diff --git a/kitty/cli.py b/kitty/cli.py
index 993f050ff..e19cbf091 100644
--- a/kitty/cli.py
+++ b/kitty/cli.py
@@ -565,21 +565,32 @@ class Options:
         self.seq = seq
         self.usage, self.message, self.appname = usage, message, appname
         self.names_map, self.alias_map, self.values_map = get_option_maps(seq)
+        self.help_called = self.version_called = False
 
     def handle_help(self) -> NoReturn:
         if self.do_print:
             print_help_for_seq(self.seq, self.usage, self.message, self.appname or appname)
+        self.help_called = True
         raise SystemExit(0)
 
     def handle_version(self) -> NoReturn:
+        self.version_called = True
         if self.do_print:
             print(version())
         raise SystemExit(0)
 
 
 def parse_cmdline(oc: Options, disabled: OptionSpecSeq, ans: Any, args: list[str] | None = None) -> list[str]:
+    names_map = oc.names_map.copy()
+    values_map = oc.values_map.copy()
+    if 'help' not in names_map:
+        names_map['help'] = {'type': 'bool-set', 'aliases': ('--help', '-h')}  # type: ignore
+        values_map['help'] = False
+    if 'version' not in names_map:
+        names_map['version'] = {'type': 'bool-set', 'aliases': ('--version', '-v')}  # type: ignore
+        values_map['version'] = False
     try:
-        vals, leftover_args = parse_cli_from_spec(sys.argv[1:] if args is None else args, oc.names_map, oc.values_map)
+        vals, leftover_args = parse_cli_from_spec(sys.argv[1:] if args is None else args, names_map, values_map)
     except Exception as e:
         raise SystemExit(str(e))
 
diff --git a/kitty/launcher/cli-parser.h b/kitty/launcher/cli-parser.h
index 23ce2261c..2f68b76db 100644
--- a/kitty/launcher/cli-parser.h
+++ b/kitty/launcher/cli-parser.h
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ parse_cli_loop(CLISpec *spec, int argc, char **argv) {  // argv must contain arg
                                     if (!process_cli_arg(spec, flag, payload)) return false;
                                 } else {
                                     state = EXPECTING_ARG;
-                                    current_option = arg;
+                                    current_option = flag;
                                 }
                                 if (spec->errmsg) return false;
                             }
diff --git a/kitty/simple_cli_definitions.py b/kitty/simple_cli_definitions.py
index 53f5c4b37..0aa7970f0 100644
--- a/kitty/simple_cli_definitions.py
+++ b/kitty/simple_cli_definitions.py
@@ -252,6 +252,13 @@ def c_str(x: str) -> str:
 
 def generate_c_parser_for(funcname: str, spec: str) -> Iterator[str]:
     names_map, _, defaults_map = get_option_maps(parse_option_spec(spec)[0])
+    if 'help' not in names_map:
+        names_map['help'] = {'type': 'bool-set', 'aliases': ('--help', '-h')}  # type: ignore
+        defaults_map['help'] = False
+    if 'version' not in names_map:
+        names_map['version'] = {'type': 'bool-set', 'aliases': ('--version', '-v')}  # type: ignore
+        defaults_map['version'] = False
+
     yield f'static void\nparse_cli_for_{funcname}(CLISpec *spec, int argc, char **argv) {{'  # }}
     yield '\tFlagSpec flag;'
     for name, opt in names_map.items():
diff --git a/kitty_tests/options.py b/kitty_tests/options.py
index 5751529e0..b76e1db26 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/options.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/options.py
@@ -77,18 +77,25 @@ version
     oc = Options(seq, usage='xxx', message='yyy', appname='test')
     oc.do_print = False
 
-    def t(args, leftover=(), fails=False, **expected):
+    def t(args, leftover=(), fails=False, version_called=False, help_called=False, **expected):
+        oc.help_called = oc.version_called = False
         args = list(shlex_split(args))
         ans = CLIOptions()
         if fails:
-            with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
-                parse_cmdline(oc, disabled, ans, args=args)
+            if isinstance(fails, str):
+                with self.assertRaisesRegex(SystemExit, fails):
+                    parse_cmdline(oc, disabled, ans, args=args)
+            else:
+                with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                    parse_cmdline(oc, disabled, ans, args=args)
         else:
             actual_leftover = parse_cmdline(oc, disabled, ans, args=args)
             self.assertEqual(tuple(leftover), tuple(actual_leftover), f'{args}\n{ans}')
             for dest, defval in oc.values_map.items():
                 val = expected.get(dest, defval)
                 self.assertEqual(val, getattr(ans, dest, BaseTest), f'Failed to parse {dest} correctly for: {args} \n{ans}')
+        self.assertEqual(version_called, oc.version_called)
+        self.assertEqual(help_called, oc.help_called)
 
     t('-1', bool_set=True)
     t('-01', bool_reset=False, bool_set=True)
@@ -101,14 +108,14 @@ version
     t('--simple-string --help -- -1', leftover=['-1'], simple_string='--help')
     t('-1l=a --list=b -c b --list c', bool_set=True, choice='b', list=list('abc'))
     t('-1s= -l "" --list= x', leftover=['x'], bool_set=True, simple_string='', list=['', ''])
-    t('--choice moo', fails=True)
-    t('-1c moo', fails=True)
-    t('-10c=moo', fails=True)
-    t('-1 -h', fails=True)
-    t('-1 --help', fails=True)
-    t('-1 -0v', fails=True)
-    t('-1 -v0', fails=True)
-    t('-1 --version', fails=True)
+    t('--choice moo', fails='a, b, c')
+    t('-1c moo', fails='a, b, c')
+    t('-10c=moo', fails='a, b, c')
+    t('-1 -h', fails=True, help_called=True)
+    t('-1 --help', fails=True, help_called=True)
+    t('-1 -0v', fails=True, version_called=True)
+    t('-1 -v0', fails=True, version_called=True)
+    t('-1 --version', fails=True, version_called=True)
     t('-f=3.142 --int 17', float=3.142, int=17)