diff --git a/bin/h5cc.in b/bin/h5cc.in
index 4eef3c95eee..e3dc988a576 100644
--- a/bin/h5cc.in
+++ b/bin/h5cc.in
@@ -116,15 +116,15 @@ usage() {
   # A wonderfully informative "usage" message.
   echo "usage: $prog_name [OPTIONS] <compile line>"
   echo "  OPTIONS:"
-  echo "    -help        This help message."
-  echo "    -echo        Show all the shell commands executed"
-  echo "    -prefix=DIR  Prefix directory to find HDF5 lib/ and include/"
-  echo "                   subdirectories [default: $prefix]"
-  echo "    -show        Show the commands without executing them"
-  echo "    -showconfig  Show the HDF5 library configuration summary"
-  echo "    -shlib       Compile with shared HDF5 libraries [default for hdf5 built"
+  echo "    -help | --help | -h   This help message."
+  echo "    -echo                 Show all the shell commands executed"
+  echo "    -prefix=DIR           Prefix directory to find HDF5 lib/ and include/"
+  echo "                                                     subdirectories [default: $prefix]"
+  echo "    -show                 Show the commands without executing them"
+  echo "    -showconfig           Show the HDF5 library configuration summary"
+  echo "    -shlib                Compile with shared HDF5 libraries [default for hdf5 built"
   echo "                                                     without static libraries]"
-  echo "    -noshlib     Compile with static HDF5 libraries [default for hdf5 built"
+  echo "    -noshlib              Compile with static HDF5 libraries [default for hdf5 built"
   echo "                                                     with static libraries]"
   echo " "
   echo "  <compile line>  - the normal compile line options for your compiler."
@@ -256,6 +256,12 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
     -help)
       usage
       ;;
+    --help)
+      usage
+      ;;
+    -h)
+      usage
+      ;;
     *\"*)
       qarg="'"$arg"'"
       allargs="$allargs $qarg"
diff --git a/fortran/src/h5fc.in b/fortran/src/h5fc.in
index b793648d854..c5da815f3f6 100644
--- a/fortran/src/h5fc.in
+++ b/fortran/src/h5fc.in
@@ -110,15 +110,15 @@ usage() {
   # A wonderfully informative "usage" message.
   echo "usage: $prog_name [OPTIONS] <compile line>"
   echo "  OPTIONS:"
-  echo "    -help        This help message."
-  echo "    -echo        Show all the shell commands executed"
-  echo "    -prefix=DIR  Prefix directory to find HDF5 lib/ and include/"
-  echo "                   subdirectories [default: $prefix]"
-  echo "    -show        Show the commands without executing them"
-  echo "    -showconfig  Show the HDF5 library configuration summary"
-  echo "    -shlib       Compile with shared HDF5 libraries [default for hdf5 built"
+  echo "    -help | --help | -h   This help message."
+  echo "    -echo                 Show all the shell commands executed"
+  echo "    -prefix=DIR           Prefix directory to find HDF5 lib/ and include/"
+  echo "                                                     subdirectories [default: $prefix]"
+  echo "    -show                 Show the commands without executing them"
+  echo "    -showconfig           Show the HDF5 library configuration summary"
+  echo "    -shlib                Compile with shared HDF5 libraries [default for hdf5 built"
   echo "                                                     without static libraries]"
-  echo "    -noshlib     Compile with static HDF5 libraries [default for hdf5 built"
+  echo "    -noshlib              Compile with static HDF5 libraries [default for hdf5 built"
   echo "                                                     with static libraries]"
   echo " "
   echo "  <compile line>  - the normal compile line options for your compiler."
@@ -230,6 +230,12 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
     -help)
       usage
       ;;
+    --help)
+      usage
+      ;;
+    -h)
+      usage
+      ;;
     *\"*)
       qarg="'"$arg"'"
       allargs="$allargs $qarg"