diff --git a/cmd/run.go b/cmd/run.go
index 51bc7d20..2b8a779e 100644
--- a/cmd/run.go
+++ b/cmd/run.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ type osVmConfig struct {
 	User            string
 	CloudInitDir    string
 	KsFile          string
-	Background      bool
+	Interactive     bool
 	NoCredentials   bool
 	RemoveVm        bool // Kill the running VM when it exits
 	RemoveDiskImage bool // After exit of the VM, remove the disk image
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func init() {
 
 	runCmd.Flags().StringVar(&diskImageConfigInstance.Filesystem, "filesystem", "", "Override the root filesystem (e.g. xfs, btrfs, ext4)")
 	runCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&vmConfig.NoCredentials, "no-creds", false, "Do not inject default SSH key via credentials; also implies --background")
-	runCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&vmConfig.Background, "background", "B", false, "Do not spawn SSH, run in background")
+	runCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&vmConfig.Interactive, "interactive,", "i", false, "Start an SSH session")
 	runCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&vmConfig.RemoveVm, "rm", false, "Remove the VM and it's disk when the SSH session exits. Cannot be used with --background")
 	runCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&vmConfig.Quiet, "quiet", false, "Suppress output from bootc disk creation and VM boot console")
 }
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func doRun(flags *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		NoCredentials: vmConfig.NoCredentials,
 		CloudInitData: flags.Flags().Changed("cloudinit"),
 		RemoveVm:      vmConfig.RemoveVm,
-		Background:    vmConfig.Background,
+		Interactive:   vmConfig.Interactive,
 		SSHPort:       sshPort,
 		SSHIdentity:   machineInfo.SSHIdentityPath,
 		VMUser:        vmConfig.User,
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func doRun(flags *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if !vmConfig.Background {
+	if vmConfig.Interactive {
 		if !vmConfig.Quiet {
 			var vmConsoleWg sync.WaitGroup
 			vmConsoleWg.Add(1)
diff --git a/pkg/vm/vm.go b/pkg/vm/vm.go
index 4e784089..270f3c51 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/vm.go
+++ b/pkg/vm/vm.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ type RunVMParameters struct {
 	SSHPort       int
 	Cmd           []string
 	RemoveVm      bool
-	Background    bool
+	Interactive   bool
 }
 
 type BootcVM interface {
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ type BootcVMCommon struct {
 	sshIdentity   string
 	sshPort       int
 	removeVm      bool
-	background    bool
+	interactive   bool
 	cmd           []string
 	pidFile       string
 	imageID       string
diff --git a/pkg/vm/vm_darwin.go b/pkg/vm/vm_darwin.go
index b381333c..07b42484 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/vm_darwin.go
+++ b/pkg/vm/vm_darwin.go
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func (b *BootcVMMac) GetConfig() (cfg *BootcVMConfig, err error) {
 func (b *BootcVMMac) Run(params RunVMParameters) (err error) {
 	b.sshPort = params.SSHPort
 	b.removeVm = params.RemoveVm
-	b.background = params.Background
+	b.interactive = params.Interactive
 	b.cmd = params.Cmd
 	b.hasCloudInit = params.CloudInitData
 	b.cloudInitDir = params.CloudInitDir
@@ -112,9 +112,9 @@ func (b *BootcVMMac) Run(params RunVMParameters) (err error) {
 
 	if params.NoCredentials {
 		b.sshIdentity = ""
-		if !b.background {
-			fmt.Print("No credentials provided for SSH, using --background by default")
-			b.background = true
+		if b.interactive {
+			fmt.Print("No credentials provided for SSH, running the VM in the background")
+			b.interactive = false
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/vm/vm_linux.go b/pkg/vm/vm_linux.go
index 9497c279..354c8c66 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/vm_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/vm/vm_linux.go
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func (v *BootcVMLinux) PrintConsole() (err error) {
 func (v *BootcVMLinux) Run(params RunVMParameters) (err error) {
 	v.sshPort = params.SSHPort
 	v.removeVm = params.RemoveVm
-	v.background = params.Background
+	v.interactive = params.Interactive
 	v.cmd = params.Cmd
 	v.hasCloudInit = params.CloudInitData
 	v.cloudInitDir = params.CloudInitDir
@@ -125,9 +125,9 @@ func (v *BootcVMLinux) Run(params RunVMParameters) (err error) {
 
 	if params.NoCredentials {
 		v.sshIdentity = ""
-		if !v.background {
-			fmt.Print("No credentials provided for SSH, using --background by default")
-			v.background = true
+		if v.interactive {
+			fmt.Print("No credentials provided for SSH, running the VM in the background")
+			v.interactive = false
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/vm/vm_test.go b/pkg/vm/vm_test.go
index 95faee00..d7a7c244 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/vm_test.go
+++ b/pkg/vm/vm_test.go
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func runTestVM(bootcVM vm.BootcVM) {
 		SSHPort:       22,
 		Cmd:           []string{},
 		RemoveVm:      false,
-		Background:    false,
+		Interactive:   true,
 		SSHIdentity:   testUserSSHKey,
 	})
 	Expect(err).To(Not(HaveOccurred()))