diff --git a/changelog/168.feature b/changelog/168.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aaa2175
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/168.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add long option `--numprocesses` as alternative for `-n`.
diff --git a/testing/test_plugin.py b/testing/test_plugin.py
index 189a1bf..319e2ec 100644
--- a/testing/test_plugin.py
+++ b/testing/test_plugin.py
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ def test_dist_options(testdir):
     check_options(config)
     assert config.option.dist == "load"
     assert config.option.tx == ['popen'] * 2
+    config = testdir.parseconfigure("--numprocesses", "2")
+    check_options(config)
+    assert config.option.dist == "load"
+    assert config.option.tx == ['popen'] * 2
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("-d")
     check_options(config)
     assert config.option.dist == "load"
diff --git a/xdist/plugin.py b/xdist/plugin.py
index dc721da..b47cbe8 100644
--- a/xdist/plugin.py
+++ b/xdist/plugin.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ def parse_numprocesses(s):
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
     group = parser.getgroup("xdist", "distributed and subprocess testing")
     group._addoption(
-        '-n', dest="numprocesses", metavar="numprocesses",
+        '-n', '--numprocesses', dest="numprocesses", metavar="numprocesses",
         action="store",
         type=parse_numprocesses,
         help="shortcut for '--dist=load --tx=NUM*popen', "