diff --git a/node/src/main/java/net/corda/node/shell/FlowShellCommand.java b/node/src/main/java/net/corda/node/shell/FlowShellCommand.java
index 0be955f00c..3ca48441d8 100644
--- a/node/src/main/java/net/corda/node/shell/FlowShellCommand.java
+++ b/node/src/main/java/net/corda/node/shell/FlowShellCommand.java
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ public class FlowShellCommand extends InteractiveShellCommand {
             @Usage("The class name of the flow to run, or an unambiguous substring") @Argument String name,
             @Usage("The data to pass as input") @Argument(unquote = false) List<String> input
     ) {
+        startFlow(name, input, out);
+    }
+
+    static void startFlow(@Usage("The class name of the flow to run, or an unambiguous substring") @Argument String name, @Usage("The data to pass as input") @Argument(unquote = false) List<String> input, RenderPrintWriter out) {
         if (name == null) {
             out.println("You must pass a name for the flow, see 'man flow'", Color.red);
             return;
diff --git a/node/src/main/java/net/corda/node/shell/StartShellCommand.java b/node/src/main/java/net/corda/node/shell/StartShellCommand.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..972de7e78b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node/src/main/java/net/corda/node/shell/StartShellCommand.java
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package net.corda.node.shell;
+
+// A simple forwarded to the "flow start" command, for easier typing.
+
+import org.crsh.cli.*;
+
+import java.util.*;
+
+public class StartShellCommand extends InteractiveShellCommand {
+    @Command
+    @Man("An alias for 'flow start'. Example: \"start Yo target: Some other company\"")
+    public void main(@Usage("The class name of the flow to run, or an unambiguous substring") @Argument String name,
+                     @Usage("The data to pass as input") @Argument(unquote = false) List<String> input) {
+        FlowShellCommand.startFlow(name, input, out);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/shell/InteractiveShell.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/shell/InteractiveShell.kt
index cc7d4b4f31..ade6394b49 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/shell/InteractiveShell.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/shell/InteractiveShell.kt
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ object InteractiveShell {
         }
 
         ExternalResolver.INSTANCE.addCommand("run", "Runs a method from the CordaRPCOps interface on the node.", RunShellCommand::class.java)
-        ExternalResolver.INSTANCE.addCommand("flow", "Start a (work)flow on the node. This is how you can change the ledger.", FlowShellCommand::class.java)
+        ExternalResolver.INSTANCE.addCommand("flow", "Commands to work with flows. Flows are how you can change the ledger.", FlowShellCommand::class.java)
+        ExternalResolver.INSTANCE.addCommand("start", "An alias for 'flow start'", StartShellCommand::class.java)
         val shell = ShellLifecycle(dir).start(config)
 
         if (runSSH) {