diff --git a/src/bin/main.ts b/src/bin/main.ts
index 16a7b7f..5e91f2a 100644
--- a/src/bin/main.ts
+++ b/src/bin/main.ts
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ export default async function main(
       -f, --file <path>       Configuration file
       -d, --dir <path>        Project directory
       -e, --env <value>       Environment variables
-      --prefix                Print task routes
       --level <value>         Logging level
+      --prefix                Prefix task output with its route
       -h, --help              Show help
       -v, --version           Show version number
 
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ export default async function main(
     '--file': String,
     '--dir': String,
     '--env': [String] as [StringConstructor],
-    '--prefix': Boolean,
     '--level': String,
+    '--prefix': Boolean,
     '--help': Boolean,
     '--version': Boolean
   };
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ export default async function main(
                 names.join(' ')
               ),
               print(),
-              combine(record, names)
+              combine(record, { include: names, defaults: true })
             ),
             context.bind(null, { args }),
             withContext
diff --git a/src/bin/watch.ts b/src/bin/watch.ts
index 7638dae..3ad7a20 100644
--- a/src/bin/watch.ts
+++ b/src/bin/watch.ts
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export default async function bin(
                   names.join(' ')
                 );
               }),
-              combine(params.record, names)
+              combine(params.record, { include: names, defaults: true })
             )
           )
         )
diff --git a/src/helpers/parse.ts b/src/helpers/parse.ts
index 1eb98ed..be9fe0f 100644
--- a/src/helpers/parse.ts
+++ b/src/helpers/parse.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ interface Item {
 }
 
 interface ParseToArrayOptions {
+  roots: boolean;
   defaults: boolean;
 }
 
@@ -24,7 +25,10 @@ export function parseToRecord(
   record: Task.Record
 ): Members<Task> {
   const { include, exclude } = options;
-  const arr = parseToArray({ defaults: options.defaults }, record);
+  const arr = parseToArray(
+    { roots: options.roots, defaults: options.defaults },
+    record
+  );
 
   const members: Members<Task> = {};
   for (const item of arr) {
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ export function parseToArray(
 ): Item[] {
   const names: string[] = [];
 
-  return parseHelper(record)
+  return parseHelper(record, options.roots)
     .map(([route, task]) => {
       const name = stringifyRoute(route);
 
@@ -73,7 +77,10 @@ export function parseToArray(
     });
 }
 
-function parseHelper(record: Task.Record): Array<[string[], Task]> {
+function parseHelper(
+  record: Task.Record,
+  roots: boolean
+): Array<[string[], Task]> {
   const arr: Array<[string[], Task]> = [];
 
   for (const [name, tasks] of Object.entries(record)) {
@@ -83,7 +90,7 @@ function parseHelper(record: Task.Record): Array<[string[], Task]> {
       const all: Task[] = [];
       const defaults: Task[] = [];
       const every: Array<[string[], Task]> = [];
-      for (const [route, task] of parseHelper(tasks)) {
+      for (const [route, task] of parseHelper(tasks, roots)) {
         every.push([[name, ...route], task]);
         if (route.length <= 1) {
           route[0] === constants.record.default
@@ -92,10 +99,12 @@ function parseHelper(record: Task.Record): Array<[string[], Task]> {
         }
       }
 
-      if (defaults.length) {
-        arr.push([[name], series(...defaults)]);
-      } else if (all.length) {
-        arr.push([[name], series(...all)]);
+      if (roots) {
+        if (defaults.length) {
+          arr.push([[name], series(...defaults)]);
+        } else if (all.length) {
+          arr.push([[name], series(...all)]);
+        }
       }
 
       if (every.length) arr.push(...every);
diff --git a/src/tasks/aggregate/combine.ts b/src/tasks/aggregate/combine.ts
index 821e7b1..7b93ddf 100644
--- a/src/tasks/aggregate/combine.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/aggregate/combine.ts
@@ -4,40 +4,65 @@ import { run } from '../../utils/run';
 import { recreate } from '../../utils/recreate';
 import { context } from '../transform/context';
 import { series } from './series';
+import { shallow } from 'merge-strategies';
 import { into } from 'pipettes';
 
+export interface CombineOptions {
+  /**
+   * An array of strings indicating the name of the tasks
+   * to include for a task record.
+   * A task name is the stringification of its route in the record,
+   * joined by with a ':' character for each depth level.
+   * Targetting a level with inner tasks will run all of them.
+   */
+  include?: string[] | null;
+  /**
+   * An array of strings indicating the name of the tasks
+   * to exclude for a task record.
+   * A task name is the stringification of its route in the record,
+   * joined by with a ':' character for each depth level.
+   */
+  exclude?: string[] | null;
+  /**
+   * Whether to consider default tasks as separate from their root.
+   */
+  defaults?: boolean;
+}
+
 /**
  * Takes a task nested record `tasks` and runs a number
- * of them in series as selected by their `names`.
- * A task name will be the stringification of its route
- * in the record, with a ':' character for each level deep.
- * Targetting a level with inner tasks will run all of them.
+ * of them in series as selected by the inclusion or exclusion options.
  * @returns Task
  */
 export function combine(
   tasks: Task.Record,
-  names: string | string[]
+  options?: CombineOptions
 ): Task.Async {
-  const keys = Array.isArray(names) ? names : [names];
-
   return async (ctx: Context): Promise<void> => {
+    const opts: Required<CombineOptions> = shallow(
+      { include: null, exclude: null, defaults: false },
+      options || undefined
+    );
+
     return into(
       tasks,
       recreate.bind(null, (task, route) => {
         return context(
-          (ctx) => ({
-            ...ctx,
-            route: ctx.route.concat(route)
-          }),
+          (ctx) => ({ ...ctx, route: ctx.route.concat(route) }),
           task
         );
       }),
       parseToRecord.bind(null, {
-        include: keys,
-        exclude: null,
-        defaults: true
+        include: opts.include,
+        exclude: opts.exclude,
+        defaults: opts.defaults,
+        roots: Array.isArray(opts.include)
       }),
-      (record) => keys.map((key) => record[key]),
+      (record) => {
+        return Array.isArray(opts.include)
+          ? opts.include.map((name) => record[name])
+          : Object.values(record);
+      },
       (arr) => series(...arr),
       (task) => run(task, ctx)
     );
diff --git a/src/tasks/reflection/lift.ts b/src/tasks/reflection/lift.ts
index 0ffe5ac..8a3cba7 100644
--- a/src/tasks/reflection/lift.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/reflection/lift.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ export function lift(
       parseToRecord.bind(null, {
         include: null,
         exclude: null,
+        roots: true,
         defaults: opts.defaults
       }),
       (record) => Object.keys(record),
diff --git a/src/tasks/reflection/list.ts b/src/tasks/reflection/list.ts
index 7a97b95..539441a 100644
--- a/src/tasks/reflection/list.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/reflection/list.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ export function list(
     );
 
     const source = await getTaskRecord(tasks);
-    const items = parseToArray({ defaults: opts.defaults }, source);
+    const items = parseToArray(
+      { roots: true, defaults: opts.defaults },
+      source
+    );
     const maxRouteLength = items.reduce(
       (acc, item) => (acc > item.route.length ? acc : item.route.length),
       0