diff --git a/cmdopt.cpp b/cmdopt.cpp
index 6e497238..4a311840 100644
--- a/cmdopt.cpp
+++ b/cmdopt.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <iomanip>
 
 using util::cmdopt::option::base;
 using util::cmdopt::option::bytes;
@@ -31,10 +32,11 @@ using util::cmdopt::parser;
 
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-base::base (std::string _name):
-    m_name (_name),
+base::base (std::string _name, std::string _description):
     m_required (false),
-    m_seen (false)
+    m_seen (false),
+    m_name (std::move (_name)),
+    m_description (std::move (_description))
 { ; }
 
 
@@ -77,13 +79,21 @@ base::finish (void)
 
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-std::string
+const std::string&
 base::name (void) const
 {
     return m_name;
 }
 
 
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+const std::string&
+base::description (void) const
+{
+    return m_description;
+}
+
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool
 base::required (void) const
@@ -117,8 +127,8 @@ base::seen (bool _seen)
 
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-null::null (std::string _name):
-    base (std::move (_name))
+null::null (std::string _name, std::string _description):
+    base (std::move (_name), std::move (_description))
 { ; }
 
 
@@ -139,8 +149,8 @@ null::execute (const char *restrict)
 
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-present::present (std::string _name, bool &_data):
-    base (std::move (_name)),
+present::present (std::string _name, std::string _description, bool &_data):
+    base (std::move (_name), std::move (_description)),
     m_data (_data)
 { ; }
 
@@ -214,8 +224,8 @@ namespace util { namespace cmdopt { namespace option {
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 template <typename T>
-count<T>::count (std::string _name, T &_data):
-    value<T> (std::move (_name), _data)
+count<T>::count (std::string _name, std::string _description, T &_data):
+    value<T> (std::move (_name), std::move (_description), _data)
 { ; }
 
 
@@ -270,6 +280,7 @@ suffix_to_multiplier (char c)
 }
 
 
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void
 bytes::execute (const char *restrict str)
 {
@@ -298,7 +309,7 @@ parser::scan (int argc, const char *const *argv)
     CHECK    (argv);
 
     for (auto &j: m_options)
-        j->start ();
+        std::get<2> (j)->start ();
 
     // start iterating after our program's name
     int i = 1;
@@ -319,7 +330,7 @@ parser::scan (int argc, const char *const *argv)
     }
 
     for (auto &j: m_options)
-        j->finish ();
+        std::get<2> (j)->finish ();
 
     return i;
 }
@@ -343,6 +354,8 @@ parser::parse_long (int pos, int argc, const char *const *argv)
     const char *last  = start + strlen (start);
 
     std::string key { start, eq ? eq : last };
+    if (key == "help")
+        print_help (argc, argv);
 
     // find the handler
     auto handle_pos = std::find_if (m_long.begin (),
@@ -388,6 +401,8 @@ parser::parse_short (int pos, int argc, const char *const *argv)
     if (len > 2 || pos + 1 == argc || argv[pos+1][0] == '-') {
         for (size_t i = 1; i < len; ++i) {
             auto letter = argv[pos][i];
+            if (letter == 'h')
+                print_help (argc, argv);
 
             auto hpos = std::find_if (m_short.begin (),
                                       m_short.end (),
@@ -411,3 +426,43 @@ parser::parse_short (int pos, int argc, const char *const *argv)
 
