diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dbee52ac6..10881beec 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -272,6 +272,13 @@ add_test(NAME dupdef_check COMMAND python3 ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/ci/dupdef_c
 # row keeps the next one from landing.
 add_test(NAME tool_help_check COMMAND python3 ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/ci/tool_help_check.py --check --root tools
          WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR})
+# The same question, asked of the two trees the row above does not cover: `tests/` had 7 helpers that treated the
+# flag as a path (4 crashed with FileNotFoundError, 2 as int(), and tests/laya_route_cases.py WROTE a file named
+# `--help` into the checkout), plus one onnx runner path. They answer with a usage line and rc 2 now.
+add_test(NAME tool_help_check_tests COMMAND python3 ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/ci/tool_help_check.py --check --root tests
+         WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR})
+add_test(NAME tool_help_check_onnx COMMAND python3 ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/ci/tool_help_check.py --check --root onnx
+         WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR})
 add_test(NAME tool_help_check_selftest COMMAND python3 ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/ci/tool_help_check.py --self-test
          WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR})
 
diff --git a/onnx/tests/onnx_conv_integer_types_test.py b/onnx/tests/onnx_conv_integer_types_test.py
index 6cf9c0d77..40124e42f 100755
--- a/onnx/tests/onnx_conv_integer_types_test.py
+++ b/onnx/tests/onnx_conv_integer_types_test.py
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ def run(runner, model, tensor, dtype, out_dir):
 
 
 def main(argv):
+    if len(argv) > 1 and argv[1] in ("-h", "--help"):
+        print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[0] if __doc__ else "usage: onnx_conv_integer_types_test.py [runner]")
+        return 2
     runner = argv[1] if len(argv) > 1 else "build/ort_run"
     types = {"uint8": TensorProto.UINT8, "int8": TensorProto.INT8}
     results = {}
diff --git a/tests/batch_check_state_ci.py b/tests/batch_check_state_ci.py
index 66a00ca52..0c27541aa 100755
--- a/tests/batch_check_state_ci.py
+++ b/tests/batch_check_state_ci.py
@@ -508,6 +508,9 @@ def tmp_root():
 
 
 def main():
+    if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] in ("-h", "--help"):
+        print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[0])
+        return 2
     if len(sys.argv) not in (2, 3) or (len(sys.argv) == 3 and sys.argv[2] not in ("lfm2", "lfm3", "qwen2", "qwen2vl", "qwen2_untied", "qwen3_5", "hy_v3", "hy_v3_sgate")):
         print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[2])
         return 2
diff --git a/tests/embed_forward_ci.py b/tests/embed_forward_ci.py
index 3d531d50c..88a852acc 100644
--- a/tests/embed_forward_ci.py
+++ b/tests/embed_forward_ci.py
@@ -153,6 +153,9 @@ def run(binary, d, ids, out):
 
 
 def main():
+    if len(sys.argv) == 2 and sys.argv[1] in ("-h", "--help"):
+        print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[0])
+        return 2
     if len(sys.argv) != 2:
         print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[2])
         return 2
diff --git a/tests/fake_lemonade.py b/tests/fake_lemonade.py
index 539bee389..ebc2dbdb7 100755
--- a/tests/fake_lemonade.py
+++ b/tests/fake_lemonade.py
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 import json, sys
 from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, ThreadingHTTPServer
 
+if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] in ("-h", "--help"):
+    print("usage: fake_lemonade.py <port> <record-path>")
+    sys.exit(2)
 port, record = int(sys.argv[1]), sys.argv[2]
 
 
diff --git a/tests/fake_spawn_exec.py b/tests/fake_spawn_exec.py
index e2e611ea7..6782bb3a3 100644
--- a/tests/fake_spawn_exec.py
+++ b/tests/fake_spawn_exec.py
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 import json, os, sys
 from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, ThreadingHTTPServer
 
+if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] in ("-h", "--help"):
+    print("usage: fake_spawn_exec.py <port>")
+    sys.exit(2)
 port = int(sys.argv[1])
 RECORD = os.environ.get("SPAWN_RECORD")
 
diff --git a/tests/gptoss_forward_ci.py b/tests/gptoss_forward_ci.py
index e1b8d3d46..729b57a8b 100644
--- a/tests/gptoss_forward_ci.py
+++ b/tests/gptoss_forward_ci.py
@@ -253,6 +253,9 @@ def tmp_root():
 
 
 def main():
+    if len(sys.argv) == 2 and sys.argv[1] in ("-h", "--help"):
+        print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[0])
+        return 2
     if len(sys.argv) != 2:
         print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[2])
         return 2
diff --git a/tests/laya_route_cases.py b/tests/laya_route_cases.py
index b94bfe9ac..d427a77fb 100644
--- a/tests/laya_route_cases.py
+++ b/tests/laya_route_cases.py
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ def main():
         instr = LONG_INSTR[i % len(LONG_INSTR)]
         cases.append({"class": "long_doc", "text": f"{instr}\n\n{body(k, r)}"})
     assert all(sum(c["class"] == k for c in cases) == 50 for k in ("code", "prose", "short", "long_doc"))
+    if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] in ("-h", "--help"):
+        print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[0])
+        sys.exit(2)
     out = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "tests/laya_route_cases.json"
     json.dump({"about": "RFC #186: labelled requests for the Laya request classifier; regenerate with tests/laya_route_cases.py",
                "classes": ["code", "prose", "short", "long_doc"], "cases": cases}, open(out, "w"), indent=1, ensure_ascii=False)
diff --git a/tests/serve_spec_lookup_test.py b/tests/serve_spec_lookup_test.py
index e42f66342..54d6ce050 100644
--- a/tests/serve_spec_lookup_test.py
+++ b/tests/serve_spec_lookup_test.py
@@ -224,6 +224,9 @@ def start(binary, model, port, extra, log):
 
 
 def main():
+    if len(sys.argv) == 2 and sys.argv[1] in ("-h", "--help"):
+        print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[0])
+        return 2
     if len(sys.argv) != 2:
         print(__doc__.strip().splitlines()[2])
         return 2