diff --git a/builtin/check-ref-format.c b/builtin/check-ref-format.c
index cef1ffe3ce..5d80afeec0 100644
--- a/builtin/check-ref-format.c
+++ b/builtin/check-ref-format.c
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ int cmd_check_ref_format(int argc,
 
 	BUG_ON_NON_EMPTY_PREFIX(prefix);
 
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(builtin_check_ref_format_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv,
+			    builtin_check_ref_format_usage);
 
 	if (argc == 3 && !strcmp(argv[1], "--branch"))
 		return check_ref_format_branch(argv[2]);
diff --git a/builtin/diff-files.c b/builtin/diff-files.c
index 604b04bb2c..99b1749723 100644
--- a/builtin/diff-files.c
+++ b/builtin/diff-files.c
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ int cmd_diff_files(int argc,
 	int result;
 	unsigned options = 0;
 
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(diff_files_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, diff_files_usage);
 
 	git_config(git_diff_basic_config, NULL); /* no "diff" UI options */
 
diff --git a/builtin/diff-index.c b/builtin/diff-index.c
index ebc824602e..81c0bc8ed7 100644
--- a/builtin/diff-index.c
+++ b/builtin/diff-index.c
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ int cmd_diff_index(int argc,
 	int i;
 	int result;
 
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(diff_cache_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, diff_cache_usage);
 
 	git_config(git_diff_basic_config, NULL); /* no "diff" UI options */
 
diff --git a/builtin/diff-tree.c b/builtin/diff-tree.c
index 40804e7b48..e31cc797fe 100644
--- a/builtin/diff-tree.c
+++ b/builtin/diff-tree.c
@@ -122,8 +122,7 @@ int cmd_diff_tree(int argc,
 	int read_stdin = 0;
 	int merge_base = 0;
 
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(diff_tree_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, diff_tree_usage);
 
 	git_config(git_diff_basic_config, NULL); /* no "diff" UI options */
 
diff --git a/builtin/fast-import.c b/builtin/fast-import.c
index 0f86392761..2da46fecdc 100644
--- a/builtin/fast-import.c
+++ b/builtin/fast-import.c
@@ -3565,8 +3565,7 @@ int cmd_fast_import(int argc,
 {
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(fast_import_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, fast_import_usage);
 
 	reset_pack_idx_option(&pack_idx_opts);
 	git_pack_config();
diff --git a/builtin/get-tar-commit-id.c b/builtin/get-tar-commit-id.c
index 6bec0d1854..e4cd1627b4 100644
--- a/builtin/get-tar-commit-id.c
+++ b/builtin/get-tar-commit-id.c
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ static const char builtin_get_tar_commit_id_usage[] =
 #define HEADERSIZE (2 * RECORDSIZE)
 
 int cmd_get_tar_commit_id(int argc,
-			  const char **argv UNUSED,
+			  const char **argv,
 			  const char *prefix,
 			  struct repository *repo UNUSED)
 {
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ int cmd_get_tar_commit_id(int argc,
 
 	BUG_ON_NON_EMPTY_PREFIX(prefix);
 
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, builtin_get_tar_commit_id_usage);
+
 	if (argc != 1)
 		usage(builtin_get_tar_commit_id_usage);
 
diff --git a/builtin/index-pack.c b/builtin/index-pack.c
index 0b62b2589f..d41b126ec0 100644
--- a/builtin/index-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/index-pack.c
@@ -1897,8 +1897,7 @@ int cmd_index_pack(int argc,
 	 */
 	fetch_if_missing = 0;
 
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(index_pack_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, index_pack_usage);
 
 	disable_replace_refs();
 	fsck_options.walk = mark_link;
diff --git a/builtin/mailsplit.c b/builtin/mailsplit.c
index 41dd304731..264df6259a 100644
--- a/builtin/mailsplit.c
+++ b/builtin/mailsplit.c
@@ -284,6 +284,8 @@ int cmd_mailsplit(int argc,
 
 	BUG_ON_NON_EMPTY_PREFIX(prefix);
 
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, git_mailsplit_usage);
+
 	for (argp = argv+1; *argp; argp++) {
 		const char *arg = *argp;
 
@@ -297,8 +299,6 @@ int cmd_mailsplit(int argc,
 			continue;
 		} else if ( arg[1] == 'f' ) {
 			nr = strtol(arg+2, NULL, 10);
-		} else if ( arg[1] == 'h' ) {
-			usage(git_mailsplit_usage);
 		} else if ( arg[1] == 'b' && !arg[2] ) {
 			allow_bare = 1;
 		} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--keep-cr")) {
diff --git a/builtin/merge-index.c b/builtin/merge-index.c
index 342699edb7..3314fb1336 100644
--- a/builtin/merge-index.c
+++ b/builtin/merge-index.c
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ static void merge_all(void)
 	}
 }
 
+static const char usage_string[] =
+"git merge-index [-o] [-q] <merge-program> (-a | [--] [<filename>...])";
+
 int cmd_merge_index(int argc,
 		    const char **argv,
 		    const char *prefix UNUSED,
@@ -87,8 +90,10 @@ int cmd_merge_index(int argc,
 	 */
 	signal(SIGCHLD, SIG_DFL);
 
