diff --git a/parser/common_flags.h b/parser/common_flags.h
index 116bfc274..464cb8f64 100644
--- a/parser/common_flags.h
+++ b/parser/common_flags.h
@@ -24,8 +24,12 @@ typedef int optflags_t;
 typedef struct optflags {
 	optflags_t dfaflags;
 	optflags_t dfadump;
+	optflags_t frontflags;
+	optflags_t frontdump;
 	optflags_t warn;
 	optflags_t Werror;
 } optflags;
 
+extern optflags parseopts;
+
 #endif /* __AA_COMMON_FLAGS_H */
diff --git a/parser/common_optarg.c b/parser/common_optarg.c
index c27f0205a..2ba50443a 100644
--- a/parser/common_optarg.c
+++ b/parser/common_optarg.c
@@ -103,13 +103,6 @@ optflag_table_t dfaoptflag_table[] = {
 	{ 0, NULL, NULL, 0 },
 };
 
-optflags parseopts = {
-	.dfaflags = (optflags_t)(CONTROL_DFA_TREE_NORMAL | CONTROL_DFA_TREE_SIMPLE | CONTROL_DFA_MINIMIZE | CONTROL_DFA_DIFF_ENCODE),
-	.dfadump = 0,
-	.warn = DEFAULT_WARNINGS,
-	.Werror = 0
-};
-
 
 void print_flag_table(optflag_table_t *table)
 {
diff --git a/parser/common_optarg.h b/parser/common_optarg.h
index 4b0a16dbf..c5c6144b2 100644
--- a/parser/common_optarg.h
+++ b/parser/common_optarg.h
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ typedef struct {
 extern optflag_table_t dfadumpflag_table[];
 extern optflag_table_t dfaoptflag_table[];
 
-extern optflags parseopts;
-
 
 void print_flags(const char *prefix, optflag_table_t *table,
 		 optflags_t flags);
diff --git a/parser/io_uring.cc b/parser/io_uring.cc
index 3c2f88555..d7715b69d 100644
--- a/parser/io_uring.cc
+++ b/parser/io_uring.cc
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  *   along with this program; if not, contact or Canonical Ltd.
  */
 
+#include "common_optarg.h"
 #include "parser.h"
 #include "profile.h"
 #include "io_uring.h"
diff --git a/parser/parser.h b/parser/parser.h
index 95b177060..8c6984319 100644
--- a/parser/parser.h
+++ b/parser/parser.h
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ extern int parser_token;
 		  WARN_OVERRIDE | WARN_INCLUDE)
 
 
+#define CONTROL_RULE_MERGE	0x1
+#define DUMP_RULE_MERGE		0x1
+
 typedef enum pattern_t pattern_t;
 
 
diff --git a/parser/parser_common.c b/parser/parser_common.c
index 2daa25967..9dc9b484b 100644
--- a/parser/parser_common.c
+++ b/parser/parser_common.c
@@ -99,6 +99,16 @@ FILE *ofile = NULL;
 
 IncludeCache_t *g_includecache;
 
+optflags parseopts = {
+	.dfaflags = (optflags_t)(CONTROL_DFA_TREE_NORMAL | CONTROL_DFA_TREE_SIMPLE | CONTROL_DFA_MINIMIZE | CONTROL_DFA_DIFF_ENCODE),
+	.dfadump = 0,
+	.frontflags = (optflags_t)(CONTROL_RULE_MERGE),
+	.frontdump = 0,
+	.warn = DEFAULT_WARNINGS,
+	.Werror = 0
+};
+
+
 #ifdef FORCE_READ_IMPLIES_EXEC
 int read_implies_exec = 1;
 #else
diff --git a/parser/parser_main.c b/parser/parser_main.c
index 080822da1..e001957f3 100644
--- a/parser/parser_main.c
+++ b/parser/parser_main.c
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ int abort_on_error = 0;			/* stop processing profiles if error */
 int skip_bad_cache_rebuild = 0;
 int mru_skip_cache = 1;
 
