diff --git a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
index c565622..50d2ba9 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
+++ b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
@@ -185,19 +185,20 @@ void pkgconf_client_set_trace_handler(pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_error_ha
 #define PKGCONF_IS_MODULE_SEPARATOR(c) ((c) == ',' || isspace ((unsigned int)(c)))
 #define PKGCONF_IS_OPERATOR_CHAR(c) ((c) == '<' || (c) == '>' || (c) == '!' || (c) == '=')
 
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_NONE				0x000
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SEARCH_PRIVATE			0x001
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_ENV_ONLY			0x002
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_NO_UNINSTALLED			0x004
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SKIP_ROOT_VIRTUAL		0x008
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_MERGE_PRIVATE_FRAGMENTS	0x010
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SKIP_CONFLICTS			0x020
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_NO_CACHE			0x040
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SKIP_ERRORS			0x080
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_ITER_PKG_IS_PRIVATE		0x100
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SKIP_PROVIDES			0x200
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_REDEFINE_PREFIX		0x400
-#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_DONT_RELOCATE_PATHS		0x800
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_NONE				0x0000
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SEARCH_PRIVATE			0x0001
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_ENV_ONLY			0x0002
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_NO_UNINSTALLED			0x0004
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SKIP_ROOT_VIRTUAL		0x0008
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_MERGE_PRIVATE_FRAGMENTS	0x0010
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SKIP_CONFLICTS			0x0020
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_NO_CACHE			0x0040
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SKIP_ERRORS			0x0080
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_ITER_PKG_IS_PRIVATE		0x0100
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SKIP_PROVIDES			0x0200
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_REDEFINE_PREFIX		0x0400
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_DONT_RELOCATE_PATHS		0x0800
+#define PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SIMPLIFY_ERRORS		0x1000
 
 #define PKGCONF_PKG_ERRF_OK			0x0
 #define PKGCONF_PKG_ERRF_PACKAGE_NOT_FOUND	0x1
diff --git a/libpkgconf/pkg.c b/libpkgconf/pkg.c
index 4c521f8..c2d6c6e 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/pkg.c
+++ b/libpkgconf/pkg.c
@@ -1241,7 +1241,7 @@ pkgconf_pkg_report_graph_error(pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_pkg_t *parent,
 
 	if (eflags & PKGCONF_PKG_ERRF_PACKAGE_NOT_FOUND)
 	{
-		if (!already_sent_notice)
+		if (!(client->flags & PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SIMPLIFY_ERRORS) & !already_sent_notice)
 		{
 			pkgconf_error(client, "Package %s was not found in the pkg-config search path.\n", node->package);
 			pkgconf_error(client, "Perhaps you should add the directory containing `%s.pc'\n", node->package);
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index f425982..6c06a64 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 #define PKG_DONT_DEFINE_PREFIX		(((uint64_t) 1) << 36)
 #define PKG_DONT_RELOCATE_PATHS		(((uint64_t) 1) << 37)
 #define PKG_DEBUG			(((uint64_t) 1) << 38)
+#define PKG_SHORT_ERRORS		(((uint64_t) 1) << 39)
 
 static pkgconf_client_t pkg_client;
 
@@ -565,6 +566,8 @@ usage(void)
 	printf("  --atleast-pkgconfig-version       check whether or not pkgconf is compatible\n");
 	printf("                                    with a specified pkg-config version\n");
 	printf("  --errors-to-stdout                print all errors on stdout instead of stderr\n");
+	printf("  --print-errors                    ensure all errors are printed\n");
+	printf("  --short-errors                    be less verbose about some errors\n");
 	printf("  --silence-errors                  explicitly be silent about errors\n");
 	printf("  --list-all                        list all known packages\n");
 	printf("  --list-package-names              list all known package names\n");
@@ -661,7 +664,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		{ "variable", required_argument, NULL, 7, },
 		{ "exists", no_argument, NULL, 8, },
 		{ "print-errors", no_argument, &want_flags, PKG_PRINT_ERRORS, },
-		{ "short-errors", no_argument, NULL, 10, },
+		{ "short-errors", no_argument, &want_flags, PKG_SHORT_ERRORS, },
 		{ "maximum-traverse-depth", required_argument, NULL, 11, },
 		{ "static", no_argument, &want_flags, PKG_STATIC, },
 		{ "pure", no_argument, &want_flags, PKG_PURE, },
@@ -804,6 +807,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 	}
 
+	if ((want_flags & PKG_SHORT_ERRORS) == PKG_SHORT_ERRORS)
+		want_client_flags |= PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_SIMPLIFY_ERRORS;
+
 	if ((want_flags & PKG_DONT_RELOCATE_PATHS) == PKG_DONT_RELOCATE_PATHS)
 		want_client_flags |= PKGCONF_PKG_PKGF_DONT_RELOCATE_PATHS;