diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core/src/com/oracle/svm/core/NativeImageClassLoaderOptions.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core/src/com/oracle/svm/core/NativeImageClassLoaderOptions.java
index cae1f4c4b0c7d..6f0099706161a 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core/src/com/oracle/svm/core/NativeImageClassLoaderOptions.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core/src/com/oracle/svm/core/NativeImageClassLoaderOptions.java
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ public class NativeImageClassLoaderOptions {
                     " <target-module> can be ALL-UNNAMED to read all unnamed modules.")//
     public static final HostedOptionKey<AccumulatingLocatableMultiOptionValue.Strings> AddReads = new HostedOptionKey<>(AccumulatingLocatableMultiOptionValue.Strings.build());
 
+    @APIOption(name = "enable-native-access", launcherOption = true, valueSeparator = {APIOption.WHITESPACE_SEPARATOR, '='})//
+    @Option(help = "A comma-separated list of modules that are permitted to perform restricted native operations." +
+                    " The module name can also be ALL-UNNAMED.")//
+    public static final HostedOptionKey<AccumulatingLocatableMultiOptionValue.Strings> EnableNativeAccess = new HostedOptionKey<>(AccumulatingLocatableMultiOptionValue.Strings.build());
+
     @APIOption(name = "list-modules")//
     @Option(help = "List observable modules and exit.")//
     public static final HostedOptionKey<Boolean> ListModules = new HostedOptionKey<>(false);
diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/resources/Help.txt b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/resources/Help.txt
index d5c4e7a8cd54a..f2f24406a48de 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/resources/Help.txt
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/resources/Help.txt
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@ where options include:
     -J<flag>              pass <flag> directly to the JVM running the image generator
     --diagnostics-mode    enable diagnostics output: class initialization, substitutions, etc.
     --enable-preview      allow classes to depend on preview features of this release
-    --enable-native-access <module name>[,<module name>...]
-                          modules that are permitted to perform restricted native operations.
-                          <module name> can also be ALL-UNNAMED.
     --verbose             enable verbose output
     --version             print product version and exit
     --help                print this help message
diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java
index cfd259c77e545..ac574b77c091d 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ class DefaultOptionHandler extends NativeImage.OptionHandler<NativeImage> {
     /* Defunct legacy options that we have to accept to maintain backward compatibility */
     private static final String noServerOption = "--no-server";
 
-    private static final String nativeAccessOption = "--enable-native-access";
-
     DefaultOptionHandler(NativeImage nativeImage) {
         super(nativeImage);
     }
@@ -130,15 +128,6 @@ public boolean consume(ArgumentQueue args) {
                 args.poll();
                 nativeImage.addCustomJavaArgs("--enable-preview");
                 return true;
-            case nativeAccessOption:
-                args.poll();
-                String modules = args.poll();
-                if (modules == null) {
-                    NativeImage.showError(nativeAccessOption + moduleSetModifierOptionErrorMessage);
-                }
-                nativeImage.addEnableNativeAccess(modules);
-                nativeImage.addEnableNativeAccess("org.graalvm.nativeimage.foreign");
-                return true;
         }
 
         String singleArgClasspathPrefix = newStyleClasspathOptionName + "=";
@@ -212,15 +201,6 @@ public boolean consume(ArgumentQueue args) {
             nativeImage.addLimitedModules(limitModulesArgs);
             return true;
         }
-        if (headArg.startsWith(nativeAccessOption + "=")) {
-            args.poll();
-            String nativeAccessModules = headArg.substring(nativeAccessOption.length() + 1);
-            if (nativeAccessModules.isEmpty()) {
-                NativeImage.showError(headArg + moduleSetModifierOptionErrorMessage);
-            }
-            nativeImage.addCustomJavaArgs(headArg + ",org.graalvm.nativeimage.foreign");
-            return true;
-        }
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java
index 21a01c3f096a0..d795ee1195a34 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java
@@ -302,7 +302,6 @@ private static <T> String oR(OptionKey<T> option) {
     private final List<ExcludeConfig> excludedConfigs = new ArrayList<>();
     private final LinkedHashSet<String> addModules = new LinkedHashSet<>();
     private final LinkedHashSet<String> limitModules = new LinkedHashSet<>();
-    private final LinkedHashSet<String> enableNativeAccessModules = new LinkedHashSet<>();
 
     private long imageBuilderPid = -1;
 
@@ -1384,8 +1383,8 @@ private int completeImageBuild() {
         if (config.modulePathBuild && !finalImageClasspath.isEmpty()) {
             imageBuilderJavaArgs.add(DefaultOptionHandler.addModulesOption + "=ALL-DEFAULT");
         }
-        enableNativeAccessModules.addAll(getModulesFromPath(imageBuilderModulePath).keySet());
-        assert !enableNativeAccessModules.isEmpty();
+        // allow native access for all modules on the image builder module path
+        var enableNativeAccessModules = getModulesFromPath(imageBuilderModulePath).keySet();
         imageBuilderJavaArgs.add("--enable-native-access=" + String.join(",", enableNativeAccessModules));
 
         boolean useColorfulOutput = configureBuildOutput();
@@ -2016,10 +2015,6 @@ public void addLimitedModules(String limitModulesArg) {
         limitModules.addAll(Arrays.asList(SubstrateUtil.split(limitModulesArg, ",")));
     }
 
-    public void addEnableNativeAccess(String enableNativeAccessArg) {
-        enableNativeAccessModules.addAll(Arrays.asList(SubstrateUtil.split(enableNativeAccessArg, ",")));
-    }
-
     void addImageBuilderClasspath(Path classpath) {
         imageBuilderClasspath.add(canonicalize(classpath));
     }