diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/man-nixos-option.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/man-nixos-option.xml
index beabf020c92a..0c6a6950a056 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/man-nixos-option.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/man-nixos-option.xml
@@ -14,12 +14,16 @@
  <refsynopsisdiv>
   <cmdsynopsis>
    <command>nixos-option</command>
+
    <arg>
-    <option>-I</option> <replaceable>path</replaceable>
+    <group choice='req'>
+     <arg choice='plain'><option>-r</option></arg>
+     <arg choice='plain'><option>--recursive</option></arg>
+    </group>
    </arg>
 
    <arg>
-    <option>--all</option>
+    <option>-I</option> <replaceable>path</replaceable>
    </arg>
 
    <arg>
@@ -45,6 +49,15 @@
    This command accepts the following options:
   </para>
   <variablelist>
+   <varlistentry>
+    <term><option>-r</option></term>
+    <term><option>--recursive</option></term>
+    <listitem>
+     <para>
+      Print all the values at or below the specified path recursively.
+     </para>
+    </listitem>
+   </varlistentry>
    <varlistentry>
     <term>
      <option>-I</option> <replaceable>path</replaceable>
@@ -56,16 +69,6 @@
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
-   <varlistentry>
-    <term>
-     <option>--all</option>
-    </term>
-    <listitem>
-     <para>
-      Print the values of all options.
-     </para>
-    </listitem>
-   </varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
  </refsection>
  <refsection>
diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2003.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2003.xml
index b8af15f59c95..417b8524ab82 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2003.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2003.xml
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
    <listitem>
     <para>
       <command>nixos-option</command> has been rewritten in C++, speeding it up, improving correctness,
-      and adding a <option>--all</option> option which prints all options and their values.
+      and adding a <option>-r</option> option which prints all options and their values recursively.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </itemizedlist>
diff --git a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-option/nixos-option.cc b/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-option/nixos-option.cc
index a5c0b65baeb8..1a7b07a74f8a 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-option/nixos-option.cc
+++ b/nixos/modules/installer/tools/nixos-option/nixos-option.cc
@@ -290,9 +290,14 @@ FindAlongOptionPathRet findAlongOptionPath(Context & ctx, const std::string & pa
     return {v, processedPath};
 }
 
-// Calls f on all the option names
-void mapOptions(const std::function<void(const std::string & path)> & f, Context & ctx, Value root)
+// Calls f on all the option names at or below the option described by `path`.
+// Note that "the option described by `path`" is not trivial -- if path describes a value inside an aggregate
+// option (such as users.users.root), the *option* described by that path is one path component shorter
+// (eg: users.users), which results in f being called on sibling-paths (eg: users.users.nixbld1).  If f
+// doesn't want these, it must do its own filtering.
+void mapOptions(const std::function<void(const std::string & path)> & f, Context & ctx, const std::string & path)
 {
+    auto root = findAlongOptionPath(ctx, path);
     recurse(
         [f, &ctx](const std::string & path, std::variant<Value, std::exception_ptr> v) {
             bool isOpt = std::holds_alternative<std::exception_ptr>(v) || isOption(ctx, std::get<Value>(v));
@@ -301,7 +306,7 @@ void mapOptions(const std::function<void(const std::string & path)> & f, Context
             }
             return !isOpt;
         },
-        ctx, root, "");
+        ctx, root.option, root.path);
 }
 
 // Calls f on all the config values inside one option.
@@ -475,17 +480,26 @@ void printConfigValue(Context & ctx, Out & out, const std::string & path, std::v
     out << ";\n";
 }
 
-void printAll(Context & ctx, Out & out)
+// Replace with std::starts_with when C++20 is available
+bool starts_with(const std::string & s, const std::string & prefix)
+{
+    return s.size() >= prefix.size() &&
+           std::equal(s.begin(), std::next(s.begin(), prefix.size()), prefix.begin(), prefix.end());
+}
+
+void printRecursive(Context & ctx, Out & out, const std::string & path)
 {
     mapOptions(
-        [&ctx, &out](const std::string & optionPath) {
+        [&ctx, &out, &path](const std::string & optionPath) {
             mapConfigValuesInOption(
-                [&ctx, &out](const std::string & configPath, std::variant<Value, std::exception_ptr> v) {
-                    printConfigValue(ctx, out, configPath, v);
+                [&ctx, &out, &path](const std::string & configPath, std::variant<Value, std::exception_ptr> v) {
+                    if (starts_with(configPath, path)) {
+                        printConfigValue(ctx, out, configPath, v);
+                    }
                 },
                 optionPath, ctx);
         },
-        ctx, ctx.optionsRoot);
+        ctx, path);
 }
 
 void printAttr(Context & ctx, Out & out, const std::string & path, Value & root)
@@ -569,7 +583,7 @@ void printOne(Context & ctx, Out & out, const std::string & path)
 
 int main(int argc, char ** argv)
 {
-    bool all = false;
+    bool recursive = false;
     std::string path = ".";
     std::string optionsExpr = "(import <nixpkgs/nixos> {}).options";
     std::string configExpr = "(import <nixpkgs/nixos> {}).config";
@@ -585,8 +599,8 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv)
             nix::showManPage("nixos-option");
         } else if (*arg == "--version") {
             nix::printVersion("nixos-option");
-        } else if (*arg == "--all") {
-            all = true;
+        } else if (*arg == "-r" || *arg == "--recursive") {
+            recursive = true;
         } else if (*arg == "--path") {
             path = nix::getArg(*arg, arg, end);
         } else if (*arg == "--options_expr") {
@@ -615,18 +629,12 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv)
     Context ctx{*state, *myArgs.getAutoArgs(*state), optionsRoot, configRoot};
     Out out(std::cout);
 
-    if (all) {
-        if (!args.empty()) {
-            throw UsageError("--all cannot be used with arguments");
-        }
-        printAll(ctx, out);
-    } else {
-        if (args.empty()) {
-            printOne(ctx, out, "");
-        }
-        for (const auto & arg : args) {
-            printOne(ctx, out, arg);
-        }
+    auto print = recursive ? printRecursive : printOne;
+    if (args.empty()) {
+        print(ctx, out, "");
+    }
+    for (const auto & arg : args) {
+        print(ctx, out, arg);
     }
 
     ctx.state.printStats();