diff --git a/doc/api/merge_requests.md b/doc/api/merge_requests.md
index fc68e1ee0cf057b4756bcb9809a3c307142643df..c90d95e4dd0d7a4dbbe3aca6ee167dedae20e750 100644
--- a/doc/api/merge_requests.md
+++ b/doc/api/merge_requests.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Parameters:
 | `order_by`| string  | no    | Return requests ordered by `created_at` or `updated_at` fields. Default is `created_at` |
 | `sort`    | string  | no    | Return requests sorted in `asc` or `desc` order. Default is `desc`  |
 | `milestone`  | string  | no | Return merge requests for a specific milestone |
-| `simple` | boolean | no | Returns the `iid`, URL, title, description, and basic state of merge request |
+| `view` | string | no | If `simple`, returns the `iid`, URL, title, description, and basic state of merge request |
 | `labels`  | string  | no | Return merge requests matching a comma separated list of labels |
 | `created_after` | datetime | no | Return merge requests created after the given time (inclusive) |
 | `created_before` | datetime | no | Return merge requests created before the given time (inclusive) |
diff --git a/lib/api/merge_requests.rb b/lib/api/merge_requests.rb
index aace6553e2ec282af273df8ad02baa513767f0e6..ac33b2b801c0d7a56af3abf2305d34b997bbc96d 100644
--- a/lib/api/merge_requests.rb
+++ b/lib/api/merge_requests.rb
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ module API
           merge_requests = paginate(merge_requests)
                              .preload(:target_project)
 
-          return merge_requests if params[:simple]
+          return merge_requests if args[:view] == 'simple'
 
           merge_requests
             .preload(:notes, :author, :assignee, :milestone, :merge_request_diff, :labels)
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ module API
         optional :labels, type: String, desc: 'Comma-separated list of label names'
         optional :created_after, type: DateTime, desc: 'Return merge requests created after the specified time'
         optional :created_before, type: DateTime, desc: 'Return merge requests created before the specified time'
-        optional :simple, type: Boolean, default: false, desc: 'Returns the `iid`, URL, title, description, and basic state of merge request'
+        optional :view, type: String, values: %w[simple], desc: 'If simple, returns the `iid`, URL, title, description, and basic state of merge request'
         use :pagination
       end
       get ":id/merge_requests" do
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ module API
                     current_user: current_user,
                     project: user_project }
 
-        if params[:simple]
+        if params[:view] == 'simple'
           options[:with] = Entities::MergeRequestSimple
         else
           options[:issuable_metadata] = issuable_meta_data(merge_requests, 'MergeRequest')
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/merge_requests_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/merge_requests_spec.rb
index 850c22ff07fde89e9b7a5648c5657a4f8f93c15a..9098ae6bcda68b0dfdc90e8ceb7df78d69994477 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/merge_requests_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/merge_requests_spec.rb
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ describe API::MergeRequests do
       end
 
       it "returns an array of all merge_requests using simple mode" do
-        get api("/projects/#{project.id}/merge_requests?simple=true", user)
+        get api("/projects/#{project.id}/merge_requests?view=simple", user)
 
         expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
         expect(response).to include_pagination_headers