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, usage_string);
+
 	if (argc < 3)
-		usage("git merge-index [-o] [-q] <merge-program> (-a | [--] [<filename>...])");
+		usage(usage_string);
 
 	repo_read_index(the_repository);
 
diff --git a/builtin/merge-ours.c b/builtin/merge-ours.c
index 3ecd9172f1..97b8a792c7 100644
--- a/builtin/merge-ours.c
+++ b/builtin/merge-ours.c
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ int cmd_merge_ours(int argc,
 		   const char *prefix UNUSED,
 		   struct repository *repo UNUSED)
 {
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(builtin_merge_ours_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, builtin_merge_ours_usage);
 
 	/*
 	 * The contents of the current index becomes the tree we
diff --git a/builtin/merge-recursive.c b/builtin/merge-recursive.c
index 1dd295558b..abfc060e28 100644
--- a/builtin/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/builtin/merge-recursive.c
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ int cmd_merge_recursive(int argc,
 	if (argv[0] && ends_with(argv[0], "-subtree"))
 		o.subtree_shift = "";
 
+	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h")) {
+		struct strbuf msg = STRBUF_INIT;
+		strbuf_addf(&msg, builtin_merge_recursive_usage, argv[0]);
+		show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, msg.buf);
+	}
+
 	if (argc < 4)
 		usagef(builtin_merge_recursive_usage, argv[0]);
 
diff --git a/builtin/pack-redundant.c b/builtin/pack-redundant.c
index e046575871..3febe732f8 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-redundant.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-redundant.c
@@ -595,8 +595,7 @@ int cmd_pack_redundant(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix UNUSED, s
 	struct strbuf idx_name = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char buf[GIT_MAX_HEXSZ + 2]; /* hex hash + \n + \0 */
 
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(pack_redundant_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, pack_redundant_usage);
 
 	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
 		const char *arg = argv[i];
diff --git a/builtin/remote-ext.c b/builtin/remote-ext.c
index 33c8ae0fc7..bd2037f27d 100644
--- a/builtin/remote-ext.c
+++ b/builtin/remote-ext.c
@@ -202,6 +202,8 @@ int cmd_remote_ext(int argc,
 {
 	BUG_ON_NON_EMPTY_PREFIX(prefix);
 
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, usage_msg);
+
 	if (argc != 3)
 		usage(usage_msg);
 
diff --git a/builtin/remote-fd.c b/builtin/remote-fd.c
index ae896eda57..39908546ba 100644
--- a/builtin/remote-fd.c
+++ b/builtin/remote-fd.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ int cmd_remote_fd(int argc,
 
 	BUG_ON_NON_EMPTY_PREFIX(prefix);
 
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, usage_msg);
 	if (argc != 3)
 		usage(usage_msg);
 
diff --git a/builtin/rev-list.c b/builtin/rev-list.c
index 3196da7b2d..28f148049f 100644
--- a/builtin/rev-list.c
+++ b/builtin/rev-list.c
@@ -542,8 +542,7 @@ int cmd_rev_list(int argc,
 	const char *show_progress = NULL;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(rev_list_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, rev_list_usage);
 
 	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
 	repo_init_revisions(the_repository, &revs, prefix);
diff --git a/builtin/rev-parse.c b/builtin/rev-parse.c
index 949747a6b6..428c866c05 100644
--- a/builtin/rev-parse.c
+++ b/builtin/rev-parse.c
@@ -713,6 +713,8 @@ int cmd_rev_parse(int argc,
 	int seen_end_of_options = 0;
 	enum format_type format = FORMAT_DEFAULT;
 
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, builtin_rev_parse_usage);
+
 	if (argc > 1 && !strcmp("--parseopt", argv[1]))
 		return cmd_parseopt(argc - 1, argv + 1, prefix);
 
diff --git a/builtin/unpack-objects.c b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
index 2197d6d933..8faa6024b2 100644
--- a/builtin/unpack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
@@ -619,6 +619,8 @@ int cmd_unpack_objects(int argc,
 
 	quiet = !isatty(2);
 
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, unpack_usage);
+
 	for (i = 1 ; i < argc; i++) {
 		const char *arg = argv[i];
 
diff --git a/builtin/upload-archive.c b/builtin/upload-archive.c
index 9d76a31c8f..97d7c9522f 100644
--- a/builtin/upload-archive.c
+++ b/builtin/upload-archive.c
@@ -93,8 +93,7 @@ struct repository *repo UNUSED)
 
 	BUG_ON_NON_EMPTY_PREFIX(prefix);
 
-	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
-		usage(upload_archive_usage);
+	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, upload_archive_usage);
 
 	/*
 	 * Set up sideband subprocess.
diff --git a/t/t0012-help.sh b/t/t0012-help.sh
index 9c7ae9fd36..d3a0967e9d 100755
--- a/t/t0012-help.sh
+++ b/t/t0012-help.sh
@@ -257,14 +257,8 @@ do
 			export GIT_CEILING_DIRECTORIES &&
 			test_expect_code 129 git -C sub $builtin -h >output 2>err
 		) &&
-		if test -n "$GIT_TEST_HELP_MUST_BE_STDOUT"
-		then
-			test_must_be_empty err &&
-			test_grep usage output
-		else
-			test_grep usage output ||
-			test_grep usage err
-		fi
+		test_must_be_empty err &&
+		test_grep usage output
 	'
 done <builtins