diff --git a/lightningd/jsonrpc.c b/lightningd/jsonrpc.c
index 70e3d2423..66251f264 100644
--- a/lightningd/jsonrpc.c
+++ b/lightningd/jsonrpc.c
@@ -189,6 +189,36 @@ static struct json_command **get_cmdlist(void)
 	return cmdlist;
 }
 
+static void json_add_help_command(struct command *cmd,
+				  struct json_result *response,
+				  struct json_command *json_command)
+{
+	char *usage;
+	cmd->mode = CMD_USAGE;
+	json_command->dispatch(cmd, NULL, NULL);
+	usage = tal_fmt(cmd, "%s %s", json_command->name, cmd->usage);
+
+	json_object_start(response, NULL);
+
+	json_add_string(response, "command", usage);
+	json_add_string(response, "description", json_command->description);
+
+	if (!json_command->verbose) {
+		json_add_string(response, "verbose",
+				"HELP! Please contribute"
+				" a description for this"
+				" json_command!");
+	} else {
+		struct json_escaped *esc;
+
+		esc = json_escape(NULL, json_command->verbose);
+		json_add_escaped_string(response, "verbose", take(esc));
+	}
+
+	json_object_end(response);
+
+}
+
 static void json_help(struct command *cmd,
 		      const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *params)
 {
@@ -196,34 +226,16 @@ static void json_help(struct command *cmd,
 	struct json_result *response = new_json_result(cmd);
 	struct json_command **cmdlist = get_cmdlist();
 	const jsmntok_t *cmdtok;
-	char *usage;
 
-	/* FIXME: This is never called with a command parameter because lightning-cli
-	 * attempts to launch the man page and then exits. */
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
 		   p_opt("command", json_tok_tok, &cmdtok),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
 
-	json_object_start(response, NULL);
 	if (cmdtok) {
 		for (i = 0; i < num_cmdlist; i++) {
 			if (json_tok_streq(buffer, cmdtok, cmdlist[i]->name)) {
-				if (!cmdlist[i]->verbose)
-					json_add_string(response,
-							"verbose",
-							"HELP! Please contribute"
-							" a description for this"
-							" command!");
-				else {
-					struct json_escaped *esc;
-
-					esc = json_escape(NULL,
-							  cmdlist[i]->verbose);
-					json_add_escaped_string(response,
-								"verbose",
-								take(esc));
-				}
+				json_add_help_command(cmd, response, cmdlist[i]);
 				goto done;
 			}
 		}
@@ -234,23 +246,15 @@ static void json_help(struct command *cmd,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	cmd->mode = CMD_USAGE;
+	json_object_start(response, NULL);
 	json_array_start(response, "help");
 	for (i = 0; i < num_cmdlist; i++) {
-		cmdlist[i]->dispatch(cmd, NULL, NULL);
-		usage = tal_fmt(cmd, "%s %s", cmdlist[i]->name,
-			cmd->usage);
-		json_add_object(response,
-				"command", JSMN_STRING,
-				usage,
-				"description", JSMN_STRING,
-				cmdlist[i]->description,
-				NULL);
+		json_add_help_command(cmd, response, cmdlist[i]);
 	}
 	json_array_end(response);
+	json_object_end(response);
 
 done:
-	json_object_end(response);
 	command_success(cmd, response);
 }