			res.SetError(u.ErrCast(), cmds.ErrNormal)
 			return
@@ -254,12 +255,15 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 			return
 		}
 
-		if !quiet && !silent {
-			progress = true
+		var showProgressbar bool
+		if prgFound {
+			showProgressbar = progress
+		} else if !quiet && !silent {
+			showProgressbar = true
 		}
 
 		var bar *pb.ProgressBar
-		if progress {
+		if showProgressbar {
 			bar = pb.New64(0).SetUnits(pb.U_BYTES)
 			bar.ManualUpdate = true
 			bar.ShowTimeLeft = false
@@ -286,7 +290,7 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 				}
 				output := out.(*coreunix.AddedObject)
 				if len(output.Hash) > 0 {
-					if progress {
+					if showProgressbar {
 						// clear progress bar line before we print "added x" output
 						fmt.Fprintf(res.Stderr(), "\033[2K\r")
 					}
@@ -299,7 +303,7 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 				} else {
 					log.Debugf("add progress: %v %v\n", output.Name, output.Bytes)
 
-					if !progress {
+					if !showProgressbar {
 						continue
 					}
 
@@ -315,11 +319,11 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 					totalProgress = bar.Add64(delta)
 				}
 
-				if progress {
+				if showProgressbar {
 					bar.Update()
 				}
 			case size := <-sizeChan:
-				if progress {
+				if showProgressbar {
 					bar.Total = size
 					bar.ShowPercent = true
 					bar.ShowBar = true