diff --git a/src/rules/unnecessaryElseRule.ts b/src/rules/unnecessaryElseRule.ts
index 26b9180f9dd..afd2379a0d1 100644
--- a/src/rules/unnecessaryElseRule.ts
+++ b/src/rules/unnecessaryElseRule.ts
@@ -21,25 +21,21 @@ import * as Lint from "../index";
 
 import { codeExamples } from "./code-examples/unnecessaryElse.examples";
 
-const OPTION_ALLOW_ELSE_IF = "allow-else-if";
-
 export class Rule extends Lint.Rules.AbstractRule {
     /* tslint:disable:object-literal-sort-keys */
     public static metadata: Lint.IRuleMetadata = {
         description: Lint.Utils.dedent`
         Disallows \`else\` blocks following \`if\` blocks ending with a \`break\`, \`continue\`, \`return\`, or \`throw\` statement.`,
         descriptionDetails: "",
-        optionExamples: [true, [true, OPTION_ALLOW_ELSE_IF]],
+        optionExamples: [true, [true, { allowElseIf: true }]],
         options: {
-            type: "array",
-            items: {
-                type: "string",
-                enum: [OPTION_ALLOW_ELSE_IF],
+            type: "object",
+            properties: {
+                allowElseIf: { type: "boolean" },
             },
-            uniqueItems: true,
         },
         optionsDescription: Lint.Utils.dedent`
-            You can optionally specify the option \`"${OPTION_ALLOW_ELSE_IF}"\` to allow "else if" statements.
+            You can optionally specify the option \`"allowElseIf"\` to allow "else if" statements.
         `,
         rationale: Lint.Utils.dedent`
         When an \`if\` block is guaranteed to exit control flow when entered,
@@ -57,9 +53,7 @@ export class Rule extends Lint.Rules.AbstractRule {
     }
 
     public apply(sourceFile: ts.SourceFile): Lint.RuleFailure[] {
-        return this.applyWithFunction(sourceFile, walk, {
-            allowElseIf: this.ruleArguments.indexOf(OPTION_ALLOW_ELSE_IF) !== -1,
-        });
+        return this.applyWithFunction(sourceFile, walk, parseOptions(this.ruleArguments[0]));
     }
 }
 
@@ -67,6 +61,13 @@ interface Options {
     allowElseIf: boolean;
 }
 
+function parseOptions(option: Partial<Options> | undefined): Options {
+    return {
+        allowElseIf: false,
+        ...option,
+    };
+}
+
 function walk(ctx: Lint.WalkContext<Options>): void {
     ts.forEachChild(ctx.sourceFile, function cb(node: ts.Node): void {
         if (utils.isIfStatement(node)) {
diff --git a/test/rules/unnecessary-else/allow-else-if/tslint.json b/test/rules/unnecessary-else/allow-else-if/tslint.json
index 47a8b4f9485..e8a78e5df1b 100644
--- a/test/rules/unnecessary-else/allow-else-if/tslint.json
+++ b/test/rules/unnecessary-else/allow-else-if/tslint.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
     "rules": {
-      "unnecessary-else": [true, "allow-else-if"]
+      "unnecessary-else": [true,  { "allowElseIf": true }]
     }
 }