diff --git a/ext2spice/ext2spice.c b/ext2spice/ext2spice.c
index 43ebabbe..8885bdce 100644
--- a/ext2spice/ext2spice.c
+++ b/ext2spice/ext2spice.c
@@ -1147,6 +1147,17 @@ spcmainArgs(pargc, pargv)
     char **argv = *pargv, *cp;
     int argc = *pargc;
 
+    char usage_text[] = "Usage: ext2spice "
+		"[-B] [-o spicefile] [-M|-m] [-y cap_digits] "
+		"[-J flat|hier]\n"
+		"[-f spice2|spice3|hspice|ngspice] [-M] [-m] "
+#ifdef MAGIC_WRAPPER
+		"[file]\n";
+#else
+		"[-j device:sdRclass[/subRclass]/defaultSubstrate]\n"
+		"file\n\n    or else see options to extcheck(1)\n";
+#endif
+
     switch (argv[0][1])
     {
 	case 'd':
@@ -1243,6 +1254,9 @@ spcmainArgs(pargc, pargv)
 	    break;
 	    }
 #endif			/* MAGIC_WRAPPER */
+	case 'h':	/* -h or -help, as suggested by "ext2spice help" */
+	    TxPrintf(usage_text);
+	    break;
 	default:
 	    TxError("Unrecognized flag: %s\n", argv[0]);
 	    goto usage;
@@ -1253,16 +1267,7 @@ spcmainArgs(pargc, pargv)
     return 0;
 
 usage:
-    TxError("Usage: ext2spice [-B] [-o spicefile] [-M|-m] [-y cap_digits] "
-		"[-J flat|hier]\n"
-		"[-f spice2|spice3|hspice|ngspice] [-M] [-m] "
-#ifdef MAGIC_WRAPPER
-		"[file]\n"
-#else
-		"[-j device:sdRclass[/subRclass]/defaultSubstrate]\n"
-		"file\n\n    or else see options to extcheck(1)\n"
-#endif
-		);
+    TxError(usage_text);
 
 #ifdef MAGIC_WRAPPER
     return 1;
diff --git a/extflat/EFargs.c b/extflat/EFargs.c
index dd812dac..d94ebc16 100644
--- a/extflat/EFargs.c
+++ b/extflat/EFargs.c
@@ -160,6 +160,15 @@ EFArgs(argc, argv, err_result, argsProc, cdata)
     HierName *hierName;
     FILE *f;
 
+    char usage_text[] = 
+	"Standard arguments: [-R] [-C] [-r rthresh] [-c cthresh] [-v]\n"
+		"[-p searchpath] [-s sym=value] [-S symfile] [-t trimchars]\n"
+#ifdef MAGIC_WRAPPER
+		"[rootfile]\n";
+#else
+		"[-T techname] rootfile\n";
+#endif
+
     if (err_result != NULL) *err_result = FALSE;
 
     /* Hash table of nodes we're going to watch if -N given */
@@ -270,6 +279,11 @@ EFArgs(argc, argv, err_result, argsProc, cdata)
 	    case 'z':
 		efHNStats = TRUE;
 		break;
+	    case 'h':
+		if (argsProc != NULL) (*argsProc)(&argc, &argv, cdata);
+		TxPrintf(usage_text);
+		if (err_result != NULL) *err_result = TRUE;
+		return NULL;
 
 	    /*** Try a caller-supplied argument processing function ***/
 	    default:
@@ -312,19 +326,15 @@ EFArgs(argc, argv, err_result, argsProc, cdata)
 	realIn[cp - inname] = '\0';
 	inname = realIn;
     }
-
     return inname;
 
 usage:
-    TxError("Standard arguments: [-R] [-C] [-r rthresh] [-c cthresh] [-v]\n"
-		"[-p searchpath] [-s sym=value] [-S symfile] [-t trimchars]\n"
+    TxError(usage_text);
 
 #ifdef MAGIC_WRAPPER
-		"[rootfile]\n");
     if (err_result != NULL) *err_result = TRUE;
     return NULL;
 #else
-		"[-T techname] rootfile\n");
     exit (1);
     /*NOTREACHED*/
 #endif