diff --git a/numpydoc/__main__.py b/numpydoc/__main__.py
index 8cd0943e..c3fb1ec5 100644
--- a/numpydoc/__main__.py
+++ b/numpydoc/__main__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 """
-Implementing `python -m numpydoc` functionality
-"""  # '.' omitted at end of docstring for testing purposes!
+Implements ``python -m numpydoc`` functionality.
+"""
 
 from .cli import main
 
diff --git a/numpydoc/cli.py b/numpydoc/cli.py
index 30daa3f5..d72b7e0c 100644
--- a/numpydoc/cli.py
+++ b/numpydoc/cli.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import argparse
 import ast
+import re
 from collections.abc import Sequence
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import List
@@ -100,10 +101,11 @@ def _parse_config(s):
     )
     lint_parser.add_argument(
         "--ignore",
-        type=str,
-        nargs="*",
         help=(
-            f"""Check codes to ignore.{
+            "Check codes to ignore. Can be specified multiple times; each value\n"
+            "may contain multiple comma or space separated codes\n"
+            "(e.g., --ignore ES01,SA01 or --ignore ES01 --ignore 'SA01 EX01')."
+            f"""{
                 " Currently ignoring the following from "
                 f"{Path(project_root_from_cwd) / config_file}: {ignored_checks_text}"
                 "Values provided here will be in addition to the above, unless an alternate config is provided."
@@ -111,6 +113,7 @@ def _parse_config(s):
                 else ""
             }"""
         ),
+        action="append",
     )
     lint_parser.set_defaults(func=validate_docstrings.run_hook)
 
@@ -123,6 +126,13 @@ def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
 
     args = vars(ap.parse_args(argv))
 
+    # Parse --ignored=SA01,EX01
+    ignored_checks = []
+    if args.get("ignore", None) is not None:
+        for checks in args["ignore"]:
+            ignored_checks += re.split("\\W+", checks)
+        args["ignore"] = ignored_checks
+
     try:
         func = args.pop("func")
         return func(**args)
diff --git a/numpydoc/tests/test_main.py b/numpydoc/tests/test_main.py
index 12a5a086..c2dc9be8 100644
--- a/numpydoc/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/numpydoc/tests/test_main.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import importlib.resources
-import inspect
 import io
 import sys
 
@@ -118,17 +116,19 @@ def test_validate_perfect_docstring():
     assert exit_status == 0
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("args", [[], ["--ignore", "SS03"]])
-def test_lint(capsys, args):
-    with importlib.resources.path(numpydoc, "__main__.py") as fpath:
-        strpath = str(fpath)
-
-    argv = ["lint", strpath] + args
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "args",
+    [[], ["--ignore", "SS03,ES01"], ["--ignore", "ES01", "--ignore", "SA01 SS03"]],
+)
+def test_lint(capsys, tmp_path, args):
+    f = tmp_path / "example.py"
+    f.write_text('"""Summary without period"""\n')
+    argv = ["lint", str(f)] + args
     if args:
         expected = ""
         expected_status = 0
     else:
-        expected = f"{strpath}:1: SS03 Summary does not end with a period"
+        expected = f"{f}:1: SS03 Summary does not end with a period"
         expected_status = 1
 
     return_status = numpydoc.cli.main(argv)