+bool O_rule_merge = true;
+bool D_rule_merge = false;
+
 /* for jobs_max and jobs
  * LONG_MAX : no limit
  * LONG_MIN  : auto  = detect system processing cores
@@ -274,6 +277,16 @@ optflag_table_t warnflag_table[] = {
 	{ 0, NULL, NULL, 0 },
 };
 
+optflag_table_t frontopts_table[] = {
+	{ 1, "rule-merge", "turn on rule merging", CONTROL_RULE_MERGE},
+	{ 0, NULL, NULL, 0 },
+};
+
+optflag_table_t frontdump_table[] = {
+	{ 1, "rule-merge", "dump information about rule merging", DUMP_RULE_MERGE},
+	{ 0, NULL, NULL, 0 },
+};
+
 /* Parse comma separated cachelocations. Commas can be escaped by \, */
 static int parse_cacheloc(const char *arg, const char **cacheloc, int max_size)
 {
@@ -494,10 +507,13 @@ static int process_arg(int c, char *optarg)
 			   strcmp(optarg, "D") == 0) {
 			flagtable_help("--dump=", DUMP_HEADER, progname,
 				       dfadumpflag_table);
+			flagtable_help("--dump=", DUMP_HEADER, progname,
+				       frontopts_table);
 		} else if (strcmp(optarg, "Optimize") == 0 ||
 			   strcmp(optarg, "optimize") == 0 ||
 			   strcmp(optarg, "O") == 0) {
 			flagtable_help("-O ", "", progname, dfaoptflag_table);
+			flagtable_help("-O ", "", progname, frontopts_table);
 		} else if (strcmp(optarg, "warn") == 0) {
 			flagtable_help("--warn=", "", progname, warnflag_table);
 		} else if (strcmp(optarg, "Werror") == 0) {
@@ -569,12 +585,15 @@ static int process_arg(int c, char *optarg)
 			dump_vars = 1;
 		} else if (strcmp(optarg, "show") == 0) {
 			print_flags("dump", dfadumpflag_table, parseopts.dfadump);
+			print_flags("dump", frontdump_table, parseopts.frontdump);
 		} else if (strcmp(optarg, "variables") == 0) {
 			dump_vars = 1;
 		} else if (strcmp(optarg, "expanded-variables") == 0) {
 			dump_expanded_vars = 1;
 		} else if (!handle_flag_table(dfadumpflag_table, optarg,
-					      &parseopts.dfadump)) {
+					      &parseopts.dfadump) &&
+			   !handle_flag_table(frontdump_table, optarg,
+					      &parseopts.frontdump)) {
 			PERROR("%s: Invalid --Dump option %s\n",
 			       progname, optarg);
 			exit(1);
@@ -583,8 +602,11 @@ static int process_arg(int c, char *optarg)
 	case 'O':
 		if (strcmp(optarg, "show") == 0) {
 			print_flags("Optimize", dfaoptflag_table, parseopts.dfaflags);
+			print_flags("Optimize", frontopts_table, parseopts.frontflags);
 		} else if (!handle_flag_table(dfaoptflag_table, optarg,
-				       &parseopts.dfaflags)) {
+					      &parseopts.dfaflags) &&
+			!handle_flag_table(frontopts_table, optarg,
+					      &parseopts.frontflags)) {
 			PERROR("%s: Invalid --Optimize option %s\n",
 			       progname, optarg);
 			exit(1);
diff --git a/parser/parser_merge.c b/parser/parser_merge.c
index b8041ebb5..7f9ce297d 100644
--- a/parser/parser_merge.c
+++ b/parser/parser_merge.c
@@ -111,12 +111,16 @@ static int process_file_entries(Profile *prof)
 
 int profile_merge_rules(Profile *prof)
 {
+	if (!(parseopts.frontflags & CONTROL_RULE_MERGE))
+		return 0;
+
 	int res, tmp = process_file_entries(prof);
 	if (tmp < 0)
 		return -tmp;
 	res = prof->merge_rules();
 	if (res < 0)
 		return -res;
-	// TODO: output message eliminated rules res + tmp;
+	if (parseopts.frontdump & DUMP_RULE_MERGE)
+	        fprintf(stderr, "RULE MERGE: deleted %d file rules, %d rules\n", tmp, res);
 	return 0;
 }