     return 2;
 }
+
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void
+parser::print_help (const int argc,
+                    const char *const *argv) const
+{
+    (void)argc;
+
+    CHECK_EQ (m_short.size (), m_options.size ());
+    CHECK_EQ (m_long.size (), m_options.size ());
+
+    if (m_options.empty ())
+        exit (0);
+
+    // find the longest long form argument so we can set field alignment 
+    auto largest = std::max_element (m_long.begin (),
+                                     m_long.end (),
+                                     [] (const auto &a, const auto &b) {
+        return std::get<0> (a).size () < std::get<0> (b).size ();
+    });
+    int longwidth = std::get<0> (*largest).size ();
+
+    // field width requires an alignment. we don't care about preserving
+    // state as we're about to bail anyway
+    std::cout << std::left;
+
+    // print all the option info
+    std::cout << "usage: " << argv[0] << '\n';
+
+    for (auto &o: m_options) {
+        std::cout << '\t'
+                  << '-' << std::get<0> (o) << '\t'
+                  << std::setw (longwidth) << std::get<1> (o) << '\t'
+                  << std::setw (0) << std::get<2> (o)->description ()
+                  << '\n';
+    }
+
+    exit (0);
+}
diff --git a/cmdopt.hpp b/cmdopt.hpp
index 8d0d39ee..9f5e587b 100644
--- a/cmdopt.hpp
+++ b/cmdopt.hpp
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@
 namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
     namespace option {
         class base {
+        protected:
+            base (std::string name, std::string description);
+
         public:
-            base (std::string name);
             virtual ~base ();
 
             virtual void execute (void);
@@ -36,7 +38,8 @@ namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
             virtual void start   (void);
             virtual void finish  (void);
 
-            std::string name (void) const;
+            const std::string& name (void) const;
+            const std::string& description (void) const;
 
             bool required (void) const;
             bool required (bool);
@@ -45,15 +48,17 @@ namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
             bool seen (bool);
 
         private:
-            std::string m_name;
             bool m_required;
             bool m_seen;
+
+            std::string m_name;
+            std::string m_description;
         };
 
 
         class null : public base {
         public:
-            null (std::string name);
+            explicit null (std::string name, std::string description);
 
             virtual void execute (void) override;
             virtual void execute (const char *restrict) override;
@@ -62,7 +67,7 @@ namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
 
         class present : public base {
         public:
-            present (std::string name, bool&);
+            present (std::string name, std::string description, bool&);
 
             using base::execute;
             virtual void execute (void) override;
@@ -77,7 +82,7 @@ namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
         template <typename T>
         class value : public base {
         public:
-            value (std::string name, T&);
+            value (std::string name, std::string description, T&);
 
             using base::execute;
             void execute (const char *restrict) override;
@@ -94,7 +99,7 @@ namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
         template <typename T = unsigned>
         class count : public value<T> {
         public:
-            count (std::string name, T&);
+            count (std::string name, std::string description, T&);
 
             using value<T>::execute;
             void execute (void) override;
@@ -141,6 +146,7 @@ namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
         int parse_long  (int pos, int argc, const char *const *argv);
         int parse_short (int pos, int argc, const char *const *argv);
 
+        void print_help [[noreturn]] (int argc, const char *const *argv) const;
 
         using short_t = std::tuple<char,option::base&>;
         using long_t  = std::tuple<std::string,option::base&>;
@@ -148,7 +154,12 @@ namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
         std::vector<short_t> m_short;
         std::vector<long_t>  m_long;
 
-        std::vector<std::unique_ptr<option::base>> m_options;
+        std::vector<
+            std::tuple<
+                char,
+                std::string,
+                std::unique_ptr<option::base>>
+        > m_options;
     };
 } }
 
diff --git a/cmdopt.ipp b/cmdopt.ipp
index 7d997a14..0b2d37ee 100644
--- a/cmdopt.ipp
+++ b/cmdopt.ipp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     template <typename T>
-    option::value<T>::value (std::string _name, T &_data):
-        base (std::move (_name)),
+    option::value<T>::value (std::string _name, std::string _description, T &_data):
+        base (std::move (_name), std::move (_description)),
         m_data (_data)
     { ; }
 
@@ -88,16 +88,13 @@ namespace util { namespace cmdopt {
                  std::string description,
                  Args&&... args)
     {
-        // TODO: make use of the description with the help option
-        (void)description;
-
-        auto handler = std::make_unique<T> (longname, std::forward<Args> (args)...);
+        auto handler = std::make_unique<T> (longname, description, std::forward<Args> (args)...);
         T& ref = *handler;
 
         m_short.emplace_back (shortname, ref);
         m_long .emplace_back (longname,  ref);
 
-        m_options.emplace_back (std::move (handler));
+        m_options.emplace_back (shortname, longname, std::move (handler));
 
         return ref;
     }