diff --git a/lib/inspec/base_cli.rb b/lib/inspec/base_cli.rb
index 18e792db0..041054f93 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/base_cli.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/base_cli.rb
@@ -107,8 +107,10 @@ module Inspec
       option :reporter, type: :array,
         banner: 'one two:/output/file/path',
         desc: 'Enable one or more output reporters: cli, documentation, html, progress, json, json-min, json-rspec, junit, yaml'
-      option :attrs, type: :array,
+      option :input_file, type: :array,
         desc: 'Load one or more input files, a YAML file with values for the profile to use'
+      option :attrs, type: :array,
+        desc: 'Legacy name for --input-file - deprecated.'
       option :create_lockfile, type: :boolean,
         desc: 'Write out a lockfile based on this execution (unless one already exists)'
       option :backend_cache, type: :boolean,
diff --git a/lib/inspec/objects/input.rb b/lib/inspec/objects/input.rb
index 50c26adc4..eac094c4c 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/objects/input.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/objects/input.rb
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ module Inspec
 
         # output warn message if we are in a exec call
         Inspec::Log.warn(
-          "Attribute '#{@name}' does not have a value. "\
-          "Use --attrs to provide a value for '#{@name}' or specify a  "\
+          "Input '#{@name}' does not have a value. "\
+          "Use --input-file to provide a value for '#{@name}' or specify a  "\
           "value with `attribute('#{@name}', value: 'somevalue', ...)`.",
         ) if Inspec::BaseCLI.inspec_cli_command == :exec
       end
diff --git a/lib/inspec/runner.rb b/lib/inspec/runner.rb
index 462e84b73..636f971c6 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/runner.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/runner.rb
@@ -151,10 +151,14 @@ module Inspec
 
     # determine all inputs before the execution, fetch data from secrets backend
     def load_inputs(options)
-      # TODO: - rename :attributes and :attrs - these are both user-visible
+      # TODO: - rename :attributes - it is user-visible
       options[:attributes] ||= {}
 
-      secrets_targets = options[:attrs]
+      if options.key?(:attrs)
+        Inspec.deprecate(:rename_attributes_to_inputs, 'Use --input-file on the command line instead of --attrs.')
+        options[:input_file] = options.delete(:attrs)
+      end
+      secrets_targets = options[:input_file]
       return options[:attributes] if secrets_targets.nil?
 
       secrets_targets.each do |target|
diff --git a/test/functional/inheritance_test.rb b/test/functional/inheritance_test.rb
index e8f6de3f0..3355274ea 100644
--- a/test/functional/inheritance_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/inheritance_test.rb
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ describe 'example inheritance profile' do
   end
 
   it 'can execute a profile inheritance' do
-    out = inspec('exec ' + path + ' --reporter json --no-create-lockfile --attrs ' + input_file)
+    out = inspec('exec ' + path + ' --reporter json --no-create-lockfile --input-file ' + input_file)
     out.stderr.must_equal ''
     out.exit_status.must_equal 101
     JSON.load(out.stdout).must_be_kind_of Hash
diff --git a/test/functional/inputs_test.rb b/test/functional/inputs_test.rb
index c49060d98..d9c938022 100644
--- a/test/functional/inputs_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/inputs_test.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ describe 'inputs' do
       cmd = 'exec '
       cmd += File.join(inputs_profiles_path, 'basic')
       cmd += ' --no-create-lockfile'
-      cmd += ' --attrs ' + File.join(inputs_profiles_path, 'basic', 'files', "#{input_file}.yaml")
+      cmd += ' --input-file ' + File.join(inputs_profiles_path, 'basic', 'files', "#{input_file}.yaml")
       cmd += ' --controls ' + input_file
       out = inspec(cmd)
       out.stderr.must_equal ''
@@ -21,12 +21,49 @@ describe 'inputs' do
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'when asking for usage help' do
+    it 'includes the new --input-file option' do
+      result = run_inspec_process('exec help', lock: true) # --no-create-lockfile option breaks usage help
+      lines = result.stdout.split("\n")
+      line = lines.detect { |l| l.include? '--input-file' }
+      line.wont_be_nil
+    end
+    it 'includes the legacy --attrs option' do
+      result = run_inspec_process('exec help', lock: true)
+      lines = result.stdout.split("\n")
+      line = lines.detect { |l| l.include? '--attrs' }
+      line.wont_be_nil
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe 'when using a cli-specified file' do
+    let(:result) do
+      cmd =  'exec '
+      cmd += File.join(inputs_profiles_path, 'basic') + ' '
+      cmd += flag + ' ' + File.join(inputs_profiles_path, 'basic', 'files', 'flat.yaml')
+      cmd += ' --controls flat'
+      run_inspec_process(cmd)
+    end
+    describe 'when the --input-file flag is used' do
+      let(:flag) { '--input-file' }
+      it 'works' do
+        result.exit_status.must_equal 0
+      end
+    end
+    describe 'when the --attrs flag is used' do
+      let(:flag) { '--attrs' }
+      it 'works' do
+        result.exit_status.must_equal 0
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'run profile with yaml inputs' do
     it "runs using yml inputs" do
       cmd = 'exec '
       cmd += File.join(inputs_profiles_path, 'global')
       cmd += ' --no-create-lockfile'
-      cmd += ' --attrs ' + File.join(inputs_profiles_path, 'global', 'files', "inputs.yml")
+      cmd += ' --input-file ' + File.join(inputs_profiles_path, 'global', 'files', "inputs.yml")
       out = inspec(cmd)
       out.stderr.must_equal ''
       # TODO: fix attribute inheritance override test
diff --git a/test/functional/inspec_exec_test.rb b/test/functional/inspec_exec_test.rb
index 8639666c0..bc2b39610 100644
--- a/test/functional/inspec_exec_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/inspec_exec_test.rb
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ Test Summary: 0 successful, 0 failures, 0 skipped
   end
 
