diff --git a/bin/hbase b/bin/hbase
index f15db565372..fe61f133b1e 100755
--- a/bin/hbase
+++ b/bin/hbase
@@ -68,33 +68,29 @@ fi
 
 # if no args specified, show usage
 if [ $# = 0 ]; then
-  echo "Usage: hbase <command>"
-  echo "where <command> an option from one of these categories:"
+  echo "Usage: hbase [<options>] <command> [<args>]"
+  echo "Options:"
+  echo "  --config DIR    Configuration direction to use. Default: ./conf"
+  echo "  --hosts HOSTS   Override the list in 'regionservers' file"
   echo ""
-  echo "DBA TOOLS"
-  echo "  shell            run the HBase shell"
-  echo "  hbck             run the hbase 'fsck' tool"
-  echo "  hlog             write-ahead-log analyzer"
-  echo "  hfile            store file analyzer"
-  echo "  zkcli            run the ZooKeeper shell"
-  echo "  upgrade          upgrade hbase"
-  echo ""
-  echo "PROCESS MANAGEMENT"
-  echo "  master           run an HBase HMaster node" 
-  echo "  regionserver     run an HBase HRegionServer node" 
-  echo "  zookeeper        run a Zookeeper server"
-  echo "  rest             run an HBase REST server" 
-  echo "  thrift           run the HBase Thrift server" 
-  echo "  thrift2          run the HBase Thrift2 server"
-  echo "  clean            run the HBase clean up script"
-  echo ""
-  echo "PACKAGE MANAGEMENT"
-  echo "  classpath        dump hbase CLASSPATH"
-  echo "  version          print the version"
-  echo ""
-  echo " or"
-  echo "  CLASSNAME        run the class named CLASSNAME"
-  echo "Most commands print help when invoked w/o parameters."
+  echo "Commands:"
+  echo "Some commands take arguments. Pass no args or -h for usage."
+  echo "  shell           Run the HBase shell"
+  echo "  hbck            Run the hbase 'fsck' tool"
+  echo "  hlog            Write-ahead-log analyzer"
+  echo "  hfile           Store file analyzer"
+  echo "  zkcli           Run the ZooKeeper shell"
+  echo "  upgrade         Upgrade hbase"
+  echo "  master          Run an HBase HMaster node" 
+  echo "  regionserver    Run an HBase HRegionServer node" 
+  echo "  zookeeper       Run a Zookeeper server"
+  echo "  rest            Run an HBase REST server" 
+  echo "  thrift          Run the HBase Thrift server" 
+  echo "  thrift2         Run the HBase Thrift2 server"
+  echo "  clean           Run the HBase clean up script"
+  echo "  classpath       Dump hbase CLASSPATH"
+  echo "  version         Print the version"
+  echo "  CLASSNAME       Run the class named CLASSNAME"
   exit 1
 fi
 
diff --git a/bin/hbase.cmd b/bin/hbase.cmd
index 1a193406207..23f0a7649c4 100644
--- a/bin/hbase.cmd
+++ b/bin/hbase.cmd
@@ -392,29 +392,26 @@ goto :eof
   goto :eof
 
 :print_usage
-  echo Usage: hbase ^<command^>
+  echo Usage: hbase [^<options^>] ^<command^> [^<args^>]
   echo where ^<command^> an option from one of these categories::
-  echo DBA TOOLS
-  echo   shell            run the HBase shell
-  echo   hbck             run the hbase 'fsck' tool
-  echo   hlog             write-ahead-log analyzer
-  echo   hfile            store file analyzer
-  echo   zkcli            run the ZooKeeper shell
-  echo. 
-  echo PROCESS MANAGEMENT
-  echo   master           run an HBase HMaster node 
-  echo   regionserver     run an HBase HRegionServer node 
-  echo   zookeeper        run a Zookeeper server
-  echo   rest             run an HBase REST server 
-  echo   thrift           run the HBase Thrift server 
-  echo   thrift2          run the HBase Thrift2 server 
-  echo   avro             run an HBase Avro server 
-  echo. 
-  echo PACKAGE MANAGEMENT
-  echo   classpath        dump hbase CLASSPATH
-  echo   version          print the version
-  echo. 
-  echo  or
-  echo   CLASSNAME        run the class named CLASSNAME
-  echo Most commands print help when invoked w/o parameters.
+  echo Options:
+  echo   --config DIR    Configuration direction to use. Default: ./conf
+  echo.
+  echo Commands:
+  echo Some commands take arguments. Pass no args or -h for usage."
+  echo   shell           Run the HBase shell
+  echo   hbck            Run the hbase 'fsck' tool
+  echo   hlog            Write-ahead-log analyzer
+  echo   hfile           Store file analyzer
+  echo   zkcli           Run the ZooKeeper shell
+  echo   upgrade         Upgrade hbase
+  echo   master          Run an HBase HMaster node
+  echo   regionserver    Run an HBase HRegionServer node
+  echo   zookeeper       Run a Zookeeper server
+  echo   rest            Run an HBase REST server
+  echo   thrift          Run the HBase Thrift server
+  echo   thrift2         Run the HBase Thrift2 server
+  echo   classpath       Dump hbase CLASSPATH
+  echo   version         Print the version
+  echo   CLASSNAME       Run the class named CLASSNAME
   goto :eof