diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index a790a41..b0eb36c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
 
 Codecrypt ChangeLog
 
+1.6
 
-- add support for symmetric encryption (long files!)
-- remove RC4 usage from FMTSEQ, replace with ChaCha20, rename algos
-- fix possible side-channel attack on F-O decryption timing
-- remove RC4 from standard PRNG
-- add XSYND
-- add ChaCha20
-- virtualize the stream ciphers
 - fix fmtseq short message padding bug (fixed by previous)
+- virtualize the stream ciphers
+- add ChaCha20
+- add XSYND
+- remove RC4 from standard PRNG
+- fix possible side-channel attack on F-O decryption timing
+- remove RC4 usage from FMTSEQ, replace with ChaCha20, rename algos
+- add support for symmetric encryption (long files!)
+- add several new encryption ciphers (use xsynd and chacha)
+- add convenience aliases for --gen-key
 
 1.5
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 18da396..956301e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 AC_PREREQ(2.6)
-AC_INIT([codecrypt], [1.5])
+AC_INIT([codecrypt], [1.6])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(.) # because of libtoolize
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
diff --git a/man/ccr.1 b/man/ccr.1
index 3745c9a..94832f7 100644
--- a/man/ccr.1
+++ b/man/ccr.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH CCR 1 2014-01-25 "ccr" "Codecrypt"
+.TH CCR 1 2014-04-08 "ccr" "Codecrypt"
 .SH NAME
 .B ccr
 \- The post-quantum cryptography encryption and signing tool
@@ -386,5 +386,5 @@ it with caution.
 
 .SH AUTHORS
 
-Codecrypt was written by Mirek Kratochvil in 2013.
+Codecrypt was written by Mirek Kratochvil in 2013 and 2014.
 
diff --git a/src/actions.cpp b/src/actions.cpp
index cae413e..cde9359 100644
--- a/src/actions.cpp
+++ b/src/actions.cpp
@@ -101,11 +101,35 @@ int action_gen_symkey (const std::string&algspec,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int action_gen_key (const std::string& algspec, const std::string&name,
+typedef std::map<std::string, std::string> algspectable_t;
+algspectable_t& algspectable()
+{
+	static algspectable_t table;
+	static bool init = false;
+
+	if (!init) {
+		table["enc"] = "MCEQD128FO-CUBE256-CHACHA20";
+		table["enc-strong"] = "MCEQD192FO-CUBE384-CHACHA20";
+		table["enc-strongest"] = "MCEQD256FO-CUBE512-CHACHA20";
+
+		table["sig"] = "FMTSEQ128C-CUBE256-CUBE128";
+		table["sig-strong"] = "FMTSEQ192C-CUBE384-CUBE192";
+		table["sig-strongest"] = "FMTSEQ256C-CUBE512-CUBE256";
+
+		table["sym"] = "chacha20,sha256";
+		table["sym-strong"] = "chacha20,xsynd,arcfour,cube512,sha512";
+
+		init = true;
+	}
+
+	return table;
+}
+
+int action_gen_key (const std::string& p_algspec, const std::string&name,
                     const std::string&symmetric, bool armor,
                     keyring&KR, algorithm_suite&AS)
 {
-	if (algspec == "help") {
+	if (p_algspec == "help") {
 		//provide overview of algorithms available
 		err ("available algorithms: "
 		     "([S]ig., [E]nc., sym. [C]ipher, [H]ash) ");
@@ -130,9 +154,23 @@ int action_gen_key (const std::string& algspec, const std::string&name,
 		     i != hash_proc::suite().end(); ++i)
 			out (" H\t" << i->first);
 
+		err ("following aliases are available for convenience: ");
+		for (algspectable_t::iterator i = algspectable().begin(),
+		     e = algspectable().end();
+		     i != e; ++i)
+			err (i->first << " = " << i->second);
+
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	//replace algorithm name on match with alias
+	std::string algspec;
+	if (algspectable().count (p_algspec) )
+		algspec = algspectable() [p_algspec];
+	else
+		algspec = p_algspec;
+
+	//handle symmetric operation
 	if (symmetric.length() )
 		return action_gen_symkey (algspec, symmetric, armor);