   it "executes a profile and reads inputs" do
-    out = inspec("exec #{File.join(examples_path, 'profile-attribute')} --no-create-lockfile --attrs #{File.join(examples_path, "profile-attribute.yml")}")
+    out = inspec("exec #{File.join(examples_path, 'profile-attribute')} --no-create-lockfile --input-file #{File.join(examples_path, "profile-attribute.yml")}")
     out.stderr.must_equal ''
     out.exit_status.must_equal 0
     out.stdout.force_encoding(Encoding::UTF_8).must_include "Test Summary: \e[38;5;41m2 successful\e[0m, 0 failures, 0 skipped"
diff --git a/test/unit/runner_test.rb b/test/unit/runner_test.rb
index 579d8fa53..3ae3fa952 100644
--- a/test/unit/runner_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/runner_test.rb
@@ -65,34 +65,34 @@ describe Inspec::Runner do
       end
     end
 
-    describe 'when no attrs are specified' do
+    describe 'when no input files are specified' do
       it 'returns an empty hash' do
         options = {}
         runner.load_inputs(options).must_equal({})
       end
     end
 
-    describe 'when an attr is provided and does not resolve' do
+    describe 'when an input file is provided and does not resolve' do
       it 'raises an exception' do
-        options = { attrs: ['nope.jpg'] }
+        options = { input_file: ['nope.jpg'] }
         Inspec::SecretsBackend.expects(:resolve).with('nope.jpg').returns(nil)
         proc { runner.load_inputs(options) }.must_raise Inspec::Exceptions::SecretsBackendNotFound
       end
     end
 
-    describe 'when an attr is provided and has no inputs' do
+    describe 'when an input file is provided and has no inputs' do
       it 'returns an empty hash' do
         secrets = mock
         secrets.stubs(:inputs).returns(nil)
-        options = { attrs: ['empty.yaml'] }
+        options = { input_file: ['empty.yaml'] }
         Inspec::SecretsBackend.expects(:resolve).with('empty.yaml').returns(secrets)
         runner.load_inputs(options).must_equal({})
       end
     end
 
-    describe 'when an attr is provided and has inputs' do
+    describe 'when an input file is provided and has inputs' do
       it 'returns a hash containing the inputs' do
-        options = { attrs: ['file1.yaml'] }
+        options = { input_file: ['file1.yaml'] }
         inputs = { foo: 'bar' }
         secrets = mock
         secrets.stubs(:inputs).returns(inputs)
@@ -101,9 +101,9 @@ describe Inspec::Runner do
       end
     end
 
-    describe 'when multiple attrs are provided and one fails' do
+    describe 'when multiple input files are provided and one fails' do
       it 'raises an exception' do
-        options = { attrs: ['file1.yaml', 'file2.yaml'] }
+        options = { input_file: ['file1.yaml', 'file2.yaml'] }
         secrets = mock
         secrets.stubs(:inputs).returns(nil)
         Inspec::SecretsBackend.expects(:resolve).with('file1.yaml').returns(secrets)
@@ -112,9 +112,9 @@ describe Inspec::Runner do
       end
     end
 
-    describe 'when multiple attrs are provided and one has no inputs' do
+    describe 'when multiple input files are provided and one has no inputs' do
       it 'returns a hash containing the inputs from the valid files' do
-        options = { attrs: ['file1.yaml', 'file2.yaml'] }
+        options = {  input_file: ['file1.yaml', 'file2.yaml'] }
         inputs = { foo: 'bar' }
         secrets1 = mock
         secrets1.stubs(:inputs).returns(nil)
@@ -126,9 +126,9 @@ describe Inspec::Runner do
       end
     end
 
-    describe 'when multiple attrs are provided and all have inputs' do
+    describe 'when multiple input files are provided and all have inputs' do
       it 'returns a hash containing all the inputs' do
-        options = { attrs: ['file1.yaml', 'file2.yaml'] }
+        options = { input_file: ['file1.yaml', 'file2.yaml'] }
         secrets1 = mock
         secrets1.stubs(:inputs).returns({ key1: 'value1' })
         secrets2 = mock