diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index abbc509e13..8e94cbde67 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ git-write-tree
 git-core-*/?*
 test-date
 test-delta
+common-cmds.h
 *.tar.gz
 *.dsc
 *.deb
diff --git a/Documentation/git.txt b/Documentation/git.txt
index 2d0ca9d8ed..8610d36c49 100644
--- a/Documentation/git.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git.txt
@@ -20,15 +20,16 @@ brings your stuff to the plumbing).
 OPTIONS
 -------
 --version::
-	prints the git suite version that the 'git' program came from.
+	Prints the git suite version that the 'git' program came from.
 
 --help::
-	prints the synopsis and a list of available commands.
-	If a git command is named this option will bring up the
-	man-page for that command.
+	Prints the synopsis and a list of the most commonly used
+	commands.  If a git command is named this option will bring up
+	the man-page for that command. If the option '--all' or '-a' is
+	given then all available commands are printed.
 
 --exec-path::
-	path to wherever your core git programs are installed.
+	Path to wherever your core git programs are installed.
 	This can also be controlled by setting the GIT_EXEC_PATH
 	environment variable. If no path is given 'git' will print
 	the current setting and then exit.
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cd2c2db19d..e75a1ab83f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -452,10 +452,13 @@ all:
 strip: $(PROGRAMS) git$X
 	$(STRIP) $(STRIP_OPTS) $(PROGRAMS) git$X
 
-git$X: git.c $(LIB_FILE)
+git$X: git.c common-cmds.h $(LIB_FILE)
 	$(CC) -DGIT_VERSION='"$(GIT_VERSION)"' \
 		$(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(filter %.c,$^) $(LIB_FILE) $(LIBS)
 
+common-cmds.h: Documentation/git-*.txt
+	./generate-cmdlist.sh > $@
+
 $(patsubst %.sh,%,$(SCRIPT_SH)) : % : %.sh
 	rm -f $@
 	sed -e '1s|#!.*/sh|#!$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)|' \
@@ -612,7 +615,7 @@ rpm: dist
 clean:
 	rm -f *.o mozilla-sha1/*.o arm/*.o ppc/*.o compat/*.o $(LIB_FILE)
 	rm -f $(ALL_PROGRAMS) git$X
-	rm -f *.spec *.pyc *.pyo */*.pyc */*.pyo
+	rm -f *.spec *.pyc *.pyo */*.pyc */*.pyo common-cmds.h
 	rm -rf $(GIT_TARNAME)
 	rm -f $(GIT_TARNAME).tar.gz git-core_$(GIT_VERSION)-*.tar.gz
 	$(MAKE) -C Documentation/ clean
diff --git a/generate-cmdlist.sh b/generate-cmdlist.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..6ee85d5a53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/generate-cmdlist.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+echo "/* Automatically generated by $0 */
+struct cmdname_help
+{
+    char name[16];
+    char help[64];
+};
+
+struct cmdname_help common_cmds[] = {"
+
+sort <<\EOF |
+add
+apply
+bisect
+branch
+checkout
+cherry-pick
+clone
+commit
+diff
+fetch
+grep
+init-db
+log
+merge
+mv
+prune
+pull
+push
+rebase
+reset
+revert
+rm
+show
+show-branch
+status
+tag
+verify-tag
+whatchanged
+EOF
+while read cmd
+do
+    sed -n "/NAME/,/git-$cmd/H;
+	    \$ {x; s/.*git-$cmd - \\(.*\\)/  {\"$cmd\", \"\1\"},/; p}" \
+	"Documentation/git-$cmd.txt"
+done
+echo "};"
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 746e2af684..0b40e3060d 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
 #include "exec_cmd.h"
+#include "common-cmds.h"
 
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "commit.h"
@@ -171,11 +172,29 @@ static void list_commands(const char *exec_path, const char *pattern)
 	putchar('\n');
 }
 
+static void list_common_cmds_help()
+{
+	int i, longest = 0;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(common_cmds); i++) {
+		if (longest < strlen(common_cmds[i].name))
+			longest = strlen(common_cmds[i].name);
+	}
+
+	puts("The most commonly used git commands are:");
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(common_cmds); i++) {
+		printf("    %s", common_cmds[i].name);
+		mput_char(' ', longest - strlen(common_cmds[i].name) + 4);
+		puts(common_cmds[i].help);
+	}
+	puts("(use 'git help -a' to get a list of all installed git commands)");
+}
+
 #ifdef __GNUC__
-static void cmd_usage(const char *exec_path, const char *fmt, ...)
-	__attribute__((__format__(__printf__, 2, 3), __noreturn__));
+static void cmd_usage(int show_all, const char *exec_path, const char *fmt, ...)
+	__attribute__((__format__(__printf__, 3, 4), __noreturn__));
 #endif
-static void cmd_usage(const char *exec_path, const char *fmt, ...)
+static void cmd_usage(int show_all, const char *exec_path, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	if (fmt) {
 		va_list ap;
@@ -189,10 +208,13 @@ static void cmd_usage(const char *exec_path, const char *fmt, ...)
 	else
 		puts(git_usage);
 
-	putchar('\n');
-
-	if(exec_path)
-		list_commands(exec_path, "git-*");
+	if (exec_path) {
+		putchar('\n');
+		if (show_all)
+			list_commands(exec_path, "git-*");
+		else
+			list_common_cmds_help();
+        }
 
 	exit(1);
 }
@@ -244,8 +266,11 @@ static int cmd_help(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 {
 	const char *help_cmd = argv[1];
 	if (!help_cmd)
-		cmd_usage(git_exec_path(), NULL);
-	show_man_page(help_cmd);
+		cmd_usage(0, git_exec_path(), NULL);
+	else if (!strcmp(help_cmd, "--all") || !strcmp(help_cmd, "-a"))
+		cmd_usage(1, git_exec_path(), NULL);
+	else
+		show_man_page(help_cmd);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -418,7 +443,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 			puts(git_exec_path());
 			exit(0);
 		}
-		cmd_usage(NULL, NULL);
+		cmd_usage(0, NULL, NULL);
 	}
 	argv[0] = cmd;
 
@@ -441,7 +466,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	execv_git_cmd(argv);
 
 	if (errno == ENOENT)
-		cmd_usage(exec_path, "'%s' is not a git-command", cmd);
+		cmd_usage(0, exec_path, "'%s' is not a git-command", cmd);
 
 	fprintf(stderr, "Failed to run command '%s': %s\n",
 		git_command, strerror(errno));