diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index 1f0189e2f..ac2b7e8b7 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -67,81 +67,6 @@ const (
 	exitCodeTransferExceeded
 )
 
-// Root is the main rclone command
-var Root = &cobra.Command{
-	Use:   "rclone",
-	Short: "Sync files and directories to and from local and remote object stores - " + fs.Version,
-	Long: `
-Rclone is a command line program to sync files and directories to and
-from various cloud storage systems and using file transfer services, such as:
-
-  * Amazon Drive
-  * Amazon S3
-  * Backblaze B2
-  * Box
-  * Dropbox
-  * FTP
-  * Google Cloud Storage
-  * Google Drive
-  * HTTP
-  * Hubic
-  * Jottacloud
-  * Mega
-  * Microsoft Azure Blob Storage
-  * Microsoft OneDrive
-  * OpenDrive
-  * Openstack Swift / Rackspace cloud files / Memset Memstore
-  * pCloud
-  * QingStor
-  * SFTP
-  * Webdav / Owncloud / Nextcloud
-  * Yandex Disk
-  * The local filesystem
-
-Features
-
-  * MD5/SHA1 hashes checked at all times for file integrity
-  * Timestamps preserved on files
-  * Partial syncs supported on a whole file basis
-  * Copy mode to just copy new/changed files
-  * Sync (one way) mode to make a directory identical
-  * Check mode to check for file hash equality
-  * Can sync to and from network, eg two different cloud accounts
-
-See the home page for installation, usage, documentation, changelog
-and configuration walkthroughs.
-
-  * https://rclone.org/
-`,
-	PersistentPostRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		fs.Debugf("rclone", "Version %q finishing with parameters %q", fs.Version, os.Args)
-		atexit.Run()
-	},
-}
-
-// runRoot implements the main rclone command with no subcommands
-func runRoot(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-	if version {
-		ShowVersion()
-		resolveExitCode(nil)
-	} else {
-		_ = Root.Usage()
-		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Command not found.\n")
-		resolveExitCode(errorCommandNotFound)
-	}
-}
-
-func init() {
-	// Add global flags
-	configflags.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
-	filterflags.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
-	rcflags.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
-
-	Root.Run = runRoot
-	Root.Flags().BoolVarP(&version, "version", "V", false, "Print the version number")
-	cobra.OnInitialize(initConfig)
-}
-
 // ShowVersion prints the version to stdout
 func ShowVersion() {
 	fmt.Printf("rclone %s\n", fs.Version)
@@ -549,6 +474,7 @@ func AddBackendFlags() {
 
 // Main runs rclone interpreting flags and commands out of os.Args
 func Main() {
+	setupRootCommand(Root)
 	AddBackendFlags()
 	if err := Root.Execute(); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Fatal error: %v", err)
diff --git a/cmd/help.go b/cmd/help.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..88fc4a255
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/help.go
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs"
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/config/configflags"
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/filter/filterflags"
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/rc/rcflags"
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/lib/atexit"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
+)
+
+// Root is the main rclone command
+var Root = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "rclone",
+	Short: "Sync files and directories to and from local and remote object stores - " + fs.Version,
+	Long: `
+Rclone syncs files to and from cloud storage providers as well as
+mounting them, listing them in lots of different ways.
+
+See the home page (https://rclone.org/) for installation, usage,
+documentation, changelog and configuration walkthroughs.
+
+`,
+	PersistentPostRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		fs.Debugf("rclone", "Version %q finishing with parameters %q", fs.Version, os.Args)
+		atexit.Run()
+	},
+}
+
+// root help command
+var helpCommand = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "help",
+	Short: Root.Short,
+	Long:  Root.Long,
+}
+
+// Show the flags
+var helpFlags = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "flags",
+	Short: "Show the global flags for rclone",
+	Run: func(command *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		_ = command.Usage()
+	},
+}
+
+// runRoot implements the main rclone command with no subcommands
+func runRoot(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	if version {
+		ShowVersion()
+		resolveExitCode(nil)
+	} else {
+		_ = cmd.Usage()
+		if len(args) > 0 {
+			_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Command not found.\n")
+		}
+		resolveExitCode(errorCommandNotFound)
+	}
+}
+
+// setupRootCommand sets default usage, help, and error handling for
+// the root command.
+//
+// Helpful example: http://rtfcode.com/xref/moby-17.03.2-ce/cli/cobra.go
+func setupRootCommand(rootCmd *cobra.Command) {
+	// Add global flags
+	configflags.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
+	filterflags.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
+	rcflags.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
+
+	Root.Run = runRoot
+	Root.Flags().BoolVarP(&version, "version", "V", false, "Print the version number")
+
+	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("showGlobalFlags", func(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+		return cmd.CalledAs() == "flags"
+	})
+	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("showCommands", func(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+		return cmd.CalledAs() != "flags"
+	})
+	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("showLocalFlags", func(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+		return cmd.CalledAs() != "rclone"
+	})
+	rootCmd.SetUsageTemplate(usageTemplate)
+	// rootCmd.SetHelpTemplate(helpTemplate)
+	// rootCmd.SetFlagErrorFunc(FlagErrorFunc)
+	rootCmd.SetHelpCommand(helpCommand)
+	// rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("help", "h", false, "Print usage")
+	// rootCmd.PersistentFlags().MarkShorthandDeprecated("help", "please use --help")
+
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(helpCommand)
+	helpCommand.AddCommand(helpFlags)
+	// rootCmd.AddCommand(helpBackend)
+	// rootCmd.AddCommand(helpBackends)
+
+	cobra.OnInitialize(initConfig)
+
+}
+
+var usageTemplate = `Usage:{{if .Runnable}}
+  {{.UseLine}}{{end}}{{if .HasAvailableSubCommands}}
+  {{.CommandPath}} [command]{{end}}{{if gt (len .Aliases) 0}}
+
+Aliases:
+  {{.NameAndAliases}}{{end}}{{if .HasExample}}
+
+Examples:
+{{.Example}}{{end}}{{if and (showCommands .) .HasAvailableSubCommands}}
+
+Available Commands:{{range .Commands}}{{if (or .IsAvailableCommand (eq .Name "help"))}}
+  {{rpad .Name .NamePadding }} {{.Short}}{{end}}{{end}}{{end}}{{if and (showLocalFlags .) .HasAvailableLocalFlags}}
+
+Flags:
+{{.LocalFlags.FlagUsages | trimTrailingWhitespaces}}{{end}}{{if and (showGlobalFlags .) .HasAvailableInheritedFlags}}
+
+Global Flags:
+{{.InheritedFlags.FlagUsages | trimTrailingWhitespaces}}{{end}}{{if .HasHelpSubCommands}}
+
+Additional help topics:{{range .Commands}}{{if .IsAdditionalHelpTopicCommand}}
+  {{rpad .CommandPath .CommandPathPadding}} {{.Short}}{{end}}{{end}}{{end}}
+
+Use "{{.CommandPath}} [command] --help" for more information about a command.
+Use "rclone help flags" for more information about global flags.
+Use "rclone help backends" for a list of supported services.
+`