diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -77,6 +77,17 @@ def help(ui, cmd=None):
         try:
             i = find(cmd)
             ui.write("%s\n\n" % i[2])
+
+            if i[1]:
+                for s, l, d, c in i[1]:
+                    opt=' '
+                    if s: opt = opt + '-' + s + ' '
+                    if l: opt = opt + '--' + l + ' '
+                    if d: opt = opt + '(' + str(d) + ')'
+                    ui.write(opt, "\n")
+                    if c: ui.write('   %s\n' % c)
+                ui.write("\n")
+
             ui.write(i[0].__doc__, "\n")
         except UnknownCommand:
             ui.warn("hg: unknown command %s\n" % cmd)
@@ -603,7 +614,12 @@ def dispatch(args):
     signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, catchterm)
 
     cmdoptions = {}
-    args = fancyopts.fancyopts(args, i[1], cmdoptions, i[2])
+    try:
+        args = fancyopts.fancyopts(args, i[1], cmdoptions, i[2])
+    except fancyopts.getopt.GetoptError, inst:
+        u.warn("hg %s: %s\n" % (cmd, inst))
+        help(u, cmd)
+        sys.exit(-1)
 
     if cmd not in norepo.split():
         repo = hg.repository(ui = u)
@@ -627,7 +643,8 @@ def dispatch(args):
         tb = traceback.extract_tb(sys.exc_info()[2])
         if len(tb) > 2: # no
             raise
-        raise
+        u.debug(inst, "\n")
         u.warn("%s: invalid arguments\n" % i[0].__name__)
-        u.warn("syntax: %s\n" % i[2])
+        help(u, cmd)
         sys.exit(-1)
+
diff --git a/mercurial/fancyopts.py b/mercurial/fancyopts.py
--- a/mercurial/fancyopts.py
+++ b/mercurial/fancyopts.py
@@ -6,48 +6,25 @@ def fancyopts(args, options, state, synt
     map={}
     dt={}
 
-    def help(state, opt, arg, options=options, syntax=syntax):
-        print "Usage: ", syntax
-
-        for s, l, d, c in options:
-            opt=' '
-            if s: opt = opt + '-' + s + ' '
-            if l: opt = opt + '--' + l + ' '
-            if d: opt = opt + '(' + str(d) + ')'
-            print opt
-            if c: print '   %s' % c
-        sys.exit(0)
-
-    if len(args) < minlen:
-        help(state, None, args)
-
-    options=[('h', 'help', help, 'Show usage info')] + options
-    
     for s, l, d, c in options:
         map['-'+s] = map['--'+l]=l
         state[l] = d
         dt[l] = type(d)
-        if not d is None and not type(d) is type(help): s, l=s+':', l+'='      
+        if not d is None and not callable(d): s, l=s+':', l+'='      
         if s: short = short + s
         if l: long.append(l)
 
     if os.environ.has_key("HG_OPTS"):
         args = os.environ["HG_OPTS"].split() + args
 
-    try:
-        opts, args = getopt.getopt(args, short, long)
-    except getopt.GetoptError:
-        help(state, None, args)
-        sys.exit(-1)
+    opts, args = getopt.getopt(args, short, long)
 
     for opt, arg in opts:
-        if dt[map[opt]] is type(help): state[map[opt]](state,map[opt],arg)
+        if dt[map[opt]] is type(fancyopts): state[map[opt]](state,map[opt],arg)
         elif dt[map[opt]] is type(1): state[map[opt]] = int(arg)
         elif dt[map[opt]] is type(''): state[map[opt]] = arg
         elif dt[map[opt]] is type([]): state[map[opt]].append(arg)
         elif dt[map[opt]] is type(None): state[map[opt]] = 1
 
-    del state["help"]
-
     return args