diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/test_notebookapp.py b/IPython/html/tests/test_notebookapp.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24c0e62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/test_notebookapp.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+"""Test NotebookApp"""
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#  Copyright (C) 2013 The IPython Development Team
+#
+#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Imports
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+import nose.tools as nt
+
+import IPython.testing.tools as tt
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Test functions
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def test_help_output():
+    """ipython notebook -h works"""
+    tt.help_output_test('notebook')
+
+def test_help_all_output():
+    """ipython notebook --help-all works"""
+    tt.help_all_output_test('notebook')
+
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvertapp.py b/IPython/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvertapp.py
index 1eabe13..9e680f0 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvertapp.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvertapp.py
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
-"""
-Contains tests for the nbconvertapp
-"""
+"""Test NbConvertApp"""
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#Copyright (c) 2013, the IPython Development Team.
-#
-#Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
+#  Copyright (C) 2013 The IPython Development Team
 #
-#The full license is in the file COPYING.txt, distributed with this software.
+#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -18,9 +16,10 @@ import glob
 
 from .base import TestsBase
 
+import IPython.testing.tools as tt
 from IPython.testing import decorators as dec
 
-    
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Constants
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -35,13 +34,18 @@ class TestNbConvertApp(TestsBase):
 
 
     def test_notebook_help(self):
-        """
-        Will help show if no notebooks are specified?
-        """
+        """Will help show if no notebooks are specified?"""
         with self.create_temp_cwd():
             out, err = self.call('nbconvert --log-level 0', ignore_return_code=True)
-            assert "see '--help-all'" in out
+            self.assertIn("see '--help-all'", out)
+    
+    def test_help_output(self):
+        """ipython nbconvert -h works"""
+        tt.help_output_test('nbconvert')
 
+    def test_help_all_output(self):
+        """ipython nbconvert --help-all works"""
+        tt.help_all_output_test('nbconvert')
 
     def test_glob(self):
         """
diff --git a/IPython/qt/console/tests/test_app.py b/IPython/qt/console/tests/test_app.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a8d446
--- /dev/null
+++ b/IPython/qt/console/tests/test_app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+"""Test QtConsoleApp"""
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#  Copyright (C) 2013 The IPython Development Team
+#
+#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Imports
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+import nose.tools as nt
+
+import IPython.testing.tools as tt
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Test functions
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def test_help_output():
+    """ipython qtconsole -h works"""
+    tt.help_output_test('qtconsole')
+
+def test_help_all_output():
+    """ipython qtconsole --help-all works"""
+    tt.help_all_output_test('qtconsole')
+
diff --git a/IPython/terminal/console/tests/test_console.py b/IPython/terminal/console/tests/test_console.py
index 60b9679..ab09cec 100644
--- a/IPython/terminal/console/tests/test_console.py
+++ b/IPython/terminal/console/tests/test_console.py
@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@ import time
 import nose.tools as nt
 from nose import SkipTest
 
+import IPython.testing.tools as tt
 from IPython.testing import decorators as dec
 from IPython.utils import py3compat
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Test functions begin
+# Tests
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 @dec.skip_win32
@@ -55,3 +56,12 @@ def test_console_starts():
     p.expect([pexpect.EOF, pexpect.TIMEOUT], timeout=t)
     if p.isalive():
         p.terminate()
+
+def test_help_output():
+    """ipython console -h works"""
+    tt.help_output_test('console')
+    
+def test_help_all_output():
+    """ipython console --help-all works"""
+    tt.help_all_output_test('console')
+
diff --git a/IPython/terminal/tests/test_help.py b/IPython/terminal/tests/test_help.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f217e20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/IPython/terminal/tests/test_help.py
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+"""Test help output of various IPython entry points"""
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#  Copyright (C) 2013 The IPython Development Team
+#
+#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Imports
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+from IPython.testing.tools import help, help_all
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@help()
+def test_ipython_help():
+    pass
+
+@help_all()
+def test_ipython_help_all():
+    pass
+
+@help("profile")
+def test_profile_help():
+    pass
+
+@help_all("profile")
+def test_profile_help_all():
+    pass
+
+@help("profile list")
+def test_profile_list_help():
+    pass
+
+@help_all("profile list")
+def test_profile_list_help_all():
+    pass
+
+@help("profile create")
+def test_profile_create_help():
+    pass
+
+@help_all("profile create")
+def test_profile_create_help_all():
+    pass
+
+@help("locate")
+def test_locate_help():
+    pass
+
+@help_all("locate")
+def test_locate_help_all():
+    pass
+
+@help("locate profile")
+def test_locate_profile_help():
+    pass
+
+@help_all("locate profile")
+def test_locate_profile_all():
+    pass
diff --git a/IPython/testing/tools.py b/IPython/testing/tools.py
index 696c655..45c2034 100644
--- a/IPython/testing/tools.py
+++ b/IPython/testing/tools.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Authors
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#  Copyright (C) 2009-2011  The IPython Development Team
+#  Copyright (C) 2009 The IPython Development Team
 #
 #  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
 #  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 # Imports
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+import inspect
 import os
 import re
 import sys
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ except ImportError:
     has_nose = False
 
 from IPython.config.loader import Config
+from IPython.utils.process import get_output_error_code
 from IPython.utils.text import list_strings
 from IPython.utils.io import temp_pyfile, Tee
 from IPython.utils import py3compat
@@ -408,3 +410,56 @@ def monkeypatch(obj, name, attr):
     setattr(obj, name, attr)
     yield
     setattr(obj, name, orig)
+
+
+def help_output_test(subcommand=''):
+    """test that `ipython [subcommand] -h` works"""
+    cmd = ' '.join(get_ipython_cmd() + [subcommand, '-h'])
+    out, err, rc = get_output_error_code(cmd)
+    nt.assert_equal(rc, 0, err)
+    nt.assert_not_in("Traceback", err)
+    nt.assert_in("Options", out)
+    nt.assert_in("--help-all", out)
+    return out, err
+
+
+def help_all_output_test(subcommand=''):
+    """test that `ipython [subcommand] --help-all` works"""
+    cmd = ' '.join(get_ipython_cmd() + [subcommand, '--help-all'])
+    out, err, rc = get_output_error_code(cmd)
+    nt.assert_equal(rc, 0, err)
+    nt.assert_not_in("Traceback", err)
+    nt.assert_in("Options", out)
+    nt.assert_in("Class parameters", out)
+    return out, err
+
+
+def help(cmd=''):
+    """decorator for making a test for `ipython cmd -h`"""
+    def wrap_help_test(f):
+        def test_help_output():
+            out, err = help_output_test(cmd)
+            if inspect.getargspec(f).args:
+                return f(out, err)
+            else:
+                return f()
+        cmds = cmd + ' ' if cmd else ''
+        test_help_output.__doc__ = "ipython {cmds}--help-all works".format(cmds=cmds)
+
+        return test_help_output
+    return wrap_help_test
+
+
+def help_all(cmd=''):
+    """decorator for making a test for `ipython [cmd] --help-all`"""
+    def wrap_help_test(f):
+        def test_help_output():
+            out, err = help_all_output_test(cmd)
+            if inspect.getargspec(f).args:
+                return f(out, err)
+            else:
+                return f()
+        cmds = cmd + ' ' if cmd else ''
+        test_help_output.__doc__ = "ipython {cmds}--help-all works".format(cmds=cmds)
+        return test_help_output
+    return wrap_help_test