diff --git a/packages/cli/src/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/index.ts
index 5dbab4fa..308fb061 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/index.ts
@@ -66,7 +66,22 @@ export async function runCli(argv: readonly string[], backend: CommandBackend):
     process.stderr.write(`${backend.help}\n`);
     return 1;
   }
-  if (command === 'help' || command === '--help' || command === '-h') {
+  if (command === 'help') {
+    const path = argv.slice(1);
+    if (
+      path.length === 0 ||
+      (path.length === 1 && (path[0] === 'help' || path[0] === '--help' || path[0] === '-h'))
+    ) {
+      process.stdout.write(`${backend.help}\n`);
+      return 0;
+    }
+    if (path.some((argument) => argument.startsWith('-'))) {
+      process.stderr.write('gcb: help takes a command path, not options\n');
+      return 1;
+    }
+    return runCli([...path, '--help'], backend);
+  }
+  if (command === '--help' || command === '-h') {
     process.stdout.write(`${backend.help}\n`);
     return 0;
   }
diff --git a/test/unit/commands.test.ts b/test/unit/commands.test.ts
index 05b894b3..cf560849 100644
--- a/test/unit/commands.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/commands.test.ts
@@ -1247,3 +1247,19 @@ describe('the anchor flags, at the CLI boundary', () => {
     assert.doesNotMatch(noNumber.stderr, /--number is required/, 'without being asked for a number');
   });
 });
+
+describe('the help path', () => {
+  it('routes gcb help pr to gcb pr --help', () => {
+    const home = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gcb-help-path-'));
+    try {
+      const result = execFileSync('node', ['--conditions=development', 'packages/client/bin/gcb.js', 'help', 'pr'], {
+        cwd: path.resolve('.'),
+        encoding: 'utf8',
+        env: { ...process.env, HOME: home, GIT_BROKER_SOCKET: '', GIT_BROKER_SOCKET_FILE: '' },
+      });
+      assert.match(result, /Usage: gcb pr/);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts b/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts
index 962a799f..1a32e1da 100644
--- a/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts
@@ -418,3 +418,48 @@ describe('the -- terminator', () => {
     assert.match(result.stderr, /too many positional arguments/);
   });
 });
+
+describe('the help path', () => {
+  it('routes gcb help gh pr to gh pr --help', async () => {
+    const result = await runClient(['help', 'gh', 'pr']);
+    assert.equal(result.status, 0);
+    assert.match(result.stdout, /Usage: gcb gh/);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('a help path that is the help command', () => {
+  it('prints root help for help --help and help help', async () => {
+    for (const args of [['help', '--help'], ['help', 'help']]) {
+      const result = await runClient(args);
+      assert.equal(result.status, 0, args.join(' '));
+      assert.match(result.stdout, /Usage: gcb/);
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe('an invalid help path', () => {
+  it('does not run a command when the path contains options', async () => {
+    for (const args of [
+      ['help', 'pr', '--'],
+      ['help', 'pr', '--number'],
+      ['help', 'pr', '--help'],
+    ]) {
+      const result = await runClient(args);
+      assert.equal(result.status, 1, args.join(' '));
+      assert.match(result.stderr, /help takes a command path/);
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe('command-specific help refusal', () => {
+  it('runs the dispatcher checks for help host', async () => {
+    const result = await runClient(['help', 'host']);
+    assert.equal(result.status, 1);
+    assert.equal(result.stdout, '');
+    if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+      assert.match(result.stderr, /native Windows is not supported/);
+    } else {
+      assert.match(result.stderr, /`host` is a host command; install gcb-host on the host/);
+    }
+  });
+});