diff --git a/dunst.c b/dunst.c
index 50c62f8..c89874f 100644
--- a/dunst.c
+++ b/dunst.c
@@ -1469,7 +1469,7 @@ void load_options(char *cmdline_config_path)
         close_all_ks.str = option_get_string("shortcuts", "close_all", "-all_key", close_all_ks.str);
         history_ks.str = option_get_string("shortcuts", "history", "-history_key", history_ks.str);
 
-        print_notifications = cmdline_get_bool("print", False);
+        print_notifications = cmdline_get_bool("-print", False);
 
         char *cur_section = NULL;
         for (;;) {
@@ -1535,9 +1535,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         cmdline_load(argc, argv);
 
-        if (cmdline_get_bool("-h/-help", False) || cmdline_get_bool("--help", False)) {
-                usage(EXIT_SUCCESS);
-        }
 
         if (cmdline_get_bool("-v/-version", False) || cmdline_get_bool("--version", False)) {
                 print_version();
@@ -1550,6 +1547,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         cmdline_config_path = NULL;
 #endif
         load_options(cmdline_config_path);
+
+        if (cmdline_get_bool("-h/-help", False) || cmdline_get_bool("--help", False)) {
+                usage(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+        }
+
         dc = initdc();
 
         init_shortcut(&close_ks);
@@ -1602,9 +1604,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 void usage(int exit_status)
 {
-        fputs
-            ("usage: dunst [-h/--help] [-v] [-geometry geom] [-lh height] [-fn font] [-format fmt]\n[-nb color] [-nf color] [-lb color] [-lf color] [-cb color] [ -cf color]\n[-to secs] [-lto secs] [-cto secs] [-nto secs] [-key key] [-history_key key] [-all_key key] [-mon n]  [-follow none/mouse/keyboard] [-config dunstrc]\n",
-             stderr);
+        fputs("usage:\n", stderr);
+        char *us = cmdline_create_usage();
+        fputs(us, stderr);
+        fputs("\n", stderr);
         exit(exit_status);
 }
 
diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index f94a47b..1325a1f 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 /* copyright 2012 Sascha Kruse and contributors (see LICENSE for licensing information) */
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -35,6 +37,9 @@ static char *clean_value(char *value);
 static int cmdline_argc;
 static char **cmdline_argv;
 
+static char *usage_str = NULL;
+static void cmdline_usage_append(char *key, char *type);
+
 static int cmdline_find_option(char *key);
 
 section_t *new_section(char *name)
@@ -304,6 +309,7 @@ int cmdline_find_option(char *key)
 
 char *cmdline_get_string(char *key, char *def)
 {
+        cmdline_usage_append(key, "string");
         int idx = cmdline_find_option(key);
         if (idx < 0) {
                 return def;
@@ -320,6 +326,7 @@ char *cmdline_get_string(char *key, char *def)
 
 int cmdline_get_int(char *key, int def)
 {
+        cmdline_usage_append(key, "double");
         char *str = cmdline_get_string(key, NULL);
         if (str == NULL)
                 return def;
@@ -329,6 +336,7 @@ int cmdline_get_int(char *key, int def)
 
 double cmdline_get_double(char *key, double def)
 {
+        cmdline_usage_append(key, "double");
         char *str = cmdline_get_string(key, NULL);
         if (str == NULL)
                 return def;
@@ -338,6 +346,7 @@ double cmdline_get_double(char *key, double def)
 
 int cmdline_get_bool(char *key, int def)
 {
+        cmdline_usage_append(key, "");
         int idx = cmdline_find_option(key);
         if (idx > 0)
                 return true;
@@ -413,4 +422,32 @@ int option_get_bool(char *ini_section, char *ini_key, char *cmdline_key, int def
         return ini_get_bool(ini_section, ini_key, def);
 }
 
+void cmdline_usage_append(char *key, char *type)
+{
+        static int add_linebreak = 2;
+
+
+        if (!usage_str) {
+                asprintf(&usage_str, "[%s %s]", key, type);
+                return;
+        }
+
+        char *tmp;
+        add_linebreak--;
+        if (add_linebreak == 0) {
+                asprintf(&tmp, "%s[%s %s]\n", usage_str, key, type);
+                add_linebreak = 3;
+        } else {
+                asprintf(&tmp, "%s[%s %s] ", usage_str, key, type);
+        }
+
+        free(usage_str);
+        usage_str = tmp;
+
+}
+
+char *cmdline_create_usage(void)
+{
+        return strdup(usage_str);
+}
 /* vim: set ts=8 sw=8 tw=0: */
diff --git a/options.h b/options.h
index 6337744..76a04ba 100644
--- a/options.h
+++ b/options.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ char *cmdline_get_string(char *key, char *def);
 int cmdline_get_int(char *key, int def);
 double cmdline_get_double(char *key, double def);
 int cmdline_get_bool(char *key, int def);
+char *cmdline_create_usage(void);
 
 char *option_get_string(char *ini_section, char *ini_key, char *cmdline_key, char *def);
 int option_get_int(char *ini_section, char *ini_key, char *cmdline_key, int def);