diff --git a/vlib/cli/command.v b/vlib/cli/command.v
index b043dd24da..06963ce003 100644
--- a/vlib/cli/command.v
+++ b/vlib/cli/command.v
@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@ pub fn (mut cmd Command) parse(args []string) {
 }
 
 fn (mut cmd Command) add_default_flags() {
-	if !cmd.disable_help && !cmd.flags.contains('help') && !cmd.flags.contains('h') {
-		cmd.add_flag(help_flag())
+	if !cmd.disable_help && !cmd.flags.contains('help') {
+		cmd.add_flag(help_flag(!cmd.flags.contains('h')))
 	}
-	if !cmd.disable_version && cmd.version != '' && !cmd.flags.contains('version') && !cmd.flags.contains('v') {
-		cmd.add_flag(version_flag())
+	if !cmd.disable_version && cmd.version != '' && !cmd.flags.contains('version') {
+		cmd.add_flag(version_flag(!cmd.flags.contains('v')))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -88,11 +88,10 @@ fn (mut cmd Command) parse_flags() {
 			mut flag := &cmd.flags[i]
 			if flag.matches(cmd.args) {
 				found = true
-				args := flag.parse(cmd.args) or {	// TODO: fix once options types can be assigned to struct variables
+				cmd.args = flag.parse(cmd.args) or {
 					println('failed to parse flag ${cmd.args[0]}: ${err}')
 					exit(1)
 				}
-				cmd.args = args
 				break
 			}
 		}
@@ -104,9 +103,8 @@ fn (mut cmd Command) parse_flags() {
 	}
 }
 
-fn (cmd &Command) parse_commands() {
-	flags := cmd.flags
-	global_flags := flags.filter(it.global) // TODO: fix once filter can be applied to struct variable
+fn (mut cmd Command) parse_commands() {
+	global_flags := cmd.flags.filter(it.global)
 
 	cmd.check_help_flag()
 	cmd.check_version_flag()
@@ -125,7 +123,7 @@ fn (cmd &Command) parse_commands() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// if no further command was found execute current command
+	// if no further command was found, execute current command
 	if int(cmd.execute) == 0 {
 		if !cmd.disable_help {
 			help_cmd := cmd.commands.get('help') or { return } // ignore error and handle command normally
@@ -136,21 +134,18 @@ fn (cmd &Command) parse_commands() {
 		cmd.check_required_flags()
 
 		if int(cmd.pre_execute) > 0 {
-			pre_execute := cmd.pre_execute
-			pre_execute(cmd)
+			cmd.pre_execute(*cmd)
 		}
 
-		execute := cmd.execute
-		execute(cmd) // TODO: fix once higher order function can be execute on struct variable
+		cmd.execute(*cmd)
 
 		if int(cmd.post_execute) > 0 {
-			post_execute := cmd.post_execute
-			post_execute(cmd)
+			cmd.post_execute(*cmd)
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-fn (cmd &Command) check_help_flag() {
+fn (mut cmd Command) check_help_flag() {
 	if cmd.disable_help {
 		return
 	}
@@ -165,7 +160,7 @@ fn (cmd &Command) check_help_flag() {
 	}
 }
 
-fn (cmd &Command) check_version_flag() {
+fn (mut cmd Command) check_version_flag() {
 	if cmd.disable_version {
 		return
 	}
@@ -180,7 +175,7 @@ fn (cmd &Command) check_version_flag() {
 	}
 }
 
-fn (cmd &Command) check_required_flags() {
+fn (mut cmd Command) check_required_flags() {
 	for flag in cmd.flags {
 		if flag.required && flag.value == '' {
 			full_name := cmd.full_name()
diff --git a/vlib/cli/flag.v b/vlib/cli/flag.v
index 362806cb80..5cc0d38757 100644
--- a/vlib/cli/flag.v
+++ b/vlib/cli/flag.v
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ fn (mut flag Flag) parse(args []string) ?[]string {
 }
 
 // check if first arg matches flag
-fn (flag &Flag) matches(args []string) bool {
+fn (mut flag Flag) matches(args []string) bool {
 	return
 		(flag.name != '' && args[0].starts_with('--${flag.name}')) ||
 		(flag.abbrev != '' && args[0].starts_with('-${flag.abbrev}'))
diff --git a/vlib/cli/help.v b/vlib/cli/help.v
index 6255fdbc2a..3b404ca332 100644
--- a/vlib/cli/help.v
+++ b/vlib/cli/help.v
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ const (
 	spacing = 2
 )
 
-fn help_flag() Flag {
+fn help_flag(with_abbrev bool) Flag {
 	return Flag{
 		flag: .bool,
 		name: 'help',
-		abbrev: 'h',
+		abbrev: if with_abbrev { 'h' } else { '' },
 		description: 'Prints help information',
 	}
 }
diff --git a/vlib/cli/version.v b/vlib/cli/version.v
index 95b961c3a1..0ac37db3ae 100644
--- a/vlib/cli/version.v
+++ b/vlib/cli/version.v
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 module cli
 
-fn version_flag() Flag {
+fn version_flag(with_abbrev bool) Flag {
 	return Flag{
 		flag: .bool,
 		name: 'version',
-		abbrev: 'v',
+		abbrev: if with_abbrev { 'v' } else { '' },
 		description: 'Prints version information',
 	